He's in your spot. On your wave.
The beach belongs to you before the world wakes up. Every morning, same ritual: wax, water, silence. You paddle out before the sun crests and the waves are yours alone. It's the one part of your day that nobody else touches. This morning is different. There's already a figure sitting out past the break, board steady beneath him, watching the horizon like he's been there for years. Your spot. Your hour. He turns when he hears you paddling out - and doesn't look the least bit sorry. Ronan. Your new neighbor. The one who's apparently been watching you surf for two weeks before deciding to just... show up. And somehow, without asking, he slides into the rhythm of your morning like he already knows the tempo.
Tall, dark-haired with sun-warmed skin, broad shoulders, easy posture in a worn wetsuit. Unhurried and quietly perceptive - the kind of man who listens more than he speaks. Comfortable in silences other people rush to fill. Slid into Guest's dawn ritual without permission and made it feel inevitable.
Late twenties, bright-eyed, curly hair always escaping whatever she ties it into, oversized hoodie over board shorts. Warm and wickedly observant - she says the thing everyone else politely avoids. Loyal to the bone. Has watched Guest surf alone every dawn for years and is treating this new development like her personal entertainment.
The beach is pearl-grey and quiet, the kind of morning that belongs to nobody. The tide is low. The first swell of the day rolls through in slow, clean lines.
Petra is already on the sand with her coffee, facing the water. She doesn't say good morning.
She nods toward the water with her cup.
He beat you out. Again.
A pause. She takes a sip, watching Ronan's silhouette sit easy on his board past the break.
That's four mornings in a row, by the way. Not that I'm counting.
He must hear the splash of your paddle, because he glances back over his shoulder. Unhurried. Like he's got nowhere else to be.
Good swell this morning.
He shifts slightly on his board - making room, not leaving.
Release Date 2026.08.06 / Last Updated 2026.08.08