❝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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CURSING AS THE paper ball I made misses Atlas, I have missed more times than I have hit him. He sends me a smirk and chuckles at my failed attempts as he leisurely strolls around the surf shack, taking inventory. Sticking my tongue out at him, he shakes his head at my childishness. Making another to throw at him as I sit on the counter near the register waiting for Gabi to turn up for her surf lesson. My legs dangle down and I throw another, missing him once again.
"Please stick with surfing. You would not make a career in the NBA," Atlas tells me as he bends down to pick up the balls that are scattered all over the floor, before he aims for the trashcan and gets them in.
"Show-off," I mutter, and he takes a bow as I roll my eyes.
"Are you going to stop killing trees?" Atlas asks me, and I look down at the paper in my hands.
"I'll recycle them," I tell him before throwing another at him, and this time it hits him on the forehead. I stifle a laugh as he looks shocked before picking it up.
"You'll pay for that." He points a finger at me.
He continues to walk around, taking inventory, and my eyes follow him. Tapping my fingers against my thigh, I bite my lip. "Hey." I get his attention and he turns to me, but is still looking down at his clipboard. "You're not mad Gabi came to me about surfing, are you? I know you've known each other longer."
Atlas looks up from the clipboard and a small smile decorates his face before he walks over to where I am sitting. Placing the clipboard down, he leans his hands on the counter and stands next to me. "I'm not mad." He shakes his head. "Hell, if I had a pro surfer offering to teach me how to surf, I would have chosen the same thing."
I laugh and place my hand on his shoulder. "She only wants to learn the basics anyway, enough to where she just doesn't look like an idiot."
"Considering you're giving her one lesson of basics, I can guarantee she'll still look like an idiot," he says. "Wait until she gets in the water. He'll figure out she can't surf. Do you think we could spy on their date so I can see her fail?"
I slap his shoulder. "No. She'd kill me."
"I'll say nice words at your funeral." He shrugs and I shake my head. "Why did she agree to a surfing date, anyway?"
I shrug. "Who knows? Maybe she just wants company? After all, we spend a lot of time together."
He nods his head and gives me a lopsided smile. "I get it. I mean, it was always Easton and Gabi together growing up. You know, sometimes you feel like a third wheel."
"Even as friends?" I ask, raising my eyebrow as he is unaware of what went on between them.
"They knew each other before I was around. It was more so when I first got here, took a while for the dynamic to shift," he says, twirling the pen around in his hand. "Then after a while it was me and East a lot, so it was trying to make sure we were all okay. Then for ages it's been me and Gabi since it's just been us two here."
