Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (best affordable ebook reader TXT) 📗

what she wanted to say, the words flowing from her with choked-up ease. ‘I wouldn’t be here if not for the love my parents have for the ocean, which they instilled in me as a child, and for my brother, who pushed me to go bigger, go stronger, live the dream… Losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, but winning this for him has been the easiest. This is for you, Koa!’

She raised the trophy to the heavens and blew him a kiss, letting the tears fall freely now. As she looked back down, the dummy cheque was passed to her. Her smile grew, her heart pulsed in her chest. This was her ticket to New York or wherever else Todd may be. She’d find him and use the money to secure the flights she needed to win back her man. She clutched it to her, the trophy too, and climbed down the steps, her footing unsteady as the tears continued to swim before her eyes, her body weak in the aftermath.

She’d won, she’d come and achieved what she set out to, but now she needed him, just as much as she needed her next breath. She stumbled up to her parents; Kalani was standing between them, but then he stepped aside and she frowned into the eyes of the person standing directly behind him… no, it couldn’t be… she shook her head, expecting it to clear, for it to be a figment of her adrenalin-infused brain.

Surely she’d conjured him up, with all her conviction that he was there watching her while she’d been on the waves, how much she’d wanted him to be there. He stepped forward, ever more real, his eyes glistening, his brow furrowed, his smile so proud, so full of… no… she walked up to him, slowly, unsure, not daring to believe.

‘Todd?’

She felt her legs give way beneath her, felt the trophy slip from her grip as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her up against his solid strength and warmth.

She breathed him in deeply, took a moment to find her voice, to feel capable of looking up at him and really believing. ‘It really is you.’

His smile was small, but it was there. ‘Yes.’

A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes as she tried to blink them back. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘Is that a good can’t believe it, or a bad, because I can leave if you want me—’

She kissed him, every second that she’d missed him pouring into the gesture. She clung to him, praying it wasn’t a dream, that he had really come back for her in spite of all she had done.

‘I’m so sorry, so very sorry,’ she hurried out as she broke away and stared up at him. ‘For pushing you away, for leaving…’ she shook her head, ‘it was foolish, wrong. I was confused. But I’m not anymore, I’m not.’

He chuckled softly. ‘And here I was ready to apologize to you.’

‘Apologize?’ She frowned. ‘Why?’

He squeezed her tighter against him. ‘For turning up, for looking like I’m making demands of you, when I’m not, I just didn’t want to miss this.’

‘Oh, Todd!’ She leaped up, kissed him again, deeply, thoroughly, all her love, all her happiness fuelling that one move. She didn’t want to stop, didn’t want to break away, didn’t want this moment to end, and would have carried on if not for the sharp cough directly beside them.

‘And this is Todd,’ Kalani said, after another good throat-clearing and reminding her that her parents were witnessing this whole crazed reunion without any introduction.

She pulled back on a choked laugh.

‘Sorry, Mum, Dad, I just need to get this off my chest first.’

Todd blinked down at her, his eyes glazed by her kiss as they searched for the confirmation he truly needed; she didn’t want him to search anymore, didn’t want him to question.

‘I love you, Todd Masters. I’ve loved you from the very first second you made a fool of yourself in my surf lesson, I loved you when you almost drowned yourself trying to rescue Nalu, I loved you then, I love you now, and I will always love you. And if you can forgive my stupidity, my ridiculous behaviour that must have driven you crazy—’

She couldn’t finish, his lips crushed hers now, his groan one of sheer bliss as he twirled them both on the spot. ‘You can drive me crazy for the rest of my life, Malie, if you promise to love me like that.’

She laughed, delirious, heady. ‘I will.’

He set her down, grinned down at her, ‘I love you, Malie.’

‘I know you do.’

Another throat was cleared right next to them, this time Hani’s imposing frame took out the sun to their right. ‘Er, Todd meet my father. Dad, this is Todd.’

Introductions were made, celebrations were had but all Malie wanted to do was whisk Todd away so that they could be alone. They had two weeks to catch up on, two whole weeks of missing one another and a whole lifetime to look forward to.

Night fell, the celebrations continued back in Nani Kumu and finally she felt able to leave her parents with Kalani and invite Todd back to hers. Anticipation coursed through her – excitement, joy, the realization that they were now together and there was nothing holding them back.

She unlocked her apartment door, turned into him for a long, drawn-out kiss and then flicked on the light and—

‘Oh, God, Todd, close your eyes.’

‘Malie it’s…’

‘Please, if you love me… close your eyes.’

He did as she asked and she looked at the flat through Zoe’s eyes. Had it really only been a few weeks since her visit? Oh, God. She’d lived on her own far too long. She hurried about the room, pulling stuff into her arms, moving it from surface to surface…

‘Malie, look, if you’ve changed your mind, and you want more time, it’ll kill me but I—’

She threw the stuff over her head and ran to him, swinging her arms