Below the Barrel (Saltwater Springs #2)

3. Maliah | Victoria, Australia

THREE

MALIAH | VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

The long plane ride to Australia was enough to convince me that I never need to come back to this country ever again. I had taken a Gravol at the start of the flight, but it had already worn off by the time I woke up. With eight hours left in the flight, and Koa in the way of my carry-on, I decided to bear through it. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea, given how sick to my stomach I feel right now, but I refuse to speak to him.

Being around him for the next year is already going to be hard enough for me, but hearing the confirmation that we’re paired together, all because of Gabriel, is the final straw. I’ve done my best to avoid him as much as I can over the last year; to push him away and hope the love I still feel towards him follows suit. But the way he looked at me at our welcome dinner the other night, and the way his hand felt against my thigh caused my heart to beat harder than ever before.

It was proof enough that I still love him and that makes me even angrier to have to be around him when I’m trying so hard to move on.

“Looks like this is your room,” the hotel property owner of our temporary accommodations in Victoria says as he passes me my key card.

“Thank you,” I reply, taking it from him.

“And this,” he says, turning toward the door across from mine, “is your room.”

I watch in horror as he gives Koa his key card and drops our suitcases to the ground before leaving us in the hallway alone.

“Great.” I huff, snatching my suitcase away from his vicinity. “Another place where I’m forced to see you.”

I see the flash of hurt cross his face as he stares back at me, but I don’t allow the guilt to creep in as I swipe my key card against my door and barrel into my room, slamming the door behind me. I press my back against the door and close my eyes, steadying my breathing until I hear his door close too.

I don’t enjoy hurting him. I know that he still has feelings for me, despite the fact that he broke up with me, but it’s the only way to keep that barrier up between us. I’m scared that if I’m nice, I’ll open the door on our relationship and let him back in. I promised myself during one of my pity party cry fest nights that I would never let him back in.

The vibration of my phone pulls me out of my thoughts. I push myself from the door and search for it in my purse, pulling it out to see Gabriel’s name written across the screen.

Gabriel:

Meet me in the lobby. Training starts today.

I groan as I stare at the text, letting my head fall back so that I’m staring up at the ceiling. After a nearly twenty-four-hour flight, all I want to do is take a quick shower and sleep away the rest of the day.

Maliah:

I think I’m going to skip today’s training. I feel a bit sick from the flight.

Gabriel:

There are no sick days on tour. See you in five minutes.

I clench my jaw as I stare down at his message. I have no idea how Zalea puts up with Gabriel’s tough guy facade, it pisses me off. If he wasn’t such a good coach, I would have been long gone.

Tossing my suitcase down, I zip it open and begin digging through my clothes until I find one of my workout sets. I quickly strip down and throw on the olive-green leggings and matching sports bra, before sliding my feet into my gym shoes and tying my hair back into a low bun. I grab my phone, key card, and water bottle before exiting my room only to find Koa leaving his room in his own workout clothing.

“I’m guessing Gabriel texted you too?” he mumbles.

I let out another frustrated sigh and, without a word, stomp down the hall towards the lobby, Koa in tow. When we reach the lobby, Gabriel is pacing around with a scowl on his face and his phone pressed to his ear. When he spots us, he hangs up and approaches us.

“I might get an important call during training that will require me to leave early, so let’s try to get as much done as we can in the meantime,” he grumbles.

Koa and I follow him down the hall and towards the empty onsite gym. He swipes his key card and unlocks the door to let us in. The hotel’s gym is impressive with its high ceilings and large windows that flood the room with bright sunlight. It doesn’t smell like a gym either, instead a fresh scent of eucalyptus subtly floats in the air.

I make my way inside, Koa following closely behind, and find a bench to toss my belongings on. The modern machines are organized impeccably around the room, practically glistening, and many of the machines have large screens with virtual workout options on display.

“Wow,” I whisper as I slowly turn in a circle, my eyes bouncing from the machines to the free weights, and separate rooms for yoga and spinning.

“It’s a bit of an upgrade from Saltwater Springs’ gym.” Gabriel smirks.

“That’s an understatement,” Koa says, dropping his things next to mine on the bench.

“Alright,” Gabriel clears his throat, “we only have an hour, so let’s get started.”

Over the next forty-five minutes, Gabriel has us doing deadlifts, bench presses, and weighted bar squats. Normally, this would be a piece of cake for me, except for the fact that he has Koa and I spotting each other.

I nearly drop the weighted bar when I accidentally rub against him during a squat. My eyes snap up to his and although his eyes are focused on the back of my head, I see the clench in his jaw and the pinch between his brows.

Great, he probably thinks you did that on purpose.

I could kick myself.

I’m careful to avoid his body as I rise back up, barely able to get the bar back on the rack. Koa reaches past me and helps me secure it in place before I step out from under it and walk towards the plethora of face towels at a nearby wall, without thanking him. I can’t thank him, even if I wanted to. My throat feels like it’s completely sealed shut after the electric currents I felt from the quick contact.

“Alright, for the last fifteen minutes, let’s go over Bells Beach and what to expect from the waves,” Gabriel says, as he wipes down the equipment we used.

“Bells Beach has a long and explosive right-hander that will really test your rail game skills, so stay focused,” he says, eyeing me. “It’s not a great wave for aerials so don’t bother with those, just focus on carving.”

Koa nods, his arms crossed over his chest as he studies Gabriel. My eyes roam down his body, the veins in his arms more visible after Gabriel’s tough workout. I drag my eyes back up to his and butterflies explode in my stomach when I find him looking back at me with a knowing look.

For fuck’s sake, woman. Stop drooling over the guy.

I whip my head towards Gabriel with a frown. “Anything else we should look out for?”

“The rip currents can get a bit trippy out there so it’s best to stay triangulated to avoid getting swept away to the sharks.”

“We should get a practice session in before the actual competition,” Koa says, though I refuse to look at him again.

Gabriel nods. “Not a bad idea, I’ll plan something over the next few days.”

All three of our phones notify us of an incoming message. I quickly walk across the room to the bench where my phone lays as Gabriel takes his out from his pocket and curses.

Eliana:

Have you guys seen this article?

*link shared*

I open the link to the article, and my heart drops to my stomach as I read the headline.

Missing: Surf Prodigy, Zalea Evans

I look up at Gabriel, who is glaring down at his phone while the team group chat explodes with messages from the others.

Zale:

Gabriel, do you know anything about this? Her phone goes straight to voicemail. Where is my sister?

Kairi:

Zale, relax, I’m sure she’s fine.

Zale:

I wasn’t talking to you.

Gabriel:

Enough.

Zale:

Where. Is. She.

Gabriel lets out a frustrated growl from across the room, his hand running over his short hair. I glance up at Koa with a concerned expression as he watches Gabriel.

Gabriel:

I don’t know. I’ve had my people looking for her all morning.

Zale:

You knew she was missing from this morning, and you didn’t think to fucking tell me? Are you out of your mind?

Griffin:

Enough, Zale.

Eliana:

I don’t know if this is much help, but she had mentioned to me once on a VERY drunken night something about running away to Italy if all else fails.

Gabriel is on a call almost instantly, relaying Eliana’s information to whoever is on the other end of the line. Worry lines run across his forehead as he paces, deep in conversation.

“You found her?” he exclaims. “At the airport? Where in Italy was she flying to?”

He stops pacing as he turns to look at Koa and me.

“Rome?” he asks with barely restrained frustration. “Tell the pilot to get ready, I’ll be at the tarmac in thirty.”

He hangs up and looks at us apologetically.

“I have to go,” he says, his voice defeated. “I’ll video call you two every day to make sure you’re keeping up with training and getting along. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I’ll send my pilot back here once I reach Italy, so he can take you two to the next competitions.”

“Understood, Gabriel,” Koa says, his brows furrowed. “We’ll be fine.”

Gabriel eyes us both skeptically so Koa bumps my shoulder playfully, a smirk pulling at his lips as he glances down at my frowning face. He winks at me and butterflies explode inside of my stomach, my frown fading.

“Y-yeah,” I stutter, “we’ll be fine.”

I’ve never felt more like a liar than I do right now, as I stare into the eyes that destroyed my world.