Alec Dempsey had just finished kicking a ball around with his younger brother when Jiji came strolling up the street, sunlight bouncing off the cream polka-dot dress she wore. The ruffled neckline dipped softly against her collarbone, her black Mary Janes tapping against the pavement with each step. He froze mid-kick, suddenly forgetting how to move his own feet.

“Al!” she called, waving her phone. “I need your help.”

He raised an eyebrow, instantly suspicious. “That tone means trouble.”

She grinned, dimples deep. “Depends on your definition of trouble. I just need you to make a TikTok with me.”

“I don’t do TikToks.” He crossed his arms, trying to look firm, but she was already tugging at his sleeve.

“You don’t have to do anything. Just walk with me—then pick me up. One arm.”

He huffed out a laugh, glancing down at her like she’d lost her mind. “You want me to carry you down the street like some circus act?”

“Yes,” she said, batting her lashes for good measure. “C’mon, Dempsey, you’re six-foot-two, all muscle. What’s the point if you can’t show off?”

He muttered something under his breath about her being impossible, but the second she looked at him with that mischievous glint, he caved. He always caved with her.

The phone was balanced against a step, recording. They walked side by side down the sidewalk, her arm brushing against his. At the perfect moment, he bent, scooped her up with one arm around her waist, and kept walking like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Jiji squealed, laughing as her sock-ruffled feet dangled in the air. “See? Effortless!”

Alec fought the smile threatening his face, his jaw tightening as he focused on the pavement ahead. “Don’t get used to it.”

She leaned closer, her cheek nearly brushing his jaw. “Oh, I just might.”

The video ended, but Alec still hadn’t put her down. His heart hammered, and when he finally glanced at her, she was grinning at him like she knew exactly what kind of mess she was making in his chest.

What he didn’t know yet was that the sound she’d chosen wasn’t just a trend. It was a couples trend.

And Jiji had no intention of telling him until the comments spilled the truth.