Waves Of Passion

“And I already feel much better.”

She slipped her hand in his and looked into his eyes.

“What happened out there?” she asked and he sighed.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think nature was not on my side today. The waves suddenly got really wild and I got slammed against a reef. I managed to get to the bay in time…”

“Did you know about the tide?” she asked and he shook his head.

“I didn’t. I only found out when I noticed the water levels rising a little too fast and my head was spinning….the rock was the only high ground I could get to before I passed out.”

She looked at him and bit her lower lip as a tear threatened to roll down her cheek.

“You could have died,” she said in a whisper.

“But I didn’t,” he said, gently squeezing her hand. “And it is good too because the competition is in a couple of days.”

She shook her head. “You can’t,” she protested.

“Eliza I have been working on this for the whole year. This is the biggest point of my career. My first competition as a Wave Tide affiliate.”

“I know all that but your health comes first.” The tear that had been lingering suddenly rolled down her cheek. “You cannot do this…I cannot lose you.”

“You are not going to lose me.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “You couldn’t do it if you tried.”

“You could have a concussion,” she said in a soft voice.

“Well, the doctors have confirmed that I don’t have one.”

“Still, you should be resting,” she said but he was adamant.

She sat on the edge of his bed and looked into his eyes.

“Please, Justin,” she begged. “Please.”

“Baby, I want to stand out there proudly as I represent Wave Tide because I am not only going to compete, I am going to win,” he said. “And that’s a promise.”

She took a long deep breath and sighed. He seemed to have made up his mind. And there was no changing his mind – that much she was sure of.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said in a whisper and he shook his head.

“This is a promise I have every intention of keeping,” he said.

*****

As the surfers lined up on the beach, Eliza could feel her heart racing. She needed to trust Justin and the fact that he had so much faith in his health. He did not only think that he was ready to surf again but also ready to win. She had to trust him.

“He will be okay,” she thought to herself as she looked at a smiling Justin. He looked perfect in his swimming gear and his board in hand. He looked ready to take on the world. As he should have. He looked over his shoulder and looked at her before he gave her a little wink. She smiled before she heard the referees whistle. A small gasp escaped her lips. It had begun.

She watched with baited breath as the competitors raced into the water with their boards. Justin had a good head start. She didn’t know how but he did it. When he got as far into the water as he could, he threw himself on his board and into an oncoming wave before he began to use his hands to paddle out into deeper waters.

“That’s too far,” she thought as she saw him going on deeper and deeper until he had been reduced to a speck in the horizon. It was only then that he got up and balanced his weight on his board as he began riding the waves as they came. He was still way ahead of the rest of his competition but at that moment, he did not seem to care. It was all about him. All about his own little world. The waves were coming on wild and fast and while other surfers fell into the water or lost their balance, he was still riding strong and fast. And before she knew it, he was getting closer and closer to the shore. And just like that, she could see it. He was doing exactly what he had say he would do. He was winning.

She looked at him as he began running towards the finish line as the crowd applauded. She got up and walked to the finish line. It seemed like forever as the photographers took their pictures and short interviews before he walked over to where she was. She jumped into his arms and he claimed her lips in one long passionate kiss. He did not care that people were watching or anything. All she cared for was that she was right there in his arms.

“I’m not just falling for you, Eliza,” he said as he looked into her eyes. He pulled her closer to himself and sighed loudly. “I am in love with you. I have been for a long while.”

She smiled and kissed him again.

“I have been in love with you probably from the very first time I saw you,” she whispered and he pulled her close to him. “And you make me happier than anyone ever has.”

“And that is all I want, Eliza,” he said. “To make you happy.”

The end.