Gray Areas | Englot | GirlxGirl

44. The World of Us

"From now on, no social media, okay?"

Charlotte said, arms crossed over her chest, her tone like a mom laying down strict rules. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching Engfa spritz perfume onto her neck.

Engfa hummed nonchalantly, "Hmm..." not even glancing her way, as if Charlotte's words were just background noise.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused.

"Engfa Waraha!" she called out, jumping up from the bed.

She marched over to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around Engfa's waist from behind. "I'm serious, babe. Don't pretend you didn't hear me!"

Engfa chuckled softly, turning around to face her. With zero warning, she cupped Charlotte's face with both hands, squishing her cheeks playfully. "Let me squish these cute cheeks first, huh? Stop overthinking so much," she teased, her grin impossibly cheeky.

"Baby!" Charlotte exclaimed, caught between shock and laughter, her cheeks turning pink from the sudden affection. "I'm being serious!"

Engfa didn't stop, her hands still squishing and poking at Charlotte's face. "I'm serious too. Haters gonna hate.." she said casually, her eyes sparkling with mischief as if the whole thing was no big deal.

Charlotte, starting to lose her composure, shot back in a sing-song voice.

"And I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake..." She swayed her shoulders like Taylor Swift, trying to lighten the mood.

Engfa immediately narrowed her eyes in fake seriousness. "Oh, we're doing this now? Wanna sing the whole chorus? Let's go!"

"Nooo!" Charlotte shrieked, covering her face with her hands as she laughed. "Don't make me do it! I'm embarrassed!"

"Why? My girlfriend shouldn't be embarrassed! You're supposed to be confident, babe," Engfa teased with a wink.

Then, her expression softened as she gently moved Charlotte's hands away from her face.

"Okay, for real now. I know you're worried. But I've been through this kind of thing before, Char. This is the industry we're in. As long as I know I've got you, I'm good."

Charlotte lowered her hands, her gaze softening. "But I saw social media earlier, baby. The comments were so harsh. I even had to turn off my Instagram comments. I'm scared it's too much for you..." Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper.

Engfa took a deep breath, her hands sliding to Charlotte's waist. "I'm not gonna lie, it gets to me. I'm human too. But I know it's all just bad framing, and I'm not gonna let it break me. I'll handle it, step by step."

She paused, then leaned in to steal a quick kiss on Charlotte's lips. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll take a break from social media for now. Nathalie's been telling me to lay low anyway, so I'll listen. Let's see what happens tomorrow. For now, let's focus on something more important."

Charlotte looked at her, her eyes shimmering with emotion. A soft smile spread across her face. "I love you," she said sincerely.

Engfa grinned, her eyes glinting with mischief. "I know."

Charlotte froze, her expression instantly shifting to horror. "Babe! Don't say that! That line gives me trauma!" she cried, sounding half-panicked.

"I love you too!" Engfa quickly blurted out, bursting into laughter at Charlotte's reaction.

Charlotte groaned, swatting Engfa's arm playfully. "You're the worst!"

Still laughing, Engfa rubbed her arm dramatically like it actually hurt. "But you still love me, right?" she teased, her grin as wide as ever.