Chapter 36
ILIAS
Todo Contigo – álvaro de Luna
Main Break had been at its best that afternoon, just like him.
After a long, blissful shower, he slouched on the deck chair at the villa they rented, damp curls still clinging to his forehead. The sun had dipped low, casting warm golden light through the windows. He felt loose. Spent in all the right ways. Sofia sat beside him in that sundress.
He had to force himself to stay calm, sane, decent. Because she looked like temptation wrapped in cotton, and he’d promised her a night. A proper one.
If it weren’t for the guests.
Alejandra and Carlos had joined them for dinner, with Gretchen and Amira already prepping the table.
They’d ordered from a famous restaurant nearby that had everyone raving.
And still, his appetite had nothing to do with food.
Not with Sofia’s thigh pressed against his.
Not when her perfume clung to his skin like memory.
“I feel like it’s time to address the big, awkward elephant in the room,” Amira said, pointing her fork straight at Sofia, and then at him.
“The enormous booger coming out of your nose?” Ilias deadpanned.
Amira scowled. Her long curls were wild and haloed around her face, making her look like a feral goddess.
“Sofia,” she said, leaning across the table to grab her hand dramatically, “you are far too smart for this nonsense. Please tell me you’re not seriously considering him attractive.”
Sofia sighed, mock-dramatic, a smirk curling her lips. “Unfortunately… I do find him extremely attractive. Someone rush me to the hospital.”
“I knew it!” Amira howled in triumph.
“I think you two make a beautiful couple,” Gretchen added, dishing out food like the surf family matriarch she was. “Attractive. Smart. And even if it started out fake… I don’t think it ever truly was.”
“So wise,” Ilias said, hand dramatically pressed to his heart. “I’ve been head over heels for Doctor Moretti Gómez since day one.”
“And she’s been pretending not to be head over heels since day one as well,” Alejandra added without missing a beat.
“Lies!” Sofia said, flipping her off.
“She was healing,” Ilias cut in, voice suddenly gentle. He looked down at Sofia with softness that made her squirm. “We talked about her needing time. And I gave it to her. No pressure. Just… space.”
He pulled her close, hugging her tightly into his side. “And I’m never letting you go now.”
Sofia wriggled in his arms. “About that… You do know I have a flight booked for Ericeira after the USL’s last day, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Ilias grumbled, mock-pouting.
Sofia looked up at him, that same soft, slightly guilty smile blooming across her lips. Like she wanted to apologize again for taking her time. But he shook his head and brushed her hair back behind her ear.
“We’ll see each other in Brazil, right?”
“Yeah,” she said, a radiant smile lighting up her face. “I can’t wait.”
She was skipping California to head back to Ericeira for a month, checking on Salacia, helping Elvira sort out the last of the Thomas mess.
Even though their cybersecurity expert found no breaches, it was clear someone had leaked that information.
They just didn’t know who. And Ilias hated the idea that someone had tried to sabotage her. No one messed with Sofia on his watch.
“How did Main Break feel?” Alejandra asked, her green eyes curious. She always wanted the surfer’s insight before each tournament.
“Good. Fast. Unpredictable as ever, but manageable. I watched the forecast, the swell's dropping. We’ll probably start in two days.”
“Which gives you time to catch up on the training you skipped in Sydney,” Coach muttered across the table, sending him a pointed look.
“Noted,” Ilias grinned, taking a big bite of his burger.
“And you?” he asked Alejandra, nodding at her.
“It’s solid. The swell’s tight, but it’s moving right. Main Break’s one of my favorites.”
“More than Pipeline?” Carlos asked, tuning in from a conversation with Amira.
Alejandra scoffed. “Pipeline is my forever number one.”
“Crazy,” Sofia muttered, sipping from her glass. “You almost died there last year.”
“I didn’t,” Alejandra waved her off. “I just got caught in a barrel and breached my scalp. Minor.”
Sofia gave her a look. “Minor?”
“Thanks to surf apnea training, I knew how to handle it.”
“It’s normal,” Ilias added, his gaze soft as it fell on Sofia. “I’ve been slammed into reefs more times than I can count. Barreled everywhere from Teahupo’o to Portugal. And I’m still here.”
Sofia’s lips curved. She leaned her shoulder against his. “And I’m very glad you are.”
He looked down at her, cheeks flushed from wine and laughter, and thought to himself that if he had to paddle through every reef break on the planet to keep her looking at him like that?
He’d do it. A thousand times over.