❝You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to face them.❞
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After wiping out on the waves and spending the last six months in a physical therapy centre recovering, pro-surfer Thalia Monroe, heads to the small coastal town of Sandy...
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I AM A long way from Sandy Cove.
Sitting out on the balcony of the tour house a few of us share in El Salvador under the cover of the canopy above, my eyes watch as the rain pours down around me. My hands curled around a warm cup of coffee as I look out onto the heavy crashing waves brought on by the weather.
Because of the weather, the competition hadn't begun yet. Since arriving here two days ago, the weather had been glum. It's supposed to pick up over the next few days, which should give us our five-day window to surf.
The past week since leaving Sandy Cove, my training had become regular again. Running, swimming, and perfecting my technique on the board—on the sand, I might add. I had not stepped foot back into the water yet, something my trainer wants me to do before the competition starts.
Looking down at the coffee in my mug, I can't help but smile as I think back to a memory of Atlas.
My eyes flickered open, and I groaned as the sunlight shone through the windows in Atlas's bedroom before I closed them again. The bed dipped slightly, and I felt a hand rest on my waist over the covers, shaking me.
I pried my eyes open once again and let them adjust to the light before I saw Atlas sat on the side of the bed, two cups of coffee in his hand.
"Is that coffee for me?" I asked him, and he chuckled.
"No, it's for the other surfer in my bed," he said, and I rolled my eyes. I clutched the covers to my chest as I sat up and he handed me my coffee before he leaned in and kissed me softly.
"Hilarious," I deadpan, as we pull back and he chuckles before rounding the bed to climb back in. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, bringing me closer so my back is against his chest and his arm is draped across the front of my chest where the covers are pulled up to. "Mmm, you make excellent coffee."
"Is that why you're keeping me around?" He laughs and I chuckle.
"Well, I will admit it is hard to make the perfect cup of coffee for someone, so I guess you're useful to me for now," I say, and he leans down to nip at my shoulder as I laugh.
"Drink your coffee," he tells me.
"Bossy," I mumble, and I feel his lips brush against my ear.
"You love it," he mumbles before placing a kiss on my neck.
"Maybe just a little," I admit, and he chuckles, shaking his head. I smile and reach to move some of the hair that fell down away from his face as he stares into my eyes before I mock, "drink your coffee."
"There's something better than coffee I want," he tells me before taking my mug and he places both of ours down before cupping my cheek and kissing me as he lies us down on the bed.
