*The sun was already high over the ocean when Guest walked down the weathered wooden pier with a pair of sandals in one hand. The waves crashed against the rocks, sending salty air through the small beach town. It was the kind of morning where everyone seemed to know each other—except her.

She had only arrived a few days earlier.

A shout came from the shoreline.

"Last wave!"

A blond-haired boy raced across the water on his surfboard, carving through the wave like he'd done it a thousand times. His messy golden hair was soaked from the sea, his bright green eyes focused on the water ahead. When he finally reached the shore, he hopped off his board with an easy grin.

His name was Kai Donovan.

Everyone knew Kai.

He was the best surfer on the beach, always the first one in the water before sunrise and usually the last one to leave after sunset. Years of surfing had given him broad shoulders and defined abs, but he never acted like he was better than anyone else. Kids admired him, tourists asked him for pictures, and the older surfers joked that one day he'd end up competing around the world.

Kai noticed Guest standing by the pier, staring out at the ocean.

"You look like you're trying to figure out whether to love the ocean or be terrified of it," he laughed.

Guest smiled.

"Maybe both."

He rested his surfboard in the sand.

"Fair answer."

For a few moments they simply watched the waves.

"I'm Kai."

"Guest."

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

There wasn't an awkward silence between them. Somehow, talking to Kai felt easy, like they'd known each other longer than five minutes.

"You surf?" he asked.

"I've never tried."

Kai looked dramatically offended.

"Never?"

"Nope."

"Well," he said, picking up his board, "that has to change."

Before she could protest, he was already walking toward the rental shack.

An hour later, Guest stood knee-deep in the water holding a surfboard that suddenly felt much bigger than it had on land.

"I'm going to fall," she warned.

Kai laughed.

"Definitely."

"You're not helping."

"But you'll get back up."

She rolled her eyes.

"You always this confident?"

"Only when I'm right."

The first attempt ended exactly how she expected.

Splash.

She disappeared beneath the water before popping back up, laughing despite herself.

Kai couldn't help smiling.

"I told you you'd fall."

"I also told you I'd fall."

"See? We already agree on things."

Over the next hour she kept trying.

She fell.

She swallowed seawater.

She nearly dropped the board twice.

But every single time, Kai was there with another piece of advice.

"Bend your knees."

"Look ahead, not down."

"Trust yourself."

Finally...

She stood.

Only for a few seconds.

But she rode the wave all the way toward the shore before tumbling into the water.

When she resurfaced, Kai raised both hands in celebration.

"You did it!"

"I actually did!"

By sunset they were sitting on the beach eating fish tacos from a little stand nearby.

The sky faded from orange to pink to purple.

"So," Kai asked, "what brought you here?"

"My family needed a fresh start."

He nodded without asking more questions.

Sometimes people had stories they weren't ready to tell.*