Below the Barrel (Saltwater Springs #2)

20. Maliah | La Libertad, El Salvador

TWENTY

MALIAH | LA LIBERTAD, EL SALVADOR

We’re sitting on a bench, finishing up the last of our food, and I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve felt this carefree. The air is thick with the scent of grilled meats, sugary churros, and popcorn. I take a bite of my arepa, savouring the crispy outside and the warm, cheesy filling. Koa’s munching on some skewers, his eyes sparkling as we laugh over how competitive we were at the ring toss earlier.

The sun’s starting to dip lower now, casting this warm orange glow over everything. It feels like time’s slowing down, just a little. We talk about the games we’ve played, the ones he won me stuffed animals at, and how he claims to have a secret technique for every single one. I roll my eyes, but it’s hard to hide my smile. There’s something about tonight that feels…different. Almost like we’re tiptoeing closer to something more, but neither of us is ready to call it that and that’s perfectly fine for me.

“Hey,” Koa says, breaking into my thoughts. “Do you want to go on the Ferris wheel? Escape these cameras for a bit?” He nods over to where the wheel is lighting up, colourful lights flashing as it spins slowly in the distance.

I freeze for a second, trying not to let the spike of anxiety show on my face. I hate heights. And that thing looks massive.

“Uh…” I glance at it, then back at him, trying to think of a way to say no without sounding like a loser.

“You scared?” He smirks, raising an eyebrow, like he’s daring me.

“Of course not,” I lie through my teeth. I think I manage to sound casual, but inside, I’m freaking the hell out.

He studies me for a second, his face softening. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go, Princess. But if you’re up for it, I promise we’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you.” His voice is gentle, reassuring, and somehow that makes it worse.

I know I should say no. The last time I was up high, I could barely keep it together. But something in the way he’s looking at me, the way he said he’d be there with me, makes me want to take that step. Just for tonight.

“Fine,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “But if I throw up, I’m aiming for you.” I point at him, narrowing my eyes.

Koa laughs, shaking his head. “Deal.”

The entire walk to the Ferris wheel, my stomach twists in knots, and I pray to God I don’t actually puke when we reach the top. I swear, I’ll die from embarrassment if I do. We stand in line, and I can feel the nerves creeping up my spine. Heights have never been my thing, but Koa is next to me, calm and collected as ever. When it’s finally our turn, my feet hesitate, rooted to the ground. Koa notices right away, of course. He always does.

He takes my hand in his, kisses the back of it gently, and looks straight into my eyes. “Trust me,” he says, his voice low and reassuring.

And I do. I trust him, despite everything we’ve been through. So I take a deep breath and step into the carriage with him.

As soon as the Ferris wheel lurches forward, I screech involuntarily, clutching the safety bar with all my strength. My stomach flips, and I’m ready to beg them to let me off, but before I can even say a word, Koa wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. His body is warm and solid, and I find comfort in the way he holds me so close.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs into my ear, his lips brushing against my temple. “I’ve got you.”

I exhale slowly and sink into him, trying to calm my racing heart. We rise higher and higher, the carnival lights twinkling below, and the ocean stretches out in front of us, meeting the horizon where the sun is beginning to set.

“It’s beautiful,” I say softly, my eyes glued to the view. The sky is painted in shades of pink and orange and the waves shimmer under the fading light.

“Yeah,” Koa says, but when I glance up at him, he’s not looking at the ocean. He’s looking at me.

I feel a flutter in my chest, but I need a distraction before I get lost in the way he’s staring at me. So I shift the conversation.

“Why are you considering leaving the team if you love surfing so much?”

Koa’s face changes slightly, his jaw tensing. He doesn’t answer right away, and I can feel him mulling over the question. His arms tighten around me, like he’s holding onto something deeper than just the moment.

He finally sighs and leans his head back against the seat. “It’s not that I don’t love surfing. I do,” he begins. “But it’s been years. It’s all I’ve known for so long, and I’ve been away from my family for most of it. I miss them. I want to make more time to be with them, to live, not just surf.”

I nod, understanding what he means, but the thought of him not being there during practices, not being on the team, makes me uneasy. I’ve had him by my side for so many years now—it’s hard to imagine what it would be like without him.

“I get that, but don’t you think you’ll miss competing? The thrill of it?” I ask.

He shrugs slightly. “Maybe. But I don’t think competitive surfing is what I want to do forever. I love it, but there’s more to life than just riding waves for scores, you know? I want to figure out what else I’m passionate about. Like you and your baking. Maybe that house I want to buy is a start. And who knows, we might end up in a bidding war over it.”

I laugh softly at that, but there’s a weight in his words that lingers in the air. I hadn’t realized how much he’d been thinking about life beyond surfing.

The conversation slows as we near the top of the wheel. The city below us is alive with lights, the ocean reflecting the last glimmers of the sun. The view is breathtaking, but I can feel something else building in the air—something between us that’s been simmering all night.

The carriage rocks slightly, and I clutch Koa’s arm without thinking, earning a quiet laugh from him. “We’re almost at the top,” he says, his voice soft. “You okay?”

I nod, but my heart races for a different reason now. There’s something about being up here, with the world spread out beneath us, that makes everything feel more intense. Like the air is charged.

As the wheel comes to a gentle stop at the very top, we sit there, hovering about the carnival. It’s just us, the vast sky, and the hum of the world below. I glance at Koa, and he’s already looking at me, that familiar intensity in his gaze.

“You know,” he says, his lips curving into a small smile, “this would be the perfect moment in a movie for fireworks.”

I’m about to laugh when, as if on cue, fireworks explode in the distance. Bright streaks of colour shoot into the sky, lighting up the night. The sound of the first boom startles me, but then I relax, laughing as the sky fills with bursts of red, blue, and gold.

“Did you plan that?” I tease, my heart racing.

Koa grins, his eyes reflecting the fireworks above us. “Not this time.”

He turns toward me, his face close enough that I can feel the warmth of his breath against my cheek. The fireworks crackle in the sky, but all I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat, thudding louder with each passing second. I feel the weight of the moment, the electricity between us building to something undeniable.

My breath catches as his hand moves to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin. He leans in slowly, his gaze flicking to my lips before locking back onto my eyes. There’s no hesitation, no doubt. I know what’s coming, and I want it.

I want him.

And then he kisses me.

It’s soft at first, gentle, like he’s testing the waters. But the second I respond, the kiss deepens, and everything around us seems to fade away. His lips move against mine with a tenderness that makes my heart swell, and I melt into him, my hand sliding up to the back of his neck. The world falls away until it’s just him, me, and this kiss.

The fireworks continue to explode above us, a kaleidoscope of colour lighting up the night, but all I can focus on is Koa. How his lips taste like the sweetness of the cotton candy we shared earlier, how his hand feels against my cheek, and how this kiss feels like a promise. A promise of everything that could be.

When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I meet his eyes again. He smiles, that goofy, boyish smile that makes my heart skip a beat every time.

“See?” he murmurs, brushing his thumb across my lips. “Fireworks.”

I can’t help but laugh, a mixture of disbelief and pure happiness bubbling inside me. “Yeah…fireworks.”

As the Ferris wheel starts moving again, slowly lowering us back to reality and back to the cameras, I realize that whatever happens next, this moment—this kiss—will stay with me forever.