“Thank you,” she whispered.
The moment they stepped back into the stall, her fingers slid instinctively into his hand. The contact felt immediate. Natural. Like something her body had decided before her brain had the chance to overthink it.
His hand tightened around hers automatically.
“Thank you for not pressuring me,” she admitted quietly.
“I would never, Alejandra,” he said just as softly. “And you’re welcome.” He paused, holding her gaze. “You’re more than surfing, just so you know.”
She nodded slowly and squeezed his hand.
Then, before she could think too hard about it, she tugged him down slightly.
Callum barely had time to react before she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
29
ALEJANDRA
we can’t be friends (wait for your love) - Ariana Grande
“So,are you going to tell me, or do I have to pry the information by torturing you?” Alejandra asked her brother as they walked toward the car after breakfast at Nereid, her favorite coffee shop in Ericeira. The smell of roasted coffee beans and warm pastries still lingered in the air behind them as the morning crowd slowly filled the terrace.
She had grabbed some pastries and a hot coffee to deliver to Callum too, but even though she wanted to basically dart to him, she was not going to waste that opportunity to investigate what the hell was going on with her brother.
Ester had stayed back at the villa, invited by Sofia to do some yoga with her and Amira. So, they were alone.
She had waited for him to mention something during breakfast, but he had just blabbed about swell conditions—which overall she loved, but not when she could not ride that swell.
“What?” Carlos asked, glancing at her.
“How is it possible that you are such a terrible flirt, and yet an amazing liar?” Alejandra joked, noticing how her brother had carefully kept his expression neutral.
“What do you want to know, Ale?” Carlos sighed, refreshing his man bun with a quick tug.
“Are you and Ester back together? Is Amira forgotten? Who owns your heart, hermano?”
Carlos sighed again, longer this time. “I preferred it when you were self-centered with surfing and did not care about my personal life.”
“Hey, that is not true! I have always been nosy about your personal life,” she grinned. “The difference is that you had none prior to this exchange I have noticed with Ester.”
Carlos took a deep breath, staring ahead at the parked car. “We are trying to get to know each other, but the problem is that—Por Dios, I am so pathetic.”
Alejandra studied him carefully. “Pathetic?”
“I cannot stop thinking about Amira,” he sighed, looking as flustered as he sounded. “And Ester noticed.”
Her eyes widened. “Mierda.”
“Yep.” He made a very dramatic groan, dragging a hand over his face. “So now she told me she does not want to try anything with me if I have Amira on my mind. And well, Amira does not notice me besides calling me old man… so, yes, I am back to being single and lonely.”
Alejandra patted his shoulder sympathetically. “I am sorry, but maybe you could gather some courage and actually talk with Amira. You know?”
Telling him she had looked annoyed by Ester’s presence was not an option. She did not want to keep his hopes high, considering he was already grasping for every possible thing Amira did.
“That would destroy our friendship.”
“Do you even have one?”
