Quinn blinks, turning back to the photos again. I watch as she silently takes them all in, her eyes moving over every single one of them. I’ve lost count of how many we have now. All I know is that every single surfer who has gotten an Olsen board is up on this wall.
It’s a tradition I love and one I plan to continue whenever Miles and I take over this place.
“So, you wanna come look at the boards?” I ask as I take her over to a corner where we make some non-custom boards that are usually sold to the mainstream surf shops. It’s not like they’re shitty or anything, and they still bear the Olsen name, but they aren’t customs, and none of them feature Nate’s designs. It was something Dad wanted to keep just for the customs when he first came up with the idea, even if the first few years it was someone else creating those designs. Still, every person who got a custom was invited to bring their board back and get one of Nate’s designs put on it. Pretty sure literally everyone did too.
So fucking cool.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Quinn says, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I should get one just yet. What if I?—”
“Quinn,” I say, turning her to face me. “You loved it out there today. I know it, and you know it. It was written all over your face. Every fucking wave you caught, even the ones when you got nailed, you always came up laughing.” I pause, smiling at her as I add, “Get a board, okay?”
“Okay,” she says quietly.
“Good,” I say with a nod. “And after we’re done here, we’re heading to the fish market, and then it’s back to my place for a barbecue.”
“Wait, Kai, I can’t take up your whole day,” she says.
Laughing, I pull her toward the boards. “Why not? I like hanging out with you,” I tell her. “Besides, the whole gang is coming, and you know you’re one of the gang now, so that means you gotta come. Okay?”
I will admit, it has been fun getting to know Kai, and even better that he comes with this huge group of friends. The girls are awesome, and I’m actually excited about going to the barbecue tonight at Kai’s house, with the prospect of getting to know all of them better too.
Back at home now, I change my clothes, pulling on a pair of shorts and a tank. Besides sundresses, this has become my uniform here. The weather is always so beautiful. There’s no need for anything else. I haven’t for a second missed the seasons of New York, hating winter more than I hate the busyness of the city.
It was never my thing, more Sean’s thing, and what he wanted, he got. We moved into our gorgeous penthouse condo, and I left behind my quiet life in West Milford, where I grew up.
The small lakeside town, the house I was raised in, had the most perfect views. I always wondered why my parents settled there, given it was so secluded, but it became solace and comfort as my sister and I grew up there.
When they passed away, we sold the house. It held too many memories, memories that made us ache with grief and sadness. But I dream about West Milford and that lake house when things feel too much.
The craziest thing is, I haven’t thought about it once since arriving in Hawaii. It’s almost like the ocean and the beautiful weather have filled that void for me.
Or maybe it’s just that I feel like I’m on vacation and reality is going to set in, leaving me the same fucked up mess I was when I arrived here.
My phone chimes as it charges on the nightstand. My house is so small that basically every room is connected, but I love it. It’s so different from what I left, and I love the idea of it being a place I picked, a place I can call my own.
Even if I’m just renting.
I had texted Kai asking for his address, and now he has my number. This could be a great thing, or it could be the worst thing I’ve ever done.
The jury is still out on whether what I have going with Kai is a mistake or not. But after today, I’m leaning heavily toward it being a good thing.
He really is the first friend I’ve made since settling in, and he’s shown me more of his life than I ever saw of Sean’s. Kai’s raw honesty and realism are refreshing, and there’s something about it I find strangely comforting.
He makes me want to be the person I used to be, and I find myself enjoying life again when he’s around. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way, but a part of me is still reserved, still scared it’s all going to be ripped away from me when I least expect it.
As I walk into the bedroom, my mind replaying our time together today—the vastness of the surfboard warehouse, the smell of the epoxy and the talent displayed everywhere—I find myself smiling.
But as soon as I pick up my phone, it’s gone.
* * *
Sean: we have a prenup and i own your car
* * *
I read it again and again, noting its lack of punctuation and capitalization. No clue why I focus on this, but it pisses me off. Almost like it was intentional, like I don’t deserve the acknowledgment or the time it would have taken to add these simple things.
Guess he was served, though. Filing for divorce the second I caught him in bed with that woman was the best decision I made.
