“It’s been a rough morning,” I admit, taking a sip of the coffee, and holy shit, it’s good. “Oh my god, this is incredible.”
“Hawaiian latte,” he states with a cockiness that only he can exude. “Macadamia nut and coconut syrup, steamed milk, and milk foam. I knew you’d like it. Now get moving. We’ve got waves to catch.”
“Are you always like this so early in the morning?” I question, pulling out a chair and taking another sip of coffee.
“Yes, yes, I always am, and if you don’t get moving, we’re going to miss the best part of the day when it comes to surfing.”
He flicks his hands at me and then points to my bedroom. Rolling my eyes, I haul my ass out of the chair. He’s quite demanding this early. The sun hasn’t even come up yet.
Ten minutes later, I’m in the passenger seat of his truck, coffee in hand as he backs down the long gravel driveway.
“I promise you, it will be worth it,” he says, reaching over to pat my thigh. Giving it a little squeeze, he smiles, and as shitty as my morning was, he’s able to get a smile out of me too.
“So, are you high all the time?” I blurt out, and he gives a hearty laugh in response.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love an edible or a joint now and then, but no, Quinn, I’m not high all the time. Fuck, living here, getting to surf and make boards, it’s my life, and I love it.”
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who isn’t constantly chasing money, always wanting more, but with Kai, it’s like he doesn’t even care.
He has the water, and he’s happy.
“Wanna tell me about your rough morning?” he now says, echoing the words I said to him back at me.
I look over at him, not saying anything, unsure if I even want to share it with him. The last thing I want to be is that girl who overshares and telling him about this shitshow feels that way.
I already broke down once in front of him, and while he handled it really well, that doesn’t mean he will this time.
“Your mouth might not be saying anything, but the subtitles are written all over your face,” he jokes, mimicking a scowl back at me, and I laugh.
He pulls off the road, stopping to park in an area that is totally empty. There’s not a car around, and I wonder if he’s taken me someplace that the locals go.
“No one’s here,” I say, both of us climbing out of the truck.
Walking around back, he pulls the boards from it and hands mine to me. I tuck it under my arm like he taught me and begin following him.
“Yeah, this isn’t a popular area. All my friends are down the road. The swell there is epic, but you’re not ready for that yet.”
“Kai,” I start, but he stops me.
“Nah, all good, Quinn. I said yet. You’ll get there. I wanna hang out with you, so no big deal. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now.” He pauses for a few seconds, looking over at me, that cheeky grin on his face. “And no, you’re still not a conquest.”
I shake my head, laughing a little. He’s like no one I’ve ever met before, reading my thoughts but also responding in an honest and real way.
“I wanted to get out here before the sun starts to rise. It looks amazing out on the water. Come on,” he says, jogging a bit, his feet kicking up sand behind him.
He waits for me, and I make quick work of my shorts and tank. I tuck my board back under my arm and follow him into the water.
“Stay close,” he tells me, and I do, paddling in line next to him. Once we’re out past the break, he stops.
Slinging a leg over his board, me following suit, we watch as the sun just begins to come up over the mountains far beyond us.
“So, tell me what went down this morning, and why do I think it has something to do with your ex?” he says casually.
I look over at him and tap the end of my nose, but I’m not even sure where to begin.
Quinn blows out a hard breath, the brief joy that flashed across her face as we paddled out here now replaced with something darker.
“I’m not even sure I know where to begin,” she says.
