𝒞ℋℰℛℛ𝒴 𝒦ℐ𝒮𝒮ℰ𝒮, 𝒞𝒪ℒℬ𝒴 ℳ𝒜𝒟𝒟ℰ𝒩

|28| 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬.

☡

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 streamed softly through the blinds, painting stripes across the bedroom floor. Aveline stirred beneath the covers, her hair tousled from sleep, her hand finding Colby's naturally as she shifted. Colby, who had been quietly awake for a few minutes, watched her with an amused smirk.

"You awake yet, Cherry?" he murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead.

Aveline squinted at him, the remnants of sleep in her eyes. "Mmm... yeah... barely," she muttered, stretching lazily. Her gaze fell on him, and a sleepy smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Colby leaned back, an impish grin spreading across his face. "You know," he said slowly, reaching for his phone, "I just had the perfect idea."

Aveline raised an eyebrow, suspicion creeping in. "Oh? Should I be scared or intrigued?"

"Both," he said with mock seriousness. "I'm going to make a TikTok." He raised the phone toward her. "You, my dear, are about to be immortalized as the girlfriend of the century. Current status: taken and perfect."

Aveline bolted upright, eyes wide. "What?! No! Colby, don't you dare—stop!" She reached for the phone, but Colby was already quick on his feet, dodging her grasp with a smirk. "I demand... I demand this is permanent! I will marry you right now if you post it!"

Colby laughed, completely unfazed by her theatrical proclamation. "Whoa, whoa, hold on. Slow down, my little debutante queen. Permanent? Marriage? TikTok first, wedding later." He tapped the record button, and the little red dot flashed.

Aveline groaned, flopping back onto the pillows, hands covering her face. "You're ridiculous! You can't just—"

"—Film you making a TikTok, oh yes I can!" Colby cut her off, his grin widening. "And I will. You're so cute right now, sleepy hair, half-yawning, still in your crown tiara from last night..."

Aveline peeked through her fingers, blushing furiously. "Stop—Colby! That's cheating! I wasn't ready!"

"Ready or not, here it comes," Colby said with a playful wink, adjusting the angle so that her sleepy smile and the crown glinting in the morning light were perfectly framed. He leaned closer, whispering softly so only she could hear, "Don't worry. You'll love this. And so will everyone else."

Aveline's eyes narrowed, though she couldn't suppress the hint of a smile. "You're trying to make me admit I'm adorable on camera, aren't you?"

"Busted," Colby admitted, chuckling. He gently nudged her chin up so the light caught her eyes. "Look at you, Cherry. My queen. My debutante. My perfect girlfriend."

She groaned dramatically, hiding her face in the covers. "I can't... you're impossible!"

Colby leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "I'm just showing the world what they've been missing. You. Me. Together." He winked at her, the phone still recording. "You can demand marriage later. For now, you're just starring in a TikTok that proves how lucky I am."