It's Not Three Inches With You

Chapter 18

Max

The rest of the day was spent in and out of the water, my father awkwardly waving at us whenever we crossed paths.

I taught El how to doggy paddle through the water, holding her hand as she frantically kicked her legs to keep afloat; then afterward bought her ice cream, the two of us laughing over the tiniest things.

The sun set behind the clouds, and El and I strolled home an hour after my father.

Together we watched the sky, a stunning camouflage of pinks and yellows, streaked across the remaining blue of the evening.

It was beautiful.

But not as beautiful as her.

Her eyes glinted in the dusky light, wet hair drying to a pale brown.

Her hand grasped mine, warm skin against warm skin, yet another reminder of how much I loved her.

Walking inside, the two of us got ready for dinner, showering and changing clothes, quiet as to not break the peaceful aura that had spread from the sky to the two of us.

When we sat down to eat, El sat down beside me, glancing at me  with a shy smile and I smiled back, heart quickening.

My father looked between the two of us in confusion.

"Uh...you two are quiet," he stated and we looked up simultaneously.

"Yeah." I said back, hoping he wouldn't take the conversation any further.

"Is there a reason why? Something I should know?"

El shot me a panicked look and I gulped slightly.

"What? No."

He shrugged, as if to let the conversation go, even if only for a short amount of time.

Thank God for that, I thought.

...

El and I lay in bed, reading comic books all night. When the morning finally rolled around, I lazily rose, shaking El awake with me.

"Hm?" she asked and I grinned.

"Hi."

She smiled, sitting up.

"What time is it?" she asked and I checked the alarm clock on my bedside.

"Still early. Just after seven." I told her and she groaned.

"People get up so early in California," she grumbled and I stifled a laugh.

"Come on! We can go to the beach today now you know how to swim. At least... Kind of." I teased and she grinned at me.

"Okay."

Grabbing her clothes El made her way down the hallway to the bathroom and I caught myself staring once again. Tearing my eyes off her, I grabbed one of my striped singlets and a pair of shorts, throwing them on over my bikini.

I hadn't been to the beach in nearly two years. It had been my whole life for such a long time.

El reappeared in the doorway, her hair out and an outfit similar to my own on her body.

I grabbed the bag that was still packed from yesterday and walked downstairs with her.

My father was in the kitchen, sipping coffee from a cracked mug.

"Morning," he said and I looked up, smiling.

"Hey."

El just smiled meekly.

"Where are you girls going? Enjoying your last day in San Diego I'm guessing?" he asked and I looked back at him, confused.

"Last day? It's only Wednesday!"

He grinned, obviously knowing something we, or at least I, didn't.

"We're going to LA tomorrow. Disneyland."

El and I exchanged an excited grin.

"We're staying there?" I asked, incredulous and he smiled.

"Yep. I booked it last night."

I laughed.

"How long for?" I asked.

"Two nights. Our flight back to Hawkins is scheduled for Saturday night so we'll leave Saturday morning." He said and I nodded.

El looked at me, confused.

"Where are we staying?" she asked.

"Disneyland Resort!" I told her in excitement, though she continued to stare blankly at me.

"You'll see." I said laughing and she laughed too, though I could tell she was still mega confused.

We quickly ate breakfast before racing out the door in excitement.

"We aren't walking?" El asked when she noticed me grab my old bike from the garage.

"No way. We won't get there until next week!"

She giggled softly.

"Get on." I said, handing her the bag.

She stepped on, the bag slung over her shoulder, and I began to pedal through the Californian streets and boardwalks.

Her hand gripped my shoulder and I smiled secretly to myself, focusing so much on her hand that I nearly swerved us off the road.

"Max!" El shrieked and I hastily apologised.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

She laughed a little as we finally pulled into the bike rack that was wedged in between the carpark and the beach's entrance.

"Ready?" I asked her but I doubt she heard me, her eyes fixated on the vast landscape in front of us.

This was the first time she had seen the ocean, in its full, Californian glory.

Waves crashed in effortless swells onto the cream coloured sandy beach. People surfed in and out of the water, children laughing, teenage girls and women lounging on beach chairs.

Slowly, she turned to look at me.

"Ready."

And together we raced down the stairs, throwing our bag and outer layers down onto the sand before running at top speed into the waves.

El gasped as the cold water splashed her legs and nearly collapsed into me in shock.

I laughed and she joined in, after a moment of surprise passed.

"I cant believe this trip is the first time you've ever seen the ocean!" I exclaimed.

"I've seen it in your eyes." she murmured quietly, as if she believed I wouldn't hear.

My heart stopped for a moment.

El's eyebrows raised and she clapped a hand to her mouth after realising what she had said.

"Sorry-" she started but I had already taken her hand and pulled her close toward me.

She stifled a little gasp, her gaze flicking between my lips and my eyes.

"Maybe you can see it even better now." I murmured, stepping closer so that there was almost no space between us.

"Its even prettier than the one behind us."

I couldn't breathe, my love for her was overwhelming.

"Not as pretty as the girl in front of me." I spoke without thinking.

El's eyes widened a little and she smiled.

"Really?"

I smiled too.

"Really."

(A/N: Hellooooooooo! OMG WHAT DID YOU THINK THE ELMAX IS ACTUALLY STARTING TO GET ROMANCY OMGGGGG- help im too excited 😭I hope you enjoyed this chapter hehehhehehehehehe- also do come back especially for next Friday cos something awesome happens soon yay lol- Stay safe and totally tubular and I'll see you in the next one! xx)