AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yep.” She grins up at me.
I back away and leave. My plan is coming together. Everything on the list gives us time and memories together. Call me a sap—I don’t care. I want Zee to remember this summer like I will.
The next day Zennor meets me on the beach and watches me surf in the morning. She’s working today, but the plan has time together later on. We walk up to the same grassy spot overlooking the beach and lie out in the warm sun of the late afternoon.
“What’s your plan after you leave here?” she asks. We’ve not spoken much about what happens after, but I guess we can’t avoid it anymore.
“Well, head home, and in a couple of weeks, I pack my bag, my board, and I have a ticket to Bali.”
“To surf?”
“Yeah. And to travel. I never knew what I wanted to do. So, I decided to take a year out and surf around the world. It’s a long shot that I might turn it into a job, but I’ve got to give it a try.”
“Where do you want to visit?”
“After Bali, probably California or Hawaii. There’s no steadfast plan. It will all depend on how things go, what the surf’s like, and who I meet.”
“And you’ve saved for this?” Zee needles away with questions.
“Yeah. I knew University wasn’t for me, so I’ve worked and saved for the last few years for this trip.” She nods and picks at the blades of grass, twisting them between her fingers.
“How long will you be away?”
“I don’t know. It isn’t something planned day by day. What about you? What are you doing after the summer?”
“College. Business, computing, and maths.”
“Seriously?” I can’t believe my free-spirited girl is all geeked out.
“Yeah. I might love Cornwall, but I don’t want to work at Molly’s for the rest of my life.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“No idea. But I’m keeping my options open. I’m good at maths and problem-solving.” She rolls to the side and looks at me. “Come on. Isn’t this the time scheduled for surfing?”
“I thought you weren’t up for that?”
“Well, call it a going-away present.” She smiles. “Come on. Before I change my mind.”
We walk down the headland and make a quick detour to the house to grab my board. Zee won’t be in a suit, so I stay in my boardshorts, too. Besides, I like her looking at my chest.
We rent a board for an hour from the surf shop and head for the waves.
Zee’s face shows the shock of the cold as the waves splash up her bare skin. Seeing her in the surf puts a smile on my face despite her reluctance, and before long, we’re both laughing, knocking each other into the waves, and replaying that first kiss over and over again.
The sunny weather gives us easy rolling waves, and Zee spends the time messing about bodyboarding rather than trying to stand up and surf the waves in, but I don’t care. We’re together, in the ocean, and having fun.
I had to enlist Molly’s help with the last day of our plan. We have until three, and if Zee worked her usual lunch shift, it would suck. Luckily, I think Molly’s a romantic at heart. Plus, between my folks and me, we’ve spent a small fortune on food and drink here the past couple of weeks.
It’s not even eight in the morning, and I knock on Zennor’s door. Her sister, Tegan, answers. “Hey, Jayce.”
“Hey.” I step inside, immediately placing my finger to my lips, keeping her quiet. “Is your mum home?”
“She is.”
“Hey, Mrs Williams. Can I go and wake Zee?” I give her my best I-only-have-good-intentions-towards-your-daughter smile.
“Go on.” She nods. Tegan gives me a grin, and I make my way up the stairs to Zee’s bedroom. She might not thank me for this, but we have to make every minute count today. My hand twists the handle and opens the door. It’s surprisingly light, with a soft material curtain billowing in the breeze. Zennor’s still asleep under her covers, and the urge to jump on her is too great to resist.
