Zora huffs from the driver’s seat. “She knew exactly who Fliss was when she decided to become her friend and roommate and then bring her around. So I’m right there with you, Lucy Goosy.”

  I’m not digging the mood shift. “Hey, let’s not let it ruin our day. Who else is going to Jay Beach after this?”

  We start talking weekend plans, and it seems to shake off some of the annoyance left by Sydney ambushing our brunch. Aside from a few hours of homework, I’ve got the rest of the weekend to practice my 720. Pushing Sydney and all the stuff she keeps bringing up aside, I let myself get excited. I’ve got a good feeling this weekend might be the one where I land it. I’ve been getting closer and closer.

  I’m tired of losing skin and being covered in bruises. It’s time to show some results from the literal blood and sweat I’ve shed in the name of sticking this trick.

  Beck isn’t the least bit surprised when I make a beeline for the backyard park as soon as we pull up to his place. After warming up with some carves around the bowl, I notice Beck isn’t skating beside me. Instead, he’s standing back, phone in hand.

  “What are you doing?” I call over to him.

  “I’m going to take some video of you.”

  I wave my hand, dismissing that idea. “Don’t bother. I know what I need to do at this point.” Early on in my efforts, Beck would get some footage so we could watch it together and see where I might be able to improve. But it got old watching myself fall, and by now I know exactly what I’m doing. It’s just a matter of having it all come together.

  “I’m not videoing so we can dissect it later,” Beck tells me as I hop out of the bowl beside him. “I feel like today might be the day and I want to capture it.”

  “Way to put on the pressure.” I press my lips together, deciding how I feel about this.

  “It’s good for you,” Beck tells me as he reaches a hand around my waist, drawing me closer. “It’s time for a little pressure.”

  “You don’t think the X Games deadline is enough pressure? Pretty sure I’m feeling it.”

  Beck places a kiss on my forehead, and doesn’t really answer my question. “You’re ready, Hotshot. I’m just here to capture it when it happens.” He then slaps my ass, telling me to get moving.

  Even though I’ve been thinking the same thing all week about the 720, knowing Beck shares my confidence it’s about to happen sends an extra surge of fire through me.

  I’m usually out here for dozens of attempts, calling it quits only when my body is too bashed to continue. There’s something about skateboarding that’s different from falling in other conditions. Instead of feeling defeated, it motivates me to keep trying. Sure, there are some tricks or crashes where I know I’m way too far off to go right back after it – skateboarding the Riptide halfpipe in any capacity still falls into that category – but if it’s at all in the range of possibility, falling only makes me want to try it again.

  And again and again.

  So when I soar up in the air and my body moves in the now familiar rotations, bracing for landing, I’m assuming I’ll be repeating this action dozens more times today. Except this time, my feet hit the board at the same time the board hits the bottom of the ramp. I glide forward, and it takes a few seconds before it sinks in. I landed! I landed a 720! On the first attempt of the day.

  Damn, muscle memory is no joke. I’ve been dreaming about it every night, and usually in classes too. I look over at Beck just as he ends his video. We share wide-eyed expressions, both apparently speechless. We might have been confident it would happen soon, but neither of us were thinking it’d be the first attempt of the day. Then Beck is jogging over to me, wrapping me in his arms at the same time he jumps up and down.

  “You did it!” he announces the obvious, and since that doesn’t quite do the feat justice, he shouts, “You fucking did it! A 720!”

  My chest fills with pride. One of the only girls ever to land that trick so far, and in Beck’s arms, I let myself absorb the magnitude of my accomplishment. Sure, I’m glad he caught it on video, but I know I’ll be landing it again. It’s just the two of us as witnesses, and that’s all I need. We share elated smiles as I pull out of his arms only to tear off my elbow and knee pads. Shortest session over, but I’m ending it on that high note.

  “I feel like doing something crazy now,” I tell him.

  “Crazy? That wasn’t crazy enough?”

  “A different kind of crazy.”

  Beck takes a few seconds to contemplate me. “We could hit up the rollercoaster at the Jay Beach amusement park?”

  I tilt my head back and forth, thinking if that will satisfy my need for a celebratory adrenaline rush. One that doesn’t involve skateboarding. I need to end my session on that high note.

  “Jet skis?”

  That has me nodding, a happy smile on my face. “I love how you know exactly what I’m thinking.”

  He pulls me back into his hard body. “Oh? Do you know what I’m thinking?”

  Feeling how hard he is everywhere makes it a little easier to read his mind. “Jet skiing naked?”

  Beck’s chest rumbles against mine. “Close. How about jet skiing to some secluded area so we can then get naked and really celebrate your 720.”

  My entire body heats, from my spine down to my toes, at the visual he’s painted. But when I capture his searing gaze, he doesn’t give in to the silent request for a kiss, even though I’m certain he’s still reading my mind accurately. That’s okay, I can handle delayed gratification in this case. With the high of landing a 720, I can handle just about anything.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jordan

  My friends from Connecticut come out to visit the weekend after I land the 720. They’ve been keeping their eyes on tickets and found a great deal, and the timing is perfect. My body is pretty bashed up from all the crashes and even after spending last weekend celebrating and taking it easy, I could use more time to heal up. Without the Connecticut crew around, I know I wouldn’t be able to help myself from going right back after the 720 until I was certain it was competition-ready.

  With extra bedrooms at the Jay Beach house for my friends to stay, it almost feels like we’re living our own version of Shred Live. Everyone is having fun and skateboarding, but the main difference is that we’re coupled off. Oh, and there’s no competition or cameras. Also, there’s the absence of people doing and saying absurd things to get camera time. So no, it’s not exactly the same, but it’s definitely got the vibe of one giant party, that’s for sure.

  Even though we’ve got everything we need right at the house, I want to show my friends some of my favorite spots in the area. Riptide isn’t one of them, but after we spend the day at Rampas and then Airwalk, they insist on at least stopping by the landmark skatepark. I get it. It’s an epic spot, even if the half pipe has gotten the best of me twice now.

  Beck put in the third row of seats in his van, and all six of us pile out as the sun is setting. Levi’s boyfriend Devon was talking a big game about trying the half pipe but now that we’re here he scratches his head.

  “You know, I think I’ve had a solid day skateboarding already. Don’t want to injure myself when we’ve got a beach day planned tomorrow.” He can’t take his eyes off the giant structure, and I don’t blame him for changing his mind.

  Levi leans into his side. “Let’s just go watch. I’m toast from skating all day anyway.”

  “I’m definitely down for that,” I say with relief. It’s Saturday night, and as expected, Riptide Skatepark is booming.

  The others grab their skateboards to get over there, and while I’m tempted to leave mine in the van, I don’t want to make my anxiety about this place even more obvious.

  Devon is like a kid in a candy shop as he skates ahead of all of us, Levi right behind him. While he’s already staying with some of the biggest skateboarders around at the Jay Beach house, there will probably be a few more he’s watched on YouTube or Instagram here tonight. It’s the place to go to see and be seen, if that’s your thing.

  Beck takes my hand as we skate behind them, and Phoebe slows until we catch up to her.

  “You hate this place now, don’t you?” she asks me.

  “No, I don’t hate it,” I say automatically. But then I think about it. I kind of hate coming here, but the park itself is undeniably epic. The half pipe that sent me to the ER still has this weird power over me, but it’s not all bad vibes. “I guess it’s a love-hate relationship,” I tell her after a moment.

  Phoebe nods. “That makes sense. It’s hard to hate something so beautiful, but she’s a real bitch, huh?”

  Laughing, I tell her she’s welcome to skate around, but I’m going to go take a seat. There’s no way I’ll be inconspicuous with Beck at my side, but knowing I’m only here to watch and soak in the atmosphere keeps my heart from racing into overdrive.

  “Hey.” Beck squeezes my hand, drawing my attention to him. “You okay?”

  The side of my mouth tilts in a half smile. “Am I that obvious?”

  “No, but you’ve been happy all day and now you’re tense. Come on, let’s sit together, let your friends explore.”

  We find a spot on the edge of the park, our legs dangling over sand as we look out at the half pipe. There are a handful of people up there, and my legs swing restlessly as a guy takes a fall. It’s more of an easy slide when he wimps out on following through with a trick, but it still makes me cringe.

  Someone takes the spot beside me and I glance over to find Phoebe. She leans closer, brushing her shoulder against mine. “I think I just saw your pal Sarah Kase.”

  I groan. “Really?”

  “Yeah, I caught Wyatt checking her out as she went up the stairs to the half pipe.”

  “I was not checking her out,” Wyatt grumbles as he takes a seat on Phoebe’s other side. “She’s in one of her signature neon sports bras so I was just looking to confirm who it was.”

  “Right.” Phoebe pats his knee. “It’s fine, babe. You caught me checking out Griffin earlier so it’s only fair.”

  Griffin joined us for the first part of the day but wandered off back to work when we headed over here.

  My eyes gravitate to the platform at the top of one of the world’s largest, most notorious half pipes. Sure enough, Sarah Kase is up there wearing her signature bright sports bra. She’s never been very friendly toward me, but I can’t deny that I still hold admiration for her. When I watch her drop in a few minutes later and attack the pipe, I wonder if part of her attitude toward me is based purely on her overwhelming competitive nature. Maybe she struggles to be friendly because she does see me as a worthy opponent, and it’s hard for her to play nice when she takes the sport so seriously. I’ve never let myself entertain this thought before, and maybe I just needed a little more confidence in my own abilities to see things clearly.

  With single-minded focus, Sarah does one run after the next in that half pipe. Sure she came when she must have known it would be crowded, but she’s here to train, no doubt about it. There’s no denying her tenacity, and despite everything, I admire her for it.

  “Don’t hate me for saying this.” Wyatt leans across Phoebe to get my attention. “But she reminds me of you a little.”

  Phoebe adds, “Uh, yeah. I’ve never seen anyone get tunnel vision on a skateboard like that except for you.”

  I laugh softly, because it’s not too far from my own thoughts. “The only difference is that she’s willing to endure the crowds, or purposefully seeks them out. Though I bet she’s only here at a popular time to simulate competition atmosphere or something. She’s definitely not paying attention to anything else around here.”

  Levi and Devon come over to let us know they’re good to head back to Jay Beach, and I think I’ve managed to escape a Riptide visit without any unwanted encounters. But it seems Sarah has decided to wrap things up at the same time, and she walks over as we stand up to go.

  I’m expecting her to ignore me and talk to Beck, but it’s me she addresses first.

  “Checking out your competition? When will we be up against each other next, anyway?”

  I bite back my laugh at her questions, which would have stung in the past. Now I get it. She does see me the way I’ve wanted her to: as a worthy competitor. It somehow changes all of her interactions with me up to this point under that lens. Sure, I still think she could have a little more grace about it, but I guess that’s not her nature.

  “Not until the X Games,” I answer. I’m not going to deny I was watching her just now.

  She nods and I think I might detect a tiny trace of a smile. “Good.”

  Without any acknowledgment of Beck or my friends, she skates away.

  After a beat of silence, Beck pulls me to his side and ignores the exchange that just happened. “So, what do you guys want to do for dinner?”

  We’re at the beach the next day when Griffin plops down beside me in the sand.

  “I have a bonus incentive for you,” he tells me.

  “Oh?”

  “Yep. If you podium at the X Games, Brazen will get you a car.”

  A snort escapes. “Brazen will get me a car? Really, Griff?”

  He’s not laughing though. “Really, Jordan.”

  “Why? Did Beck put you up to this?” This is too outrageous to be something sponsors do on the regular.

  “No, it’s my idea. Most contracts have bonus incentives like this.”

  I shoot him a doubtful look.

  “Well, usually they’re cash incentives, not cars, but sometimes there are product bonuses.”

  My toes dig into the sand, and I try to decide how I feel about this. “But you don’t have to. I’m contracted through the end of the year without bonus incentives.”

  “Maybe I want to give you extra motivation to make a statement at the X Games.”

  My toes stop wiggling in the sand and I squint at Griff, who isn’t giving anything away with his expression. “Did Beck tell you?”

  He blinks. “Tell me what?”

  I bite my lip. “What my goal is at the X Games,” I say, not quite ready to voice that I’ve landed a 720.

  “No, I don’t think so. What’s your goal?”

  I hesitate before answering, “I guess it’s to make a statement, like you said.” Only Beck knows about the 720 and I want to keep it that way. For now.

  “Well, it would also be an opportunity for Brazen to partner with another company. We can hash out the details. Your next contract will have a lot more bonus incentives regarding comps, so at some point here you’ll need an agent. I know you can advocate for yourself, but you’re headed to the next level, and an agent will really help.”

  The way he says that, like it’s a given I’m “headed to the next level,” it feels good. I know Beck believes in me and of course Griff wouldn’t have taken me on as a Brazen athlete if he didn’t feel that way too. But I find myself swaying between embracing my newfound confidence on the one hand, and on the other, wondering when everyone will realize I really am a nobody, a fraud, not the pro skateboarder they hoped I’d be. It’s a weird space to be in.

  I’m fighting for the girl I was last night. A year ago, maybe months or even weeks ago, I might have watched Sarah Kase on that half pipe with awe, drowning in the belief I’d never be so fearless or capable on such a major vert. But instead, I saw glimpses of myself, much like Phoebe and Wyatt voiced, and realized I am a worthy competitor. It’s a terrifying thought, but I’m getting better at taking on the scary stuff.

  The rest of our roommates – both from the Summerside condo and the Jay Beach house – join us at the beach and I can’t stop smiling. It’s the best having all my favorite people together like this hanging out. Naomi and Summer even get a pass on family Sunday dinner to be with us. Everyone gives me shit about the bruises now yellowing and the scrapes I can’t hide in a bathing suit, but no one takes a guess what it’s from. They figure it’s just typical me, getting overly tenacious on my skateboard, or what did Phoebe say? Tunnel vision. They aren’t wrong about that.

  I’m standing in the water beside Moses and Lennon when I notice them sharing a funny look.

  When Moses catches me looking at them curiously, he says, “We have a confession.”

  “You have a confession?”

  “Yep. We saw it. The 720.”

  My eyebrows snap together. I open my mouth to ask how, since I’d thought we were alone, but Lennon answers my question. “We came out on the back porch and were about to turn around to let you guys have the park to yourself, but you took off. And we couldn’t stop watching.”

  “I almost started cheering but Lennon dragged me inside, told me you probably wanted it to be private with Beck.” He points a soft smile in her direction. “She’s smart like that.”

  I think about how Beck embraced me immediately afterward and how I wanted to jump him right then and there. We managed to wait until the jet ski adventure later…

  “I’m sorry,” Lennon apologizes. “When you didn’t say anything to anyone at the house and it didn’t show up on social media, we realized it really was private. Like a secret? I mean, I could never keep something so big a secret, but I guess in this case my instincts were right. You’re not ready to share it with the world, huh?”

  It’s hard to be irritated with them for accidentally seeing what was meant to be a private moment between me and Beck, between me and my skateboard. I’d thought everyone was at work and the house was empty. But they’re being so cool and understanding about the whole thing, I can’t really bother with feelings of annoyance.