“Your surf app?”
“Wavely.” His dark brows pull down. “Is that not what you use? If there’s a better one, let me know. I checked the surf report to make sure it wasn’t too aggressive out there today. That’s why we’re meeting a little late.”
I manage to swallow over the lump in my throat. “You were worried about wave strength?”
His eyes don’t leave mine. “They say ‘Virginia has no waves,’ but the ones from the storm the other day felt pretty strong. Of course, I don’t know anything, so they could have been toddler waves, but I wanted to make this as easy as possible for you—this first step.”
“This is our second step.” For some reason, arguing with Tenny distracts me from the way I feel folded inside out.
He hums, rocking his head back and forth. “We never got in the water.”
“We got close to the water,” I remind him, moving forward.
“Does that count?”
I poke him in the center of his wetsuit-covered chest. “Yes, it counts. Plus, my eardrums suffered, hearing your terrible falsetto. I feel like I should get a bonus step just from that alone.”
Tenny closes his hand around my finger but doesn’t move it. “Fine. This is step three.”
“Thank you.” I grin up at him, satisfied.
His large inhale takes my hand with it, and I feel the shift in his demeanor. “We need to talk about something before we head down there.”
“We also need to put on our boots, gloves, and hoods.”
The corner of Tenny’s mouth tips up like he knows I’m being derisive on purpose.
“I need you to know that I’d never let anything happen to you.” My hand tenses in his grip, and he shifts closer, pressing my palm flat over his heart. “You’re safe with me. I know this is usually your area of expertise, but today, we’re just two crazies voluntarily wading into fifty-degree water. While we do that, I’ll never let you go. I’ll be right here. No matter what, I’ve got you.”
My heartbeat is suddenly too loud in my ears, my skin itchy beneath my suit. I blink against the welling tears, convincing myself my eyes are watering from the brisk ocean breeze.
“Forty-eight degrees,” I tell him, proud of myself when my voice doesn’t crack. “CurlWatch said forty-eight. It tends to be more accurate than Wavely.”
Tenny nods, his gaze impossibly soft. “I’ll switch apps once we’re back inside.”
The moment stretches with nothing but the crash of the distant waves between us. The fear that taunted me ever since Tenny suggested this little rendezvous feels like a distant thrumming. What’s front and center like an obnoxious metal band is how much I want to lean in and kiss him. After that, I want to curl into his strong arms. BecauseI amscared. I’m terrified that I’ll get swept off in the surf, even though I know, logically, that’s not a possibility.
Here’s the thing, though—fear doesn’t operate in logic. The same fear that keeps Tenny routed to his superstitions is the one keeping me out of the water. I understand that. I also know the only way to get over this phobia is to face it head on.
Just like I forced Tenny to yesterday.
A long, slow breath fills my lungs.
“Ready?” Tenny squeezes my hand.
My chin dips as I collect the rest of my gear.
I trust Tenny with my safety, and maybe…
Maybe I can trust him with my heart too.
Chapter 29
Tenny
Alex pushes me out of the waves thirty minutes later, laughing so hard she’s making little squeaky sounds. True to my word, I haven’t let go of her. Though I’d initially made that decision for noble reasons, I have to admit, it’s the smartest choice I’ve ever made. Having Alex’s glove-clad fingers in mine, my arm around her waist, or my personal favorite, picking her up to hold her over the crashing water, is dangerously addictive.
As our boots squelch with each step toward my backyard, I casually loop my arm around her shoulders. When Alex doesn’t argue or shrug out of my grip, I cheer internally.
