Big Secrets

XXIV

Saturday, August 26th, 2023

*Colby's POV*

I wake up groaning from the pounding headache that has encompassed my entire head. I hold my hand over my temples, trying to massage them out.

I feel movement on my other arm beside me. I look over and see Maya still peacefully sleeping with her mouth hung open slightly, and soft snores escaping from it. I smile remembering last night.

I look up to the ceiling and just start thinking as my hand lightly traces her back underneath one of my shirts she slept in. I think about how I introduced her to everyone. How she kicked mine and other's asses in beer pong. How easily she was able to make friends with my friends. How much fun it was to be out and open with her. Dancing. Kissing. Just having fun.

I smirk thinking about how she shut down Shea so easily. Something that I didn't know she had in her. It made me realize how much love she has for me, protecting me, herself, and our relationship like that. It made me feel like I was in the right hands. That I was with the right girl. Someone who would do anything for me. Who is always looking into my best interests.

As I continue to think about last night, I started to realize something that drunk me didn't. I didn't get a single picture with Maya. She always made an excuse to avoid pictures. I look over at her, admiring her beautiful features that I fell in love with. Why wouldn't she want pictures with me? Is she ashamed? Scared? Was she worried they would get released?

Whatever it was, I want it to change. And I think it's time. Maya deserves to be known in my world. She shouldn't have to hide behind every single camera that's pointed my way or Sam's or Kat's. It's not fair to her.

As I continue to sit there and think how I want to officially introduce her to the fans, I hear my phone ding.

I pick it up to see a text from Sam. "You up? We're thinking of picking up breakfast from a local restaurant if y'all want anything."

I carefully sit up and remove my arm from under Maya. I stand up in just my boxers and black sweatpants as I stretch my back out, but not without my head pounding even more than before, making me scrunch my face in pain. I look down at Maya, feeling all giddy inside like a 6-year-old child. She doesn't even have to do anything to make me feel this amount of happiness, she just needs to exist. I lean over and place a careful kiss on her head before exiting the room and heading downstairs where I assume Kat and Sam are.

When I enter the living room, I see Kat playing tug-a-war with Dexter. "Morning," I say.

"Good morning sleepy head." Kat says laughing. "Sleeping beauty is more like it." Sam says entering the living room.

I laugh shaking my head. "I just came down to see if you ordered yet. And to see if either of you had ibuprofen."

"No, not yet. Here, pick out what you and Maya want. And it's a no on the ibuprofen" Sam says tossing me his phone so I can look over the menu and put our orders in. "She still sleeping?"

"Yeah." I answer as I pick out Belgian waffles, bacon, and potatoes for Maya, her favorite.

"I gotta say, I never thought Maya had that kind of dominance in her." Sam says.

I look up at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"The way she totally shut down Shea last night and held her ground. I mean, she has quite the glare. It was scary." Sam chuckles.

"Yeah, remind me to never get on her bad side. I don't want to be the target of that glare." Kat says laughing. I chuckle and hand Sam's phone back to him once I put my order in.