He followed her lead, staying close but not crowding. His hand settled gently on her back, slow, steady, grounding.
That somehow made it worse.
Maybe that was why she preferred being alone when she broke down.
“It’s alright,” he murmured.
“No,” she snapped, lifting her head, eyes blazing. “It’s not fucking alright.”
Then she winced, shaking her head. “Sorry, it’s…” She dragged in another breath. “I close my eyes and it’s there. The memory. Like a fucking movie in high definition. I’m drowning again, and I—”
“It’s okay, cariad. One step at a time.”
“What if I can’t anymore?” Her voice cracked. “What if my career is over? What if I’m remembered as the surfer who was scared of the fucking ocean?” She let out a bitter laugh. “What a joke. Me cago en la puta.”
Callum studied her for a second, then said, almost casually, “Okay. So you want to give up? Hang up the board?”
Her head snapped toward him, eyes flashing.
“I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what it sounded like.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, catching it—the way he was pushing her, just enough. And damn him, it worked.
“I’m not giving up,” she shot back. “I’m just… scared.”
“From where I’m standing,” he said, resting his arms on the paddleboard beside her, “you’ve got two options. Keep crying and let it consume you—”
“Not an option.”
“Good girl,” he winked.
She rolled her eyes, but her grip on the board steadied.
“Or,” he continued, softer now, “you try. Even scared. You face whatever’s going on in that head of yours. You’ve got a therapist. You’ve got me. I bet Sofia and Ilias would help you in a heartbeat. You’ve got an amazing family back home. And you’ve got the ocean—” he gestured around them “—which takes a lot, yeah. But it gives back, too. It gave you a life you love, friends, opportunities, awards, medals, a job that takes you around the world chasing waves.”
Alejandra studied him for a long moment, squinting slightly.“You can’t be good-looking and wise. That’s illegal. You must have flaws.”
“I have plenty,” he smirked. “Like pretending I’m fine half the time while I’m dying inside. Which, by the way, almost led me straight into burnout.”
She huffed out a quiet laugh. “Alright.”
Then she looked back at the water.
“Okay. I want to try something. I’ll hold the paddleboard and do some breathing exercises. Don’t know how long it’ll take—”
“Whatever you need, cariad. Whatever you need.”
He leaned in and stole a kiss—salty, soft, grounding in a way nothing else had been all day. Her mind spun for a second, the panic loosening its grip just a fraction.
“I’m sure,” he murmured against her lips, “that if you do well, I can reward you with something you’ll really enjoy.”
Then he bit her lower lip lightly.
She huffed a laugh. “Sex incentives. You should’ve tried that earlier. That’s what’ll cure my mind.”
Callum laughed. “I should’ve known.”
