“You literally told a waiter you were the chicken instead of ordering the chicken.”

Theo’s eyes widen in mock horror. “You were never supposed to mention that again.”

“Oh, please. That moment is seared into my brain forever.”

He groans, tipping his head back dramatically. “I was trying so hard to impress you.”

“Yeah? How’d that work out for you?”

He leans in slightly, his voice dropping. “Well, you’re still here, aren’t you?”

The warmth in his gaze sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the breeze.

I roll my eyes, pretending to be unimpressed. “Lucky for you, I have a soft spot for lost causes.”

“Lost cause?” he echoes, mock-offended. “I’ll have you know, I am an international man of culture now.”

“Oh yeah, Hot Shot? And what part of this trip made you cultured?”

He smirks. “The part where I drank my weight in sake and didn’t die.”

I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “Honestly, I’m still surprised you survived that night.”

He grins, nudging me with his knee. “Not just survived—thrived.”

I shake my head, but the smile stays on my lips. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, the waves rolling in and out, the night wrapped around us like a soft, endless expanse.

Then Theo exhales dramatically. “We had a great trip,” he says, “but I’m still kind of bummed we didn’t get to see Umbra.”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “You and your concerts.”

“What? I like concerts,” he says, feigning offense. “And you have to admit, their shows are legendary. But then they went and canceled the entire tour, and I’ll never know what it’s like to scream my lungs out in the crowd while Ara belts out some heartbreaking anthem about love and death.”

“You are so dramatic.”

“Let me have this,” he pleads, eyes shining with laughter.

I shake my head, pretending to be exasperated. “Fine. I promise, when they go back on tour, I’ll make sure we get the VIP experience.”

His brows lift. “Have I told you today how thankful I am that you were able to even get us tickets to this show? I waited in the queue for 4 hours and couldn’t even get tickets.”

I only smile.

Because he has.

Because I could get us the best seats in the stadium without a ticket. Because my sister—who Theo has spent so much time around, who he thinks is just some stagehand for the band—is actually Ara, the lead singer of Umbra, the reason the tour was canceled in the first place.

But he doesn’t know that.

And it’s honestly hilarious.

“Well,” I say, tucking my knees to my chest, “VIP experience or not, it’s just not safe for them to tour right now.”