𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 ~ T. Nichols

All In

The diner buzzed with laughter and chatter as Theo settled in next to Tory, his arm comfortably draped around her shoulders, Aisha and Moon sat across the table, their playful banter filling the air.

"Oh, my God. Yasmine has the same bikini as me," Moon exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Tell her she can stay in France," she shot back, earning a laugh from the group.

Tory, however, couldn't help but notice Miguel sitting a few feet away, staring at his laptop with a furrowed brow. She felt a tug of sympathy for him and, with a mischievous glint in her eye, grabbed an ice cube from Theo's Coke. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent it sailing across the table.

Miguel looked up, startled. "Hey!" he exclaimed, shaking his head in mock indignation.

"Oops. Must've slipped out of my hand," Tory laughed, her eyes sparkling. "What are you even doing over there?"

"Going all-in," Miguel replied, his voice heavy with frustration.

Theo, sensing a pang of jealousy as he watched Miguel, leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Tory's cheek before standing up. "I'll be right back," he said, walking towards Hawk, Mitch, and Chris, who were gathered in their own corner of the diner.

As he approached, Theo snatched Chris's last mozzarella stick from his plate, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

"Hey! That was my last mozzarella stick!" Chris protested, but Theo shrugged nonchalantly.

"Do I look like I give a shit?" Theo shot back, the playful banter making Chris crack a smile.

His attention shifted to Mitch, who was sitting silently, his eyes glued to his phone. "What's the matter with you?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mitch looked up, his expression serious. "Something you should see," he said, turning his phone towards Theo and the others.

The screen displayed a scathing Yelp review of Cobra Kai, the words glaring back at them like a neon sign: "Very unprofessional sensei. Does not take into account safety or personal boundaries. Facility in need of a major face-lift."

Hawk's face flushed with anger as he read the review. "Who the hell does this guy think he is?" he exclaimed, his fists clenching at his sides.

Quickly, Hawk clicked on the reviewer's profile and turned the phone to show Demetri, who stood nearby. Theo leaned in, mirroring Hawk's outrage as he read the words.

—————

Theo sat at the table, the lively chatter of the diner fading into the background as he watched Tory animatedly talk with Miguel. A familiar pang of jealousy twisted in his stomach, something he wasn't used to feeling. He had never been one to get possessive, but the truth was undeniable—he loved Tory. Even if he hadn't found the courage to say it yet, the weight of those unspoken words hung heavily in the air.

As he sat there, brooding, an idea sparked in his mind. He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen as he began to jot down lyrics, the music capturing his emotions in a way his words couldn't.

Just then, Tory approached, her smile brightening the dim light of the diner. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before sliding into the seat opposite him, placing a plate in front of him.

"You want the rest of this brownie sundae? I'm not gonna lie to you, I already ate the brownie and the whipped cream and most of the hot fudge," she said with a playful grin.

Theo raised an eyebrow, a small smirk creeping onto his face. "So, you saved me the melted ice cream?"

"Yeah, the best part," Tory replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief.