“How’s the water?” Seth’s voice brings me back to now. We’re standing in the foam, the water swirling around my hips, swaying the board.
Nodding, I make myself focus on his words, the waves rocking against my torso. “Good. The wetsuit helps.”
“Stretch out on the board while I steady it for you. Oh, wait.” He tilts his head to look beyond me. “Check out Noah. Snagged a clean one.”
We watch as Noah rides a wave in. He’s fluid and impressive. I can see why it’s becomehis whole personality, as Lilly claims. It’s majestic to watch,even an amateur.
“Wow, he’s so good.” I shimmy myself onto my board as Seth steadies it with one hand while straddling his own.
“Right? My dude is a natural.” He pumps his fist in the air to Noah, who copies him.
Folding my body in half, I lay my head down on the board, my hands tucked under it like a pillow, feet dangling on either side in the salty sea. Seth holds his hand out to me. I don’t lift my head up and instead look at it like it’s a snake ready to strike.
“C’mon. I’ll get you beyond the break so you can float. The good news is Pismo is a great beginners’ beach.” He already said that, but I don’t mention it.
“What’s the bad news?” I side-eye him quickly and return my focus to the water and my board, still not taking his hand.
“No bad news really. Just paddling out isn’t really a first step. You got me breaking the rules, Davis.” His smile has a dimple winking at me. He drops his hand, lays down on his board and begins to demonstrate form.
I try not to zone out on the dimple and the images it conjures. Before I start to paddle, Lilly catches a wave and rides it for a few seconds before she falls. I feel my smile in my whole face this time. I close my eyes for a long blink. When I open them, Seth is watching me. We lock eyes. I wet my bottom lip and roll it into my mouth with my teeth. He tracks the movement. I turn my head back toward the sea and the waves rolling in, ignoring the weight on my chest and oscillating my hands through the water.
More than an hour later, my skin feels toasty, my eyelids heavy. A perfect day on the coast. Seventy-five degrees and clear. My arms burn from paddling, but in a good way.
“Anyone else hungry? Let’s get breakfast burritos from the taco truck.” Noah is stretched out between Seth and Lilly, arm flung over his eyes, not moving. In answer, my stomach growls.
Next to me, Seth quietly chuckles. “Davis wants one.” He tilts his head toward me.
I track it in my periphery but don’t turn my head. “I’m in,” I say with forced pep I hope sounds natural. As the words leave my mouth, my stomach churns in protest. I hope food will help settle it.
“You’ll love these, Ev. Best burritos ever.” Noah stands and starts rummaging through his cinch sack. “C’mon, my treat. Who else?”
Lilly and Seth both raise their hands, not opening their eyes or otherwise moving from their flattened positions on their towels.
“Come help me carry them.” Noah holds his hand out to me.
I clasp it tightly as he pulls me to my feet. We walk barefoot to the parking lot, where the taco truck serves a line of at least six wetsuit-clad surfers.
“Tell me a story, Davis.” Noah parks a few feet behind the last patron and turns to face me, arms folded over his bare chest.
Swinging my hair as I shake my head side to side, I ask lightly, “Can we just pretend I missed you guys and wanted to see your new life? Besides, Lilly is the storyteller, not me.”
Nodding slowly, like he’s considering whether to push me on it or not, he wraps one arm around my neck in a half hug/half choke hold and kisses me on the cheek. “Okay, babe. Get ready for the best burrito of your life.”
“I’m ready. Starving actually.” And I am, I realize. Noah and Lilly meeting me where I’m at, no third degree, is calming my nervous system. But my cynical mind knows it’s the calm before the storm,because I can’t hide here forever. Still, I’ll take my calm while I’ve got it.
Returning to our spot on the sand, the universe confirms it. Lilly holds up her phone to me, display showing an unread text from Julian. Or Jayce. Or whoever the fuck he is.
“Don’t open it,” I plead.
She inclines her head, pursing her lips in a tight thin line.
“Can we just eat our burritos first?” My voice sounds damn close to a whine, even to my own ears. And I don’t whine. I clear my throat and add, “I don’t want to ruin the best burrito of my life.”
Lilly’s heavy sigh and Noah’s grinning nod give me my answer. She drops the phone on her towel and unwraps her burrito. Seth takes it all in but says nothing.
After we eat, Lilly doesn’t waste time and circles back around. “I gotta respond. I can’t just ignore him. What do you want me to say?”
Noah and Seth already paddled back out and float beyond the break, waiting for a set.
