Below the Barrel (Saltwater Springs #2)

11. Koa | Tavarua, Fiji

ELEVEN

KOA | TAVARUA, FIJI

“It’s shaped like a heart,” Maliah says quietly, more to herself.

Although her hands are in fists, knuckles white, she’s bravely looking out of the plane's window down at the island we’ll be staying on for the next two weeks. I glance out the window to see what she means, spotting the small heart-shaped island instantly. It’s surrounded by vibrant hues of turquoise water, and I can see the massive waves from up here.

“Prepare for landing at the Nadi International Airport in 15 minutes,” the pilot's voice sounds over the intercom.

Maliah jerks back in her seat, gripping her arm rests as an anxious expression takes over. Still afraid of heights, but she’s getting better.

“Relax, we’ll be fine,” I say encouragingly, but I’m met with a fake smile and an eye roll.

I’m not sure why I thought things would be different after waking up from our night camping in the Pinnacles Desert. I guess I had hoped it would change something, maybe show her how easy it would be to go back to how we were when things were good between us. Instead, I woke up to an empty tent, she’d even taken her duffel bag with her. The bus ride back to our hotel was almost completely silent because she pretended to sleep the whole way, and we’ve barely spoken in the two days since.

I release an exaggerated sigh and close my eyes for the remainder of our flight. When we land in Nadi, I’m not surprised to find someone from our production team waiting for us with a private vehicle after we climb off the plane. We toss our bags into the trunk and hop into the backseats, small cameras fixed all over the interior point directly at our faces.

Forty-five minutes later, we’re reunited with the rest of the surfers and production teams on a boat transfer to Tavarua Island. Maliah wanders off to stand with a group of female surfers for the thirty-minute boat ride, and I’m left wondering if I pushed her too far.

“So, are you two a thing now, or what?”

I glance to my left to see that Reese has joined me as I stare out at the crystal-clear water. I look over his shoulder and spot Charles close enough to listen in on us. His eyes find mine before he quickly looks away pretending to be focused on something else. I roll my eyes and return to staring at the ocean.

“I never said we weren’t a thing,” I reply.

“Does Maliah know that?” Reese asks.

I force a chuckle. “Did Charles send you to do his dirty work?”

He looks over his shoulder at Charles who is now staring up at the clouds as if they’re the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen.

“Nah,” Reese replies. “I just noticed she’s been a bit hot and cold with you on this tour.”

I nod in agreement. “We have a history,” I explain, “but Maliah knows we’re more than friends, even if she tries to pretend like it’s not true.”

“That’s how you know she’s got it bad for you.”

Reese closes his eyes and relaxes as the wind blows through his brown hair, sending it swirling in front of him for the rest of the boat ride. At some point, Charles had relocated next to Maliah, and I watch with a bitter taste in my mouth as he makes her laugh.

When we finally reach the island, I’m one of the first to get off the damn boat. I can’t stand watching him put a smile on her face when it should be me doing that.

I study the island and feel a bang in my chest as I take in the white sand, swaying palm trees, and dense greenery. It reminds me of Hawaii. It reminds me of home.

Unlike the others on The Saltwater Shredders team, I wasn’t born and raised in Saltwater Springs. My parents used up almost every cent they had to fly me out from our small community in Hawaii when I was seventeen. Gabriel had an opening on the youth team that included food and boarding, and after seeing a few recordings of me at local Hawaiian surf competitions, he had reached out and offered me the spot, as long as I would be able to cover my own flight expenses. I haven’t been back since, but I miss it more than anything.

“All right, surfers, please stand next to your partner,” Jackie calls out to us from further up the beach.

I watch as everyone shuffles around and seconds later Maliah finds her spot next to me. I force myself not to look down at her, even when I feel the heat of her gaze roaming over me.

“The accommodations here are going to be a bit different,” Jackie starts. “Because of the high cost to stay on the island resort, you’ll be sharing a beachfront villa with your partner for the next two weeks.”

My jaw nearly hits the ground, and Maliah stiffens beside me as groans and giggles ripple through the surrounding surfers. I slowly close my mouth, composing myself as the cameramen hover around trying to capture everyone’s reactions. I swallow past the nervous lump in my throat and allow myself a quick glance at Maliah, only to find her already looking up at me with flared nostrils.

Staying in a hotel room across the hall from her for a few days was hard enough. How am I going to share a whole villa with just her for two whole weeks?

“David here is the resort manager.” A short round man with dark skin and grey hair beams at us before he steps forward with room keys. “He’ll come around to each of you to hand you your room key. There is only one key per room so learn to share with your partner.”

When David reaches Maliah and I, I watch as she extends her hand out for the key, but I quickly snatch it from his hand instead.

“She has a history of losing keys,” I explain when he raises his brow to me. “It’s better if I’m the one that holds onto it.”

“It was one time,” she argues, turning to glare at me with her hands on her hips.

“One is more than enough,” I say, giving her a fake smile before turning back to David. “Don’t you agree?”

He looks between us several times, the nervousness evident in his expression before he plasters on a polite smile.

“Whatever works best for you both,” he says before hurriedly moving onto the next group.

“Great,” Maliah mutters, “now I have to worry about you locking me out of our villa.”

“I would never do that.” I roll my eyes and turn to face her. “You, on the other hand, wouldn’t think twice to do that to me. Another reason why I’ll be holding onto these for the next two weeks.”

I wave the keys between us, high enough for her not to be able to reach them in case she tries.

“Whatever.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Let’s go.”

I look around and notice that groups are leaving towards their villas with a staff member. A grumpy man approaches us with an army of younger guys, surely not even eighteen yet, each holding onto our bags.

“Please follow me,” he says, turning towards the villas.

We follow him right up to a large villa with the number twenty-two hanging over the glass sliding door. The whole villa is made from timber and woven bamboo, with a thatched Fijian-style roof.

He turns to me and gestures that I unlock the door, which I do, letting myself and Maliah in first. It’s an open concept villa, which makes it look extremely spacious especially with the high ceilings and large windows. All of the furniture is made from wood, and I notice paintings and wall art are the only hint of colour in this neutral toned home, but it all blends together nicely.

The boys that carry our luggage pass us and head towards a room. We follow them and come face to face with a king-sized bed, draped with a mosquito net.

“Where’s the second room?” I ask, turning to look at the grumpy man.

“This villa only has one room,” he states.

I feel all the blood rush out of my limbs and straight to my cock. I’m going to have to share a bed with Maliah for two weeks?

“Absolutely not,” she argues, pushing past us to storm around the rest of the villa.

“So, everyone has to share a bed with their partner?” I ask the man, confused on how that will go down with the partners that have not been on the best of terms in the tour.

He shakes his head. “Only you two.”

“Why is that?” I ask, my heart pounding loudly.

He looks down at his clipboard. “We ran out of double bed villas and someone by the name of Gabriel Matthews confirmed that a single bed villa would be fine for you two.”

“I’m sorry,” Maliah says almost hysterically as she barges back into the bedroom. “Did you just say Gabriel Matthews approved this?”

She swings her arms around wildly, gesturing to the room. He stares at her expressionless.

“Correct,” he says, before turning back to me. “Now, do you mind signing this luggage delivery confirmation so that me and my team can leave?”

I take the pen from him and quickly sign my name before him and the young men leave, sliding the glass door shut behind them.

“I’m going to kill Gabriel.” Maliah seethes. I can almost see the steam floating out of her ears as she turns tomato red.

“Relax.” I sigh, walking over to my luggage. “I’ll sleep on the couch if sleeping next to me again is that big of a deal.”

I feel pathetic saying it, but it’s true. You would think our past years of sleeping next to each other, not to mention the tent two days ago, would make sharing a bed easier on her, but it’s almost like it’s made it worse.

She watches silently as I wheel out my suitcase and duffle bag to the living room next to the couch. I lay my suitcase down and rummage through it until I find my swimming trunks. I pull off my pants and shirt, throwing the trunks over my boxers, before walking out of the villa without a word and making my way into the ocean for a swim to clear my mind.

“How was the plane ride?” Gabriel asks over a video call later that night.

Maliah doesn’t say a word as she glares at the camera. I glance at her with a raised eyebrow before turning back to look at Gabriel.

“It was comfortable. Thanks for letting us use your plane for the tour.”

He nods, pleased, but I can tell he’s a ball of stress. He looks like he’s lost weight and there are bags under his eyes now.

“Any luck finding Zalea?” I ask, positive she’s the reason for this version of Gabriel.

“We know she’s in Italy, but I’m still having a hard time tracking her down myself,” he says, running a hand through his usually perfect hair which is now pointing in every which way. “But I’m sure I’m getting close.”

I nod and glance at Maliah once more, the glare hasn’t left her face and I’m not even sure if she’s blinked yet. I clear my throat and turn back to the camera, noticing that Gabriel is completely oblivious to her.

“Okay, so for this competition you’ll be surfing Cloudbreak,” he says, propping his phone up against something as he uses his hands to explain. “It’s a very tricky wave.”

“Why’s that?” I press.

“There are multiple sections so you’ll both need to negotiate yourselves to escape the wave's thick lip.”

“Sounds like the ideal wave for us,” I say, smirking. “How do you suggest we tackle it, Coach?”

Gabriel chuckles as he nods in agreement. “There will be a lot of tube riding opportunities with this wave so take advantage of that. It’s also got a great shoulder for carving, roundhouse outbacks, and plenty of power surfing maneuvers. This is the wave that you should really show off what makes you both the amazing surfers that you are.”

“Got it,” I say, making mental notes for us both since I know Maliah is not paying attention right now.

“Just remember, there are three points to this wave to keep an eye on. The point, which is the top, is where you’ll find the bigger waves perfect for top-to-bottom surfing. You’ll be able to show off the maneuvers we’ve practiced here, like cutbacks, and bottom-turns. The middle point of the wave is where you’ll find the tube time, but it’s fast so don’t let your guard down or you’ll wipe out. And lastly is the inside, also known as Shish Kebabs, the wave speeds up here while also becoming extremely hollow so stay sure-footed or you’ll get swallowed in an instant.”

I nod, already starting to plan how I want to ride this wave.

“But Koa,” Gabriel says in a warning voice, “plenty of surfers have risked their lives barreling this wave. Keep an eye on the razor-sharp reef or that could be you, too.”

“Got it, Coach.” I nod again.

“Maliah,” he says, finally turning his eyes towards her with his brow raised. “Why the hell have you been staring at me like you’re going to kill me?”

“I think the better question is why the hell you put us into a villa that only has one bed?”

Gabriel frowns at her, composing himself before answering.

“I’m sorry, did I miss something?” he asks, crossing his arms as he leans back in his seat. “Were you two not sharing a bed, in my house, for years? Or even sharing a tent two days ago?”

Her face turns crimson as she continues to glare at him. “You should have asked if we were okay with it before you made that decision.”

“You really can’t manage to share a bed with your teammate for two weeks? I’m not asking you two to fuck, though I find it hard to believe you two haven’t already done that on this tour yet, it’s just for sleeping on, Maliah.”

“Oh my god,” she exclaims, throwing her hands into the air, “you are such an impossible person, Gabriel. No wonder Zalea ran off.”

Gabriel is silent as his eyes narrow on her, I know whatever he plans to say next will be catastrophic.

“Let’s call it a night, I’m tired after all the traveling,” I say, butting in.

“You’re right,” he says, turning his attention back to me. “It’s been a long day for all three of us so let’s reconnect after the competition. I trust you two can handle the practice without me for the next few days.”

And with that, the call drops, and Gabriel is gone. I let out an exhausted sigh before turning to Maliah who is frowning at the floor, her cheeks still red.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, pushing myself up to my feet before holding my hand out to help her up.

She stares at my hand for a minute before slowly reaching out and taking it, allowing me to help her to her feet.

“A bit,” she admits, just before her stomach growls loudly.

“A bit?” I question teasingly before I make my way to the kitchen and open the fully stocked fridge, pulling out ingredients to make a quick fish and veggie dinner for us.

Maliah joins in after a few minutes, walking around me to grab ingredients, brushing against me each time until I’m positive she’s doing it on purpose. I fight with everything I have to keep my hard on from showing, but by the time the food is done, she’s the only thing I want to eat.

I watch as she plates our dinner and brings it to the table, waiting for me to take a seat across from her, which I do.

“The fish looks good,” she says, before cutting into hers.

“Does it?” I ask absentmindedly, as I watch her place her fork in her mouth, her perfect plump lips wrapping around it.

The corners of her lips lift, and I raise my eyes to hers only to find that she’s watching me, amused. I clear my throat before I shove a piece of my own fish into my mouth. It tastes good but I know she’d taste better.

“So,” Maliah says, picking up another piece of fish with her fork. “If we win, what do you plan to do with your half of the earnings?”

I hesitate before answering, weighing how much I’m willing to share with her. But it’s a genuine question, and it deserves a genuine answer.

“You know that abandoned house up the street from The Shredder House?”

“The white and green one, just off the main beach?”

I nod. “I want to buy it, fix it up, and move in.”

Her chewing slows as she looks at me, a mix of emotions running across her beautiful features.

“You’re moving out of our house?”

“Out of the team residence.” I nod, diverting my eyes back to my plate as I grab some of the vegetables. “I think it’s time for me to start exploring life outside of the team.”

A few beats of silence pass between us before she speaks again.

“Does that mean you’re planning to leave the team, too?”

I watch as she places her fork down beside her plate and focuses on me entirely.

“I haven’t decided yet,” I admit, growing uncomfortable with the questions. “What about you, what’s your big plan once you win the money?”

She ponders the question for a moment before picking up her fork and playing with her food.

“I’ve been teetering with the idea of starting my own small business,” she says, pushing the vegetables around on her plate with her fork. “I just don’t know how that would work with our strict surfing schedule.”

“What kind of small business?” I ask, my brows jumping up in surprise.

I was positive her answer would be more along the lines of a closet refresh or an all-inclusive trip somewhere expensive. I never thought she’d want to stray away from surfing in any capacity, not with the amount of dedication she’s poured into it over the years.

“I was thinking of a bakery,” she says, her cheeks turning pink.

“That makes sense,” I say, trying to sound casual. “You’ve always loved to bake.”

Her head shoots up and her round eyes find mine. “You think it’s a good idea?”

I nod, smiling at her encouragingly. “I think any idea you have is a good idea,” I admit.

She scoffs. “Really? So what if I told you my plan was to buy that abandoned house and turn it into a bakery?”

I narrow my eyes at her, challengingly. “I guess we’ll just have to see who outbids who.”

“I guess so,” she says, narrowing her eyes back at me before returning her attention to her plate.

I can’t stop the small smile that tugs at my lips as I watch her, imagining how annoyed she’d get at actually being in a bidding war with me.

Something to look forward to .

When we both finish eating, I stand up and take our plates from the table before walking over to the sink and cleaning them, while Maliah wipes down the table. When we’re both done, I start to walk towards the couch that I’ll be calling my bed for the next two weeks.

“Wait,” I hear her quiet voice say from the kitchen table.

I stop and look at her over my shoulder, raising a questioning brow at her.

“You can’t sleep on the couch,” she says, sounding both embarrassed and annoyed.

“And why not?” I ask, turning to face her.

She hesitates, bumping her palm against the side of her thigh nervously. I slowly walk up to her, stopping when we’re just inches apart.

“Why not, Maliah?” I push.

“Well, because!”

I hold back my chuckle at her frown. “Because?”

“Because there isn’t a mosquito net for the couch, and you could get bitten and die from…from…whatever disease the mosquito has.”

I smirk as I watch her face turn crimson again.

“And we can’t have me dying, can we?” I ask in a teasing tone.

“Oh, shut up,” she says, smacking my chest gently as she rips her gaze away on a frown.

I reach up and gently take her chin, guiding her gaze back to me. Her eyes flicker between mine, then dart to my mouth, uncertainty written all over her face, as if she’s unsure whether I’ll make another move.

“So, is this your way of asking me to sleep with you?” I murmur, keeping my eyes on hers.

“No,” she practically shouts, pulling her chin out of my grasp. “This is me offering my teammate the option to sleep next to me, not with me, to avoid a horrible death.”

I chuckle before turning around and picking up my bag from the floor.

“Well, if my life depends on it,” I smirk as I look back at her, “then I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

Her face turns three shades darker before she turns on her heel in a huff. “Whatever,” I hear her mutter as she speed-walks back to the room. I chuckle as I follow her, watching as she grabs a change of clothes from her bag and stomps over to the bathroom to shower.

Two weeks in a bed next to her. What’s the worst that can happen?