❝Why do always call me Cherry?❞
❝Because your lips taste like Cherries.❞
When teenage supervillain Havoc stands up to the head of the League of Villains, Colby Madden's family is forced to change their identities and relocate to a sleepy Texas subur...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
☡
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒 of sunlight sneaked through the blinds, cutting thin stripes of light across the bedroom floor. Aveline was still curled up under the blankets, her hair tangled around her face, half-asleep and blissfully unaware of the world outside. The quiet of the morning was shattered by a soft, persistent voice.
"Avey... Avey... Avey... wake up!"
Aveline groaned, burying her face deeper into her pillow. "Colby... five more minutes..." she mumbled, her voice muffled.
But Colby wasn't having it. He leaned over the bed, his hands resting on either side of her, grinning down at her half-asleep, scrunched-up face. "Avey! Seriously, you can't sleep forever. Come on, it's a beautiful morning, and we have plans!"
Aveline rolled her eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Colby... you're so annoying..." She gave a lazy swipe at him, hoping he'd back off, but he only chuckled.
"Annoying? Me? Avey, I'm adorable. And besides, the sun's up, the birds are singing, and you're way too cute to waste a morning asleep."
"Cute is a relative term," Aveline muttered, sitting up slightly, rubbing her eyes.
Colby seized the opportunity. With a playful laugh, he leaned closer and gently pushed her back onto the mattress. "Come on, Avey, just five more minutes of fun!" Before she could react, he started tickling her sides.
Aveline squealed, throwing her arms up to defend herself, but it was useless. Laughter bubbled uncontrollably from her throat, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Colby! Stop! Hahaha! Okay, okay, I give up!" she cried, wriggling to escape his relentless fingers.
"I'm not stopping until I get a good 'I love you,'" Colby teased, his grin widening with every giggle that escaped her.
"Colby! Hahaha... I... I love you! Okay! I love you!" Aveline gasped between laughs, breathless and flushed from the tickling.
Colby's eyes softened at her words, and he leaned down to press a series of kisses along her neck, teasing and gentle. "Avey..." he murmured between kisses, "I love you so much..." His lips trailed across her skin, eliciting shivers and more laughter from her.
"Colby! You're so childish!" she managed to gasp, rolling to grab the nearest pillow. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she swung it at him, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. "Seriously, stop acting like a little kid!"
Colby caught the pillow mid-swing, still chuckling. "Childish? Me? Never. I'm just... making sure my Avey wakes up with a smile!"
Aveline flopped back onto the bed, laughing and shaking her head. "You're hopeless. Absolutely hopeless," she said, smiling despite herself. She leaned up slightly and gave him a playful shove. "I should throw you out of bed for this."
