Below the Barrel (Saltwater Springs #2)

32. Maliah | Oahu, Hawaii

THIRTY-TWO

MALIAH | OAHU, HAWAII

The waves at Pipeline are massive today, bigger than I’ve ever seen. Each one is a towering wall of water, crashing down with the power that makes the ground tremble beneath my feet. Even Koa, who usually looks calm and collected no matter what, has a hint of worry in his eyes. I glance over at him as he preps his board, watching him steady his breath. He gives me a small, encouraging smile.

He goes first, paddling out with smooth, powerful strokes. My heart is pounding as I watch him navigate the monster waves, catching a perfect one and riding it with the kind of grace and skill that only Koa has. He maneuvers through the barrel, coming out the other side as the crowd roars with excitement. He scores enough points to put us in pending first place, but it’s not over yet.

It's my turn now, and everything is on me. If I nail this, we’ll lock in first place. If I mess up…we could lose it all.

I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I’ve worked too hard for this, for us . I can’t let fear win. I think back to all the encouragement Koa has given me over the past few months, the way he pushed me to be better, to trust myself. Gabriel too, with his tough love and no-nonsense attitude, always knowing just what to say to get me fired up.

And now…Koa’s family is here, on the beach, watching. Cheering me on. His mom, his dad, even his cousins. I can hear Kelani’s voice in my head, telling me how he surfed Pipeline, how he owned it, and Makoa’s words of advice on how to handle these massive waves. I think about how it felt when I first surfed here, the thrill, the fear, and how I overcame it.

I’m ready.

I grab my board and start paddling out, my muscles burning with each stroke, but I push through it. The ocean feels different today—angrier, more chaotic. But I focus on my breathing, staying calm, remembering everything I’ve learned.

As I sit out there, waiting for the right wave, I can feel the energy in the water. The power of the ocean, the roar of the crowd, the pressure of the competition—it’s all crashing into me at once. But then, I see it. The perfect wave. It’s massive, and it’s coming right for me.

That’s it.

I start paddling with everything I’ve got, my heart racing as I feel the pull of the wave behind me. And then I’m up. I’m on the wave, riding it, feeling the board under me feels like an extension of myself. I drop down the face of it, speeding through the water, the wind whipping through my hair.

The wave barrels, and I crouch low, tucking into it. The water curls over me, and for a second, everything goes silent. It’s just me and the wave, the world fading away, and I’m completely in the moment. I can hear Koa’s voice in my head, telling me I’ve got this, and I hold on tight as I shoot out of the barrel, the wave crashing behind me.

The roar of the crowd hits me like a wall, but all I can feel is the rush of adrenaline, the sheer joy of knowing I did it. I ride the wave all the way in, my heart pounding in my chest, and when I finally reach the shore, I’m grinning like crazy.

I turn back to Koa on the beach, and he’s standing there, arms raised in triumph, the biggest smile on his face.

I did it.

We did it.

We’re first.

The tension in the air is thick, electric even, as we stand side by side, our hands locked together. My heart feels like it’s about to leap out of my chest, and I know Koa must feel the same. We’re both waiting, praying, for our names to be called. The crowd’s energy is buzzing all around us, but I can barely hear it over the pounding of my own heartbeat.

I glance at Koa, and he’s watching the stage, his jaw set in determination, though I can see that excitement in his eyes. Time seems to slow as the announcer builds the suspense, stretching out each second, making my nerves ricochet with every drawn-out pause.

Breathe, Maliah. Breathe.

“Our 2024 World Champions…Koa and Maliah!”

The sound of the crowd explodes, but it feels like the world narrows in on just us.

We did it.

I can’t even react at first. The title we’ve dreamed of, worked so hard for—it’s ours. Koa squeezes my hand, pulling me back to reality, and suddenly I’m laughing, tears welling up in my eyes. I can’t stop smiling.

We actually did it.

As the noise swells around us, the next announcement hits like a shockwave.

“Along with the title, a prize of two-hundred thousand, to be split between the two.”

My jaw drops. I stare at Koa, wide-eyed. Two hundred thousand dollars is enough to change everything. I knew there would be a cash prize, but I never expected it to be that much.

Koa, in his excitement, bends down and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder as he holds the back of my thighs. I twist my body so I can see him as he grins at me with that infectious energy he always has.

“Hey, princess,” he says softly, the warmth in his eyes making my heart flutter. “When the house is fixed up…will you move in with me?”

A giggle escapes me, shaking my head as a playful grin spreads across my face. “What makes you think you’re getting that house? I have a bakery to open,” I tease, my heart light.

Koa grins back, his eyes sparkling in that way that always makes me weak in the knees. “I guess we’re still going to have that bidding war then, huh?”

I laugh, the sound coming out brighter than I expect, and shake my head. “How about…we just buy it together?”

There’s a pause, but then that grin softens into something deeper, something more tender. He nods, giving my thighs a gentle squeeze.

“Together,” he says, his voice low and full of promise before he parades me towards his family who have been cheering us on this whole time.

It feels like everything has come full circle.

For so long, it felt like I was below the barrel of life, sinking further into the weight of everything I had lost when Koa and I fell apart. I wasn’t just heartbroken; I was fading. Fading into this nothingness that swallowed me whole.

It was like I’d forgotten how to breathe without him, without the love and fire we shared. Every day without him chipped away at me, leaving me feeling like a shell of who I used to be and just angry all the time.

But somehow, we found our way back to each other. It wasn’t easy, not the fairytale story I had always planned for myself. It was messy and hard, with moments I thought I’d never recover from. Yet, coming back to him felt like breaking through the surface of drowning for so long. The world doesn’t feel dark anymore—it’s alive, vibrant, and more beautiful than I remember. And I can finally feel again.

Maybe that’s why I was so scared of Pipeline; to experience that drowning feeling again.

I look down at the beautiful ring on my finger and I can’t help but smile. I’m not just excited for what’s ahead, I’m ready for it. For every sunrise we’ll share in our new home, for every wave we’ll ride, for every moment that makes us laugh or cry.

Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. And that, right there, is everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve ever needed.

Just us.

Just Koa and Maliah.

The End.