Sofia rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Then why does it feel like it?”
“Because you’re still healing. And you have to give yourself time and grace to do so, Sofi. Tomorrow you’ll show Thomas that you can achieve amazing things without him, his stupid money, or his stupid influence. Money can’t buy personality and decency. That’s why he’s a horrible person who should be in jail.”
“I basically gave the research to him. It wasn’t anything illegal,” Sofia reminded her.
“Playing with people’s trust should be punished by ripping their heart from their chest and offering it to Aphrodite on an altar.” Alejandra flashed her signature Cheshire Cat grin.
Sofia frowned. “Are you reading one of those smutty books again or watching that crazy anime of yours?”
“Maybe,” Alejandra shrugged. “But it would be epic.”
Sofia shook her head, then looked at her friend with soft eyes. “Thank you, Ale. For being here for me. I know you should be out there training for the competition.”
Alejandra waved her off. “Please, I know these waves like the back of my hand. Friday’ll be fine.”
“Forgot how modest you were when it came to surfing.”
“Modesty didn’t win me a gold Olympic medal.” Alejandra beamed. “Party wave back to shore? Mamá and Papá should’ve arrived and I know they want to go to dinner with you.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sofia smiled, turning her board toward the line-up that had slowly emptied.
“Next one,” Alejandra warned, flat on her stomach, paddling beside her.
Sofia lifted her torso, paddled a couple meters away from Alejandra, and when she felt herself on the crest of the wave, she stood up. They glided together like it was second nature, laughing and smiling at each other.
The rush that came from being carried by the force of the ocean was addictive. Even though she wasn’t as daring as Alejandra, who faced Pipeline and Teahupo’o, Sofia couldn’t stay away from the ocean for long. It was a need. A desire. She wondered how she had spent five years of her life in Milan, surrounded by concrete, mountains, and cold, without the chance to surf daily. Maybe Thomas lying to her and stealing her work had been an unfortunate blessing, a wake-up call to remind her what truly mattered.
2
ILIAS
The First Time – Damiano David
Alejandra had deemed Ilias’presence essential in giving her best friend’s cleanup the attention it deserved.
He would have loved to keep sleeping and sneak in extra training for the third leg of the Universal Surf League tour—USL, because surfers hated long names—but the second he floated the idea, Alejandra shot him that look. The one that made him feel like his wave-riding credentials were suddenly under review.
So, he’d accepted.
That friend of hers, whom she’d spoken about endlessly, was some kind of scientist. She had founded a marine project in Ericeira and needed help kicking it off and grabbing the attention of big sponsors like TerraVive, who had been sponsoring him since he was fifteen. The only sponsor who hadn’t dropped him after he took a two-year break from surfing.
Ilias rolled in about five minutes late at Praia dos Pescadores—the small, bustling beach at the heart of Ericeira—even thoughhe’d rented a house with his sister and their team just a short walk away in the town’s center. He loved the vibe of the town and had missed it during the two years he had spent slowly healing.
At the entrance to the beach, a big poster in earth tone colors read “Salacia Project x Ericeira Cleanup”, with a lineup of local shop sponsors underneath. Even the municipality of Ericeira was sponsoring it, and he genuinely wondered why Alejandra needed him
During his two-year break, Ilias had almost forgotten how wild fans could get when he was on tour. Not that he minded. They had every reason to be impressed. Olympic gold, back-to-back Universal Surf League titles, the first North African surfer to achieve it. He’d earned the attention, even if he sometimes felt a twinge of disbelief that all of it had actually happened. Fame didn’t come naturally, but hard work and obsession had carved his path, and now, stepping back into the spotlight, he could feel the world still watching.
As soon as he arrived, people started stopping him for pictures and autographs. He signed with a genuine smile, letting the moments pass without rush. During his break, he had shut down all his social media and avoided the public eye, wary of judgment he didn’t need. Now, facing the familiar attention, there was a quiet satisfaction. Not the thrill of praise he once chased, but the steady warmth of recognition earned through years of work.
“You’re here!” Alejandra’s voice cut through the crowd and his thoughts. She found him and dragged him away from his fans, towards the back of a tiny stage set up with the event and all the sponsor logos as a backdrop.
“You’re late,” Alejandra remarked.
“Fashionably late,” Ilias replied, waggling his eyebrows.
“¡Venga ya! Sofi is losing her mind, so just try to be on your best behavior, vale?”
Ilias feigned offense. “When am I not?”
