My brows shoot up.Olympian.
I mean... of course I’ve dreamed about the Olympics. I think every athlete imagines themselves standing on a podium holding a gold medal. For a little while after winning my championship, I almost felt I could even see that future on the horizon.
Then I was charged and committed, and I was sure I’d thrown it all away.
Junior Worlds held a morality clause, and after my arrest, they took the title away from me and barred me from future competitions. While I’m now eligible to compete in the World Surf League as an adult, I never thought I’d find a trainer whowould be willing to work with me after the nightmare that is my past.
Sure, my charges were lowered to a misdemeanor, and the court records were sealed, but my initial arrest was public. Losing my title was a newsworthy scandal in the surfing world.
Training with Leo this summer, the picture he’d painted for me—an agent, sponsors, and a few decent titles—was more than I could’ve hoped for at this point. I thought I’d lost the Olympics long ago, if I’d ever had a chance to begin with.
“If that’s the route you want to pursue... I talked to Liv, and she’s willing to step in and help with your training. Put you on a regimen more catered to the Games. She’d be training with you, since she’s preparing for next summer in Tahiti.”
“You think there is actually a chance I could be in Tahiti next year with Liv?” I run a hand through my hair, astonished. My body sways as I suddenly become lightheaded, leaning against the desk for support.
“If not next summer, then in five years.”
I shake my head, all language stuck to the roof of my mouth. It’s been so long since I believed in any kind of potential for myself that hearing not only Leo Graham, but Livia Costa-Ramos see a future for me in Olympic surfing has me floating.
The question dawns on me then: “Why didn’t you ever compete in the Olympics?”
Leo huffs a laugh, rubbing his jaw. “I’d been in survival mode my entire life, and all I wanted to do was break the cycles. I wanted to make money, make a name for myself. I was running from heartbreak, and I wanted the route that would help me forget as quickly as possible. I landed modeling jobs just about as easily as I won competitions, and it felt simpler.” He sighs, deep in thought. “I trained, I worked hard, but I knew that even a gold medal wouldn’t give me the fame or the paycheck a cover would. Surfing for me was always about escape and belongingand finding myself. The harder I competed, the more I felt I was losing that sense of belonging—losing myself. I never would’ve made it as an Olympian. I wasn’t in it for the reasons an Olympian should be.”
Leo’s eyes drift to a photo on the shelf behind me. I follow his gaze to a wedding photo of him and Darby.
“As soon as I found the only thing I’d ever really been chasing, competing didn’t feel like a priority. Plus, I enjoyed training more than I ever did competing.” He smiles to himself. “I like being a teacher. And I’m not saying you can’t find a balance in it all, but for me... I was never going to work hard enough to be an Olympian, and deep down I always knew it. You can’t just be good. You can’t just show up. You need to be exceptional. You need to be one-of-a-kind.” He looks at me again. “I thinkyoucould be all those things, but you have to choose them too.”
My gaze lands on another photo of Willow. She’s sitting on the beach in a blue bathing suit, facing the horizon, looking at the camera over her shoulder, grinning.
Leo said he didn’t want to work hard enough to be an Olympian, and I can’t help but wonder again about his rule that I stay away from Willow. If it was merely for her benefit—because I have a criminal history and violent past, because I’m simply not good enough. Or if it was for me too, because he thinks I have what it takes. That I have what he didn’t, and he doesn’t want me to become distracted. A mixture of the two, I’m sure.
I wonder if he’d want Willow to end up with someone who can do it all. Not just to be an Olympian, per se, but someone who’s not afraid to show up. To be exceptional and one-of-a-kind, not just for themselves, but for her too.
Despite all he’s said about himself, I know the rest of the world finds Leo Graham to be exceptional. But no matter howimpressive others find him, he’d want Willow with someone even better.
“I want to be an Olympian,” I say, looking at him again.
He smirks, as if he already knew my answer, before standing from the couch. “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at six, then.” I nod, stepping toward the door, but the moment I begin to slide it open, Leo continues, “And Weston, I know you didn’t forget rule number three.”
I halt, a shuddering breath exiting my lips.
“I don’t want you to think I’m some controlling, overbearing father. That’s not me. My daughter has the freedom to make whatever choices she wants, as do you. I asked you to keep your distance because...” He sighs. “I have my reasons, and they’re not because I’m crazy or because I think you’re a bad guy. I’m just trying to protect her. So... friendship is one thing, but I’d prefer you two not be alone together.”
That’s a fucking sucker punch.
But I nod. “I understand.”
“Good. Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yeah?” I glance back at him.
“Keep your fingers out of each other’s mouths in my kitchen.”
Oh my fuck.
I swallow. Hard. “Technically she’s the one who...” The slow raise of Leo’s brow tells me to stop talking. “Understood. Won’t happen again.”
I don’t wait for his response as I slip into the hall and beeline for the guesthouse.
