Another Wave of You ✓

12 • The Brilliant Plan

     Then, as if the universe had tapped her shoulder and whispered hey, over here, she looked up.

     Her face split into a wide grin as soon as their eyes met. Theo's chest hammered against itself, and it was only until the girl disappeared from his view that he was able to breathe again. He wasn't nervous, was he? He couldn't be. What reason would there be?

     Oh, just that she now who knows your full life story.

     Or maybe that she's kind and beautiful and everything you didn't expect.

     Theo grunted.

     She arrived shortly by their sides at the balcony, which was easy considering she was a sponsor. El beamed so bright it almost felt like she brought the sun with her.

    "Hey, guys!" she chirped. "Why didn't you tell me you guys had VIP seats? I thought we were friends. Now I'm terribly hurt." She pouted and put her hand on her chest.

    "Boo-hoo," Theo said, deadpanned.

    "Lenny!" Chase let out, tackling her arms around her. El staggered back with a little oof! before returning the boy's enthusiastic hug.

    "It's good to know at least one person misses me," she quipped, giving Theo an amusing glint behind Chase's head.

    "Correction, he misses your free food," he said back, but her smile was getting contagious. He shook it off. "By the way, slow down, tiger. You're suffocating the poor girl."

     Chase blushed and let go as if she was on fire. "O-oh my god, I'm sor — are you okay — I'm s-sorry," he stammered, his face full of guilt.

     El just laughed lightheartedly, giving the boy an amused look as he started biting his nails. "Good job, Theo, you made him all embarrassed." She walked forward and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, your big brother's just not used to conventional terms of affection."

     Theo grumbled an incoherent curse. "Clever today, are you?"

    "Aren't I always?"

     When Chase returned to the edge to watch the surf scene below, El plopped down on an empty seat and crossed her legs.

    "Aren't you suppose to be working now?" He truly didn't mean it to sound harsh, but he couldn't help the tone of his voice sometimes. Lucky for him, El knew what he meant — either that or she wasn't offended by it. Knowing her now, it was likely both.

    "I am, but I thought I'd offer my cheers."

    "I'm sure Zach has enough fans to cover for it."

     She let out a short laugh. "That's why I'm giving them to someone else." Before he could get into it, her eyes brightened again and focused on him. "Listen, I have a plan."

     A raised eyebrow. "A plan?"

    "Not just a plan," she repeated, grinning. "The plan. The brilliant plan."

    "Okay, El, you're not making sense right now."

    "Just hear me out." She leaned forward against the table and spread her arms wide, her eyes full of determination. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said. About... what you've been through." Theo's heart lurched. "It wasn't easy, and I can't imagine how not easy it is for you to move on from that. Which is why I have brought forward the plan."