BackWash (Editing & Completed)

Epilogue

Epilogue

One year later:

"Yeah, but how did it happen again?" Jacob asks, interested in the story seeing as Gabriela spared all the details. She's not always big on talking.

"It was during my last competition. After the competition, I was supposed to leave and return back to my studies," I explain, Stel now listening attentively too. "But during that last wave, all I could think about was her smile, and in that moment, all I wanted was to see it again."

"That when you swam back in and ditched the wave?" Zeke questions, curious.

"Yes," I answer in ease, a grin on my face. I don't regret leaving the competition during the last wave, even if I was ahead, because Gabby was and still is far more important to me than surfing. 

Matt died, not because of me, but because of my advice - yet still, Gabriela forgives. How can she not be the single most important person alive to me?

"I patted him on the back when he walked past," Ty boasts proudly. "The crowds were all gasping in terror when he threw the competition, but I knew what he was doing. I just knew." He turns to me for backup, "Remember what I said, Chase?" He repeats himself when I don't answer, "Remember ?"

Duke scoffs at Tyler, slightly amused in the fact that Ty thinks that all of this happened because of him. Ty will take credit for anything, even when he's not even remotely involved.

"Nope," I lie, "don't remember," I tease. "It was probably insignificant."

He ignores me and goes on to say it in any case, "I patted him on the back and I said, my famous words being, 'go get her'."

"You built up anticipation for that?" Jacob chuckles, unimpressed. "That's all you said? That's so cliche, not even original. You used a classic."

Ty glares at Jacob. "Go away."

"You going to make me?" Jacob challenges.

"Damn straight!" Tyler starts to approach him, Duke shoving him away from Jacob in the process.

"Shush you two, I want to hear Chase's story," Stels insists, the two of them quieting down as a result, but not without Tyler's occasional grunts of disapproval.

"I was in a rush, so I threw my surfboard aside-"

Stel's eyes widen as she interrupts this time, "You did what?"

Duke sends her a flat stare. "Babe," he scolds, reprimanding her.

She glances back to me, blowing a strand of her hair out of her face, before apologizing, "Sorry, I just can't believe you left your all-time favorite surfboard in the sand for anyone to take, including the tide."

I shrug, "I was desperate at the time." 

"No doubt," Zeke laughs, "no doubt."

"Like I was saying, I threw my board aside and it hit something. I heard the noise. Despite my rush, I felt a strong urge guiding me to stop and just look. When I lifted my board aside, I found a purple, velvet box underneath and inside was a ring. I didn't know at the time that it was Brent's, I thought it was just fate. Gabby only told me later on. But it's almost as if he was there in the moment, directing me to the ring. I don't believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. I believe he wanted me to find that ring. That's what I believe," I elaborate, trying to get it over with before I join Gabby in the sea. She already thinks I'm insane as is.

"How romantic," Stels gushes whilst the others keep silent at the mention of our old friend Brent. We might have never got on, but he was there with me that day. I know he was.