❛ I LIKE SHINY THINGS, BUT
I'D MARRY YOU WITH PAPER RINGS ❜
in which naval nurse corrine 'cc' collins swears off military men, but then she meets jake seresin.
──➤ 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒖𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚
( top gun: maverick...
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"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE MARRYING HIM."
Neither could Corrine.
Three years ago, if you had told Corrine Collins that she would be marrying the army guy she'd met at a bar in Washington, D.C., she would've laughed in your face. It was only meant to be a one-night thing—and holy shit was it a good night—but then one night turned into two, turned into a dinner date, moving in, turned into braving several deployments, and an eventual proposal. Now, she stood as the dedicated fiancée of a desired Captain of the United States Army.
She should have felt proud, so why was there a looming sense of dread in her stomach?
"Charlie's a good guy, Chels," she said, though her sister couldn't see the fake smile stitched to her lips. "He's never done anything wrong."
Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Mom always said to never date someone in the military."
"Yeah, and look what that got her: two daughters who ran off and jumped on the first piece of dress blues they saw."
As though in retaliation to her words, Corrine felt a sharp tug against her back, and the air was sucked out of her lungs as her sister over-tightened the corset of her wedding dress. The blonde swatted behind her to smack her sister's hands.
"Ow, Chelsea!"
"Sorry. My hand slipped." Chelsea gave a small smirk before adjusting the corset and tying a delicate bow at the base. "Tim doesn't count. He's retired."
That was always her excuse. Her husband, Timothy Dayton, a former lieutenant in the Marine Corps, couldn't possibly fall under their mother's perception of current military men. She'd met him after he received his honorable discharge. He'd never see another day overseas, meaning Chelsea wouldn't feel as alone as other military wives on base did. He didn't move around every few years, so she never had to give up her career, and their three children didn't have to attend a new school and make new friends every time they got adjusted to their new life.
Chelsea would never say their mother was wrong, but in her eyes, Tim was perfect.
"And you can't say anything. You're the one who waited until after she died to join the Navy."
Corrine scowled at her sister's bold statement, but it wasn't the first time she'd heard it come from her mouth.
"You're seriously joining the Navy?!" Chelsea's shrill voice echoed through the empty guest bedroom, watching as the blonde shoved everything she'd brought back to D.C. in her small suitcase.
Corrine didn't turn her head to acknowledge her sister's outburst, shoving another folded t-shirt inside her luggage. "I wish you wouldn't say it like that."
