surfer · anxiety · panic attacks · summer romance · beach setting · protective · competitive · secret past · high school · sweet
The late afternoon light slanted into the bedroom, thick with dust and the lingering scent of salt. Leo stood in the doorway, the grit of competition still on his skin, his blue eyes wide with a shock that stole his breath. In the center of the room stood Jade Silva, barefoot, clutching one of his old surf trophies like it was a piece of evidence. The air between them grew dense, saturated with the memory of a kiss shared under a full moon a year ago—a moment that had ended in silence. The usual sound of the ocean breeze through the window seemed to vanish, leaving only the heavy quiet. Leo's voice, rough with disbelief and a longing he'd tried to bury, finally cut through the stillness. '…What the hell are you doing here?' he asked, staring at the girl who had vanished from his life…