Easton Moore is back...and I'm his fake girlfriend.
After leaving for the professional surfing tour the morning after we slept together, my childhood best friend became the person I never wanted to see again. Now he strolls back into Sandy Cove when...
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WHAT WAS I thinking when I asked Gabriella Wilson to be my fake girlfriend?
The first thought was that I have known Gabi my whole life and her stubbornness has always been something I have admired about her. But I know her, and I know she would never take money off anyone she cares about without some way to repay them. Clearly, since everyone from my grandmother to Atlas and Thalia had tried, and she had refused.
The second thought was that leaving the way I did, the morning after the night we spent together, will always be my biggest regret in life. Doing what I did threw away my friendship with Gabi and the potential for anything more between us after our night together.
But this time I'm not running—and I plan to show Gabi how I feel about her.
No matter how hard she pushes me away.
Something Gabi will never find out is that while it is true sponsors like a more family friendly athlete nowadays my sponsors are not pulling out and my agent never suggested getting a fake girlfriend. But I knew there was no way she would buy my story otherwise.
The only one who knows is Atlas, and I made him swear to me this morning that she would not find out.
My arms hurt as I paddled away from the incoming wave, having been in the ocean for hours this morning. Atlas paddled beside me, as he tried to catch up to me to take the wave. Growing up in Sandy Cove, Atlas and I had never adhered to the rules of the ocean when we surfed together.
Just like we weren't following them now.
I had gotten ahead of Atlas and stood up on my surfboard as I got the inside of the wave. A curse fell from Atlas's mouth, and I couldn't help but laugh and throw him a better look next time hand gesture as he flipped me off.
As he angled away from the wave now that it was mine, I carved up the wave and let my hand skim across the water. The barrel formed, and I surfed my way through it, as I held onto the side of the board, being careful to not get wiped out. I came out the other end and threw my hands up into the air before diving headfirst into the ocean.
I resurfaced and shook my head before I grabbed my board and headed back to shore.
"You know, I think I prefer when you're on the Championship Tour. At least that way I can get a wave," Atlas told me as we trudged our way out of the water and back onto the sand.
I reached down to uncuff my ankle from the ankle strap and placed my board under my arm as we made our way to where our stuff sat on the beach, untouched.
"Even when I'm not here, Thalia would take all the waves," I said, and he nodded in agreement. "Face it, man. You can't compete with the champions."
He rolled his eyes as I winked at him before I placed my board down on the sand and reached down to grab my towel to dry myself off.
"This whole professional surfing thing has gone to your head," he told me, jokingly, and I laughed as I threw the towel back down. "So, uh, what's this I hear about you asking Gabi to be your fake girlfriend?"
