The Night Surfer

The Freedom

There was something about the way that Axel kept looking at me over dinner. It was probably the same way that I was looking at him too.

It was as though I finally felt free. I was at last letting my heart feel all of the things that I was trying so hard not to before.

After dinner, we left our separate ways. I could tell Axel wanted me to come with him and Kyra, but I want to give them two their space. We decided that we will leave at first light tomorrow morning and drive for as long as we can until sunset, trying to get as far down the coast as we can.

I'm sitting in my bed at the house that Reegan and Rhys are staying at, writing in my diary. I hear a small knock on the door and look up to see Rhys there.

I give him a smile, "Hey, come on in."

He returns the smile and sits on the bed next to me, "What are you doing?"

I close my diary and toss it on the bedside table, "I thought I should probably get this crazy adventure down on paper, not that I plan on forgetting it anytime soon."

"You can say that again." Rhys laughs.

"What's up?" I ask him.

He gives me a small smile, "So you and Axel, huh?"

I can't help the blush that rises to my cheeks.

He chuckles, "I guess I'm not the guy that makes you do that anymore, hey Tommie?"

I give him a smile, "You know that you'll always be the best friend a girl could ask for."

He breaks out into a grin, "Of course, come here."

He opens his arms and I reach across and let him envelope me into a big bear hug. He releases me after a few seconds and gives me a suspicious look, "So, if you're with Axel now, then why are you here?"

I stand up from the bed and go to my duffle bag, shuffling through the clothes for my pyjamas, "Technically we're not together, and I want to give him some time with Kyra. That was the whole reason we came up here, plus they seem like they're in a good place right now."

I hear Rhys scoff, "You confessed your love for each other. You should be with him."

I pause my search, and close my eyes for a second.

Rhys must notice, "What's the real reason?"

I slowly turn to him and brace myself against the chest-of-drawers, "Maybe I'm just a little nervous."

"Of what?" He pushes.

I look down, "I don't know, it's going to be different now." I glance back to him, "As happy as I feel that we said that we love each other, I feel like I don't know how to act around him now."

Rhys shrugs, "You don't need to act any way at all. He loves you because you're you, just be yourself."

I intake a deep breath, "Yeah, you're right."

I turn back around and finally find my old surfing t-shirt and my shorts, I give Rhys a grateful smile, "Thanks Rhys, I'm hitting the showers."

He just laughs and stands up to leave, "I'll see you later."

I go into the bathroom and close the door, calming my thoughts for a second. Rhys really was right, there was no reason why I needed to feel like I have to act any differently around Axel now.

≈≈≈

I stir in the night to a strange sound. I open my eyes slightly to see my phone on my bedside table lit up. Reluctantly, I roll over and reach for it, squinting to read the screen.