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  “Stan.”

  “Who?”

  “Stan,” Lexi whispered again.

  “Who’s Stan?” Suzy repeated impatiently.

  At the sound of his name, Stan turned around.

  “Do I know you?” he asked, swaggering over, his posse of friends following him.

  At the same moment Julia recognized him, Stan took a step back.

  “Oh, it’s you,” he said reluctantly, staring at Lexi.

  “Hi,” Julia answered for her when Lexi remained frozen mute. “Are you guys living here next year?”

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Yeah.”

  Stan nodded still staring at Lexi. “Well, I guess we’ll be seeing you girls around.”

  He and his friends strutted away, and one of the guys hooted. “Dang, those chicks are hot. How’d you know them?”

  “What was that about?” Suzy asked Lexi once the guys were out of earshot.

  “Is that the Stan you were sharing about in our Bible study group?” Gracie asked.

  “Oh,” Suzy laughed. “I remember now, the guy from the bonfire.”

  Julia looked at Lexi, concerned at how quiet she was.

  “Don’t worry about it, Lex,” Julia reassured her softly. “Some things take time. We’ll have all of next year to get things right with Stan. Actions speak louder than words, I know you’ll be able to show him your intentions are in the right place.”

  Chapter Thirty

  The boxes were packed, the room bare, marking the end of her first year at college. They had attended Randall and Geoff’s graduation the day before. Julia had declined joining Lexi and Elliott this morning in delivering farewell cookies to all their A.A.C.F. friends. She had her own farewell to attend to.

  Grabbing her running shoes, she headed for the beach.

  Careful to find the firm footing on her way down the pebbly path, the panoramic view of the ocean stretched for miles before her. She had begun this year sheltered and afraid, longing for freedom and independence. It was unexpected the way things had unfolded, through heartache and challenges. Things she would never have wished for. But here she was a little stronger, a little wiser.

  She ran the length of the beach, reliving the memorable moments, the ones she would cherish, and even the ones she’d rather forget. Reaching the end of the beach where the rocks loomed up suddenly at the bottom edge of the cliffs, Julia shaded her eyes and stared out into the ocean.

  And there he was waiting for her as if he knew this is where she would come to say goodbye to her first year.

  “You never told me how it all ended,” he said standing up to meet her. “How did you figure out you could trust God again?”

  “How do you know I have?”

  “I always knew you would come back to Him.”

  “You say that with so much confidence. There was a point when I wasn’t sure if my faith in God would ever be restored.”

  “You forget I’ve read your diary,” he reminded her ruefully. “You know what struck me most? Why I kept reading even when I knew I shouldn’t?”

  She shook her head.

  “It was a love story,” he said, “between you and God. His faithfulness was written on every page. I knew sooner or later you would see it too.”

  They stood in comfortable silence. Wynn shifted and said, his tone changing, “About what Alison said the other day …”

  She took a deep breath. She knew she was going to have to deal with this. “When I first realized how I felt about you, I didn’t know you had a girlfriend,” she began. “But don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong. I know it was all just wishful thinking on my part.”

  He looked at her then, his guard down, and Julia knew a sense of foreboding.

  Help me, God, to do the right thing.

  “I’ve been trying to figure something out this past year,” Wynn said, “Why Kate feels like part of my past?”

  “I’m sure that’ll change once she comes back.”

  “I don’t know. Our relationship’s been on autopilot for so long, even before she left. It was just easier to stay together than to deal with it. Then you came along and for the first time I realized all the things that were lacking in my relationship with Kate.”

  “Commitment’s hard.”

  “I don’t want to be one of those guys who’re always tempted when someone new comes along,” he continued. “That’s not the kind of guy I want to be.”

  “You’re not that guy, Wynn.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  The words she wanted to say escaped her, like smoke billowing up from a burnt sacrifice. So this is what it meant to act out in obedience, to give up the thing she wanted most in order to do the thing she knew was right.

  “Kate left here trusting you’d remain faithful to her,” she said, releasing the hope she had held on to for so long. “I don’t want you to break that promise. You’re too good for that.”

  “I feel obligated to her. But I want you.”

  It was strange how the words she had longed to hear now only made her sad.

  “I can’t tell you what to do.”

  “You’ll wait for me to figure things out?”

  Would she? Could someone else capture her the way Wynn did? Or will her feelings for him now last the test of time? She didn’t want to make him any promises she couldn’t keep, so she gave him the best she could offer.

  “You’re not that easy to get over, Wynn Yoshida. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

  * * *

  The pilot came on over the speakers to announce their flight was soon on its way.

  The airplane continued to rise, entering the thick marine layer of clouds in the sky, the wispy white curls against her window, hindering her view.

  Then bright blinding sunlight coursed through the window as they broke through the layer of dense clouds and now soared above the fog undeterred.

  Reaching for her new journal, Julia stared at the navy blue front cover and ran her hand over it. Cracking open the hard cover binding, the blank pages lay before her ready to hold the beginnings of a new chapter.

  Uncapping her pen, she noticed something written on the inside cover of the book. She smiled as she read the words again.

  To hold the many musing of Lia Kyoto

  Looking forward to what He has in store for you

  -Wynn

  ###

  About the author:

  Reni Huang is a wife and mom living the simple and quiet life by the ocean in southern California. She loves tea and macarons, capturing small moments in photographs, discovering quaint cafes and boutiques, picnicking by the shore, and cozying up to watch her beloved British classics.

  One of her greatest pleasures is losing herself completely in a captivating story that reveals the soul and struggle towards realization through a storehouse of richly layered characters, whether in book, film, or series.

  Coming Soon!

  Elliott Lee is enjoying his second year in college. Life is easy, hanging out with his best friends Lexi Lin and Julia Kyoto, surfing the waves, and volunteering at Leavesly Church with Wynn Yoshida. But with one fateful car accident things change, and the fun comes to a crashing halt. The wake up call is all Ellie needs to realize how long he’s been a drift, and attempts to take control of his life. But with two new girls vying for his attention, will Ellie be able to figure out what his purpose is, and who his heart really wants?

  Excerpt from Leavesly: Sophomore Year

  “Heads up!”

  Elliott Lee whipped around, a wide grin flashing across his face at the glimmering peak of the wave just about to break. Paddling swiftly in the darkness, he felt the speed pick up and with one fluid motion jumped to a crouch, leaning away from the white wash, one hand out to trail along the inside of the wave as he cut across the black water.

  “Whoo!” he hollered, the roar of the ocean in his ears, his heart thumping against his chest. The exhilaration of being one with the powerful and unpredi
ctable elements surged through his veins, and rode back out to catch a few more crashing waves on his short board before finding his way back to the shore.

  Sand, surf, and sky were blanketed in early hour grey. The sun was still just a distant light, barely breaking the horizon, casting the ocean in the faintest of amber.

  Sitting on his board, he waited until Wynn Yoshida and Rob Morioka came trudging out of the water, their boards tucked under their arms.

  “Crazy good waves, man,” Rob nodded appreciatively, as he threw himself down on the sand next to Ellie.

  “Yeah.”

  “What time is it?”

  Ellie searched blindly among the pile of towels and keys until pulling out a cell phone. “Almost six.”

  “Awesome, two hours to sleep before work,” Wynn said, standing up to move towards his car. The guys tossed their boards and wet suits into the back of Wynn’s Honda Element, pulling on thick sweatpants and hoodies, before climbing in.

  “Hey, you want to swing by the girls’ place?” Ellie said from the backseat.

  “Why? Doesn’t Lexi sleep in until noon?” Rob laughed.

  “Yeah, but Julia will be up. They’re closer to campus.”

  At the mention of her name, Wynn glanced back at him from the rearview mirror but remained silent. A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a row of apartments.

  “Thanks,” Ellie said, as he opened the car door.

  Wynn was staring at the second floor window. The blinds were closed, but the light within shone through the cracks. Wordlessly, he turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car as well.

  “What the heck? Are we all going in now?” Rob complained. “Dude, Wynn. I thought you wanted to sleep.”

  Walking up the front steps, Ellie knocked on the door. A moment later the downstairs light turned on, and Ellie called out, “Lia, it’s me.”

  The door opened and Julia Kyoto stood there in a pale yellow tank top and boxer shorts, her long hair looking rumpled.

  “Kind of early, huh?” she said as a way of greeting, then took a step back when she spotted the two guys standing behind him. Her eyes focusing in on one in particular. “Um…”

  “Can we come in?” Ellie said, trying not to smile. He gave her a look, then moved past her to enter the apartment.

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