Chapter 49
CALLUM
Walking on The Waves - Skippinish
He had a girlfriend. And not just any girlfriend. Alejandra López Romero was his girlfriend.
Callum didn’t care about the Olympic medal, the USL titles, or any award she’d won throughout her career.
He cared about the thirty-three-year-old Spanish woman with green eyes like the hills of Wales, with black hair tamed by braids, and a jaw set like she was staring down a sea monster over Cardigan Bay.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked nervously.
The day was calm. No waves. He had borrowed a paddleboard from Rhiannon, thinking it might be the gentlest way to get her back into the ocean on her terms. He remembered her in Tarifa, sitting with Sofia just past the lineup.
They hadn’t surfed, just floated and talked. Maybe that could help here too.
“I’ll paddleboard,” he reassured her. “You just sit on the board. It’s a perfect day, we’ve checked the forecast.”
Both of them were in wetsuits, just in case they fell in. The Atlantic here was even colder than in Portugal. The suit hugged her like a second skin, and he tried not to let his eyes linger too long on the swell of her hips.
Alejandra nodded, exhaling sharply. “How stupid am I? God, an accountant is telling me how to deal with the ocean. This is nonsense.”
“I will pretend you didn’t just insult me,” Callum deadpanned. “But let me remind you I was a professional swimmer before I was an accountant, so yes, I do know a thing or two about water.”
“Did you swim in open water?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, but—”
“Then still. An accountant is teaching me how to deal with the ocean,” she said, though there was a smile in her voice now.
“Come on, stop being a crybaby,” he teased, “and hop on. Your captain’s about to remind you why you fell in love with the ocean in the first place.”
Alejandra took a deep breath—deep enough that he saw her ribs rise under the wetsuit—then settled on the board, crossing her legs. He knelt behind her and started paddling.
Aberystwyth from the ocean was stunning, an enclave of color and quiet, cradled between water and hills.
“It reminds me a bit of Bogliasco, in Italy. Where Sofia is from,” Alejandra said, shoulders finally easing. “The colorful houses. Though the mountains there are steeper. These are more like hills.” She turned slightly to face him. “How was growing up here?”
“Fun. Lots of things to do. More in summer than winter. Tourists coming in from London or other cities. It was always busy.”
“A little like Conil, probably.”
“How was it, growing up there? In the south of Spain? Sounds ideal.”
“It was,” she admitted, twisting around to face him properly now.
“But I didn’t enjoy it the way normal kids do.
I started going pro at eleven, so life got hectic fast. As I told you, my parents built everything around me, sacrificed a lot for us, for our dream.
” She sighed and looked out at the ocean, her fingers gliding across the cold surface.
“This is ridiculous. My mind is ridiculous. Why would I be scared of this?”
Callum chuckled, gently shaking his head. “Stop. It’s not ridiculous. It’s normal after what you went through.”
Alejandra scrunched her nose. “But Conil is beautiful. The best sunsets I’ve ever seen. It’s home. Similar to what you’ve seen in Tarifa.” Which he truly enjoyed.
“Aber’s got pretty decent sunsets too,” he offered.
“Where do you see yourself in ten years?” she asked suddenly. “London? Aber? Somewhere else?”
“Where do you see yourself?” he shot back.
“I asked first.”
He shrugged. “The thing is… I’d like to think I’ll be wherever you are.” And he wasn’t even lying or playing the part. He truly felt like that.
Her cheeks flushed. Her grin widened. “You’re just saying that.”
Callum frowned and took her hands. “I told you before leaving London, in that pub. If I could spend the rest of my life carrying your boards in airports, I’d be the happiest man alive.
I know we only made this official last night…
” Alejandra snorted. “But I want to make something very clear to that beautiful brain of yours: I’m serious about you, Alejandra López Romero. ”
“Great pronunciation.” She grinned.
“I’ve wanted to break no contact since the moment I left your room in Tarifa. I wanted to turn around, kiss you, and never leave you. But I was an idiot, and I nearly lost the chance to be here like this with you.”
Alejandra nodded, eyes soft. “Yeah. No contact was stupid. But you scared me. What I felt for you terrified me. During those months apart, I kept trying to find ways to learn more about you. I—I was stupid. I’m glad you sent that package.
I’m glad you came to Ericeira. I’ve never felt this connected to someone.
It was maddening because I had to focus on my career. ”
She scoffed. “And now? You know you asked me what would have happened if I wasn’t injured?
Now I keep thinking: imagine if you still had your career, but you’re miserable.
Tons of medals, but nobody to cheer you up at the beach.
And now, my career is in shambles, and besides my mind playing tricks, I’ve never been happier.
And when I look at you, I see a future I never even dared to imagine. ”
She took a breath, her fingers tightening around his. “I know we’ve only been boyfriend and girlfriend for less than twenty-four hours, but I think I’ve been falling in love with you for months now.” Her green eyes met his, solemn in the way she focused on him. “Callum Evans, I love you.”
He blinked, stunned. “Say it again.”
She leaned in, careful not to tip them into the water. “I love you,” she whispered, eyes honest and worried.
“Say it again, cariad.”
“I love you, carino.”
He smiled, broad and pure. “Good. Because I love you too, Alejandra.”
He leaned to kiss her, tangling his fingers in her hair, dragging her closer. Her tongue danced with his, and he wanted more, desired more. She pressed her forehead against his. They sat there in silence for a long moment. Just the gentle lap of the water. Just their eyes, locked.
“You know,” Alejandra said eventually, “I’ve been thinking about the Blue Mind theory. I need to send Sofia a note.”
“Let me guess—about not including nearly being buried alive by a wave?”
“Yes.” She laughed. “Besides that.” Then she added, softer, “I want to tell her that the most calming thing I’ve ever experienced isn’t the sea. It’s looking into your blue eyes. So, maybe, the Blue Mind effect exists. And for me, it’s getting lost in the blue of your eyes.”
Callum reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. He didn’t know what to say. The softness in her gaze, in her voice. Nobody ever said those kinds of things to him.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For helping me. I’m not free of the fear, but maybe… maybe now I see that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
“We’ll find it together,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers. “We’re endgame.”
Alejandra smiled brightly, and then eyed down the calm water under them. “Would you take a dip with me?”
Callum smirked, quite surprised. “Are you sure?”
“I think I need it, and maybe with you, I can stop…maybe I won’t think about it.”
Callum held out his hand, and she beamed up at him. Somehow, he understood why Alejandra won all those medals. There was a resilience in her he had never seen in anyone. The way she was facing her fear, after almost losing her life, that was extremely brave. And he was extremely proud of her.