You always knew this day would come.

Chris had been patient—so patient—never pressuring you to go public, even though you knew he wanted to. He wanted the world to know about you, to show you off, to let people see how much he loved you. But you were scared. His fans were intense, and as much as you wanted to believe they’d be kind, you weren’t naïve.

Still, after months of reassurance, you finally caved. And now, you were sitting next to Chris and his brothers, filming a video that would introduce you to the world. It felt surreal, like stepping into a storm you weren’t sure you’d make it out of.

The video went up that night. You avoided the comments, telling yourself it didn’t matter what people thought. Chris loved you—that was all that should matter.

But the curiosity burned at you.

It took everything in you to hold off, but by the next day, you finally cracked. You grabbed your phone, heart pounding as you clicked on Instagram.

You didn’t even know why you chose Instagram over YouTube. Maybe because YouTube’s comment section was usually a lot kinder. Instagram, on the other hand… it was brutal. And if there was one place you’d see the truth, it was there.

Your hands trembled as you scrolled. The first few comments were fine. Sweet, even.

"She’s so pretty!"
"Chris looks so happy, omg."
"They’re cute together."

But then, as expected, the bad ones rolled in.

"I don’t get it… why her?"
"She looks so basic."
"Chris could do SO much better."
"Ew."

You swallowed hard, your stomach twisting as you kept reading, even though you knew you shouldn’t.

Chris walked in at that moment, immediately noticing your expression. He didn’t even have to ask—he knew. With a sigh, he took your phone from your hands, placing it facedown on the table.

“Don’t do that to yourself,” he said softly.