Page 122 of The King Contract
Ellis didn’t tell me what went on between them, because I asked her not to. Hearing it now stabs at something near my sternum, and I ache to have a time machine, purely so I could go back and hear Noah out.
“I will always back you,” she says. “You know that. But with how you’ve been the last week? That’s not someone getting over a crush or being embarrassed or even going through a break-up. That’s someone experiencing loss. You’ve been grieving and babes, we’ve done enough of that the past couple of years. It’s time for a change.”
Something electric jitters in my veins. “This is insane. I can’t drop everything. I can’t leave you.”
“Stop worrying about everyone else and do something for yourself for once,” Ellis commands. “I can handle the store for awhile. It’s not forever, it’s to go and see what could happen. Give it a shot. Worst case, you get to fly in a bloody private jet. We’ll make sure you get home.”
I run through an imaginary scenario of showing up in Hawaii and Noah being pissed at my arrival, for distracting him from the most important thing in his life right now. I don’t want to cause him any more headaches than he’s already dealing with. “What if Noah doesn’t want me there?” I’m almost embarrassed everyone can hear me, but it’s the truth. What if he’s changed his mind or has realised he’s not as into me as he thought? What if it does more damage to his reputation than good?
“Impossible,” Ellis replies as I watch Dan reach for the remote. “He was in love with you this time last week. Did I mention the pure devastation on his face when he came to find you?”
“Ugh. Please don’t say that again.”
“Trust me, Millie.”
Dan directs my attention to the TV, where he’s has pulled up a YouTube clip. It’s Noah, with big headphones on his head, and a cheesy smile poised above a microphone. The camera cuts between him and a pair of radio hosts, conducting an interview that’s making them laugh.
Even though he’s constantly running his hand through his brown locks, he looks at ease in a white, oversized Salt Skin shirt that pops against his tan skin. Freckles have sprouted on his nose from sun exposure and his stubble looks freshly tidied. When he clasps his hands underneath his chin, I see the bright pink and black band on his wrist.
My heart shoots into the stratosphere.
I run my fingers across mine as I watch him.
Best friend charms are underrated as adults. As long as we wear these, we’re in it for the long haul.
Dan turns up the volume. “Okay, okay, let’s get to the serious stuff. Can you tell us if there’s truth to these rumours about you starting up your own surf camp for kids?” the interviewer asks in a strong American accent.
Noah’s face brightens, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s absolutely true. I’m working with some incredible people now to get something up and running towards the end of the year. There’ll be a range of options for the little groms, up to adults, and our plan is to provide experiences for people on an affordable budget. Anyone who wants to learn how to surf and do it in a safe and judgement-free environment will be welcome. We’re going to offer day and overnight experiences and there’ll be yoga and cooking classes. Heaps of cool stuff.”
The interviewers are pumped. “That’s awesome, man. Is this in Australia?”
“The goal is to run one in the summer in the States and one in the summer in Australia, but baby steps. We’ve got lots to figure out in terms of staffing and schedules. But I love working on it. It’ll be called Maelstrom Wave Riders and I’ll be sure to update everyone.”
Maelstrom.My heart squeezes as I watch him beaming with pride, his hand still slowly spinning his bracelet.
“It’s fair to say this is a bit of a change from the Noah King we saw last year,” one of the hosts says.
Noah nods. “Yeah, look. I’m not here to act like I didn’t have my fair share of fu—uh—I’m trying not to swear here.” He breaks into a wicked grin as the two hosts laugh. “As I was saying, I’m not here to act like I didn’t have my fair share of antics, let’s say. I was going through some stuff and didn’t handle it well, and I treated people I care about badly. As recently as last week, actually. I’m still making mistakes, and I take full responsibility for my actions. But I’m much more focused and I’m grateful to be here.”
“Respect man,” one of the hosts says as the other nods in agreement. “It’s not always easy to own your mistakes.”
“Hell, no.” Noah’s gaze drifts to his bracelet. “It’s a learning curve for me. I’m pretty good at deflecting responsibility.” The men chuckle. “I’m doing my best to learn from others and do what I can to not repeat my past mistakes. I just hope the people I love and care about can see I’m trying.”
Dan pauses the clip, a knowing glint in his eye as my eyes water. “What do you say, Maelstrom?”
I can hear Ellis screaming from the phone I didn’t realise I’d pulled away from my ear and I offer Dan a small smile. “Give me ten minutes.”
52
NOAH
Wanna call it a day, old man?
Surfing isas close to walking on water as you can get.
That’s what my dad used to say to us as kids. That it was his religion. That being connected to nature and the force of the ocean was as close to God as anyone would get. I’m not a religious person, but I think there’s spirituality in nature, especially in the water.
It’s always different on competition days, though. The adrenaline pumps and dumps, over and over. Heat after heat, wave after wave, you’re going through a mental and physical battle, trying to stay focused and ignore the outside pressure, which is almost impossible, given you’re basically on stage. And the Pipe Pro is arguably surfing’s biggest stage.
