Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (novels for beginners txt) 📕

Zoe laughed back. ‘Got to be some perks to being in a wheelchair – and before you say it, no, you’re not claiming unfair advantage and getting a head start.’

‘I wouldn’t dare ask for one.’

‘Yes, you would.’

And then they were off again, laughing, duck-diving, paddling, living in the moment. Malie felt the weight lifting from her shoulders. They’d done it… no, Zo had done it. She was surfing again. Just like old times, they were together facing off the waves, relishing them – and the accident, it was the past. It had changed things for them all, but they’d fought back, and it was time to let it go. No more guilt.

‘I love you, Zo!’ she called out, bursting with the freedom of it, the happiness.

Her friend laughed, the sound filled with her joy. ‘I love you too, Devil.’

They were so wrapped up in their own world, the surf, their boards, the fun of it, neither of them felt the time passing or noticed the mini audience that had appeared half an hour later.

As they joined Kalani in the water, he gestured to his watch. ‘We should call it a day. You don’t want to push it too much on your first real outing.’

Zoe arched her back a little and nodded. ‘I think you’re right.’

‘You feeling OK?’ Malie asked, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. It would be tough on her friend’s upper body, lying prone like that, not to mention all the paddling and the core strength required to navigate the wave and keep her legs in place, even with the board’s special rails and straps.

‘I feel amazing,’ Zoe looked at her, her face vibrant and alive and boosting Malie as much as a fresh wave would.

‘Good.’

‘You were epic, Zoe!’ It was Tara shouting from the shore, her hands cupped around her mouth. Next to her was Todd, his grin and admiration palpable across the distance. She caught his eye, felt her heart pulse and heard his words as though he was speaking them now: let go of the guilt.

She nodded to him, her smile telling him everything she felt inside. Gratitude, relief, love. So much love – and not just for Zoe… She swallowed, feeling her cheeks flush, the realization swimming in her head, her heart.

‘Seems you have a little fanbase, Zoe,’ said Kalani, and her friend giggled.

‘I think they were Malie’s fans first.’

‘Well, now they’re both of yours,’ Kalani said, helping Zoe up and into his arms. ‘It’s time we grabbed a bite to eat. I told Tara and Todd we should head down to the Tiki Burger Hut, you going to join us?’

Zoe looked to Malie, half pleading, half commanding her to say yes. ‘Well?’

Malie shook herself out of her stupor. Today had been huge, monumental for Zoe, for them, and nothing could spoil it. Not even her messed-up feelings that were no one else’s fault but her own. ‘OK, OK, we’ll come.’

‘Yes,’ Zoe said, grinning up at Kalani.

‘Don’t get too excited,’ he said, wading through the water back to shore. ‘It’s not that special a place.’

Zoe looked back at Malie; it wasn’t the place that she was excited about, it was seeing Malie spend some time with Todd. She didn’t need to spell it out to Malie for her to know the truth.

Just wait until I get you alone later, she silently warned her friend.

Hell, who was she kidding? She needed Zoe, more now than ever.

Chapter Seventeen

TARA LOVED THE BURGER hut, and under normal circumstances he would too. A nice greasy burger, fully loaded with fries on the side, what could be better?

Malie.

Having Malie take the plunge with him. To hell with their pasts and the pain, to look to the future together. He thought on all he’d said to her about Zoe, about her guilt and how she needed to put the past to bed. And he’d seen it all in her face as she’d come out of the water. The small nod of her head, her smile filled with so much emotion. For a second, he’d believed it wasn’t just her elation over Zoe, of breaking free of the decade-old guilt, but something more, something akin to how he felt inside…

She wasn’t giving him that vibe anymore, though. She’d barely spared him a glance since they’d arrived and if not for their companions, the conversation would have been non-existent.

‘Are you not finishing those?’ Tara asked, eyeing up his fries.

He pushed the plate closer to her. ‘Help yourself.’

She grabbed a handful and put them all in her mouth at once.

‘It’s like you’ve never eaten before.’

‘I’ve worked up an appetite,’ she mumbled over her mouthful, raising her hand to cover her lips as she said a quick, ‘Excuse me.’

‘It really is nice of you to give up your time and help out at the surf school, Todd.’ Zoe’s smile was warm and encouraging. ‘Malie tells me you’ve been having lessons too?’

‘Yes, she’s quite the teacher.’ He smiled at Malie and she immediately lowered her eyes to her food. Not a good sign. He looked back to Zoe. ‘She doesn’t go easy on you, does she?’

Zoe’s laugh was soft. ‘She’s always been that way – the stuff we got up to as kids, she was always the instigator. I don’t think my childhood would have been half as exciting without her.’

Malie said nothing, her continued quietness bothering him more than he could stand. To go from that moment at the beach, that connection, that smile, to this… his hope crushed. He couldn’t stand it. He had to leave. Now.

‘I’m going to head to the bar for some drinks.’ Kalani got to his feet. ‘Anyone for another?’

‘Not for me,’ Todd said before Malie could use it as an excuse to leave. She belonged here, whereas he clearly didn’t. ‘I promised Tara I’d take her for ice cream.’

‘But I haven’t finished your fries…’ Tara pouted.

He forced a grin. ‘If you eat all those you won’t have space for the ice cream.’

Kalani looked