--: Keifer's POV: --
The world outside our cottage didn't matter. Not the noise, not the looming schedule, and definitely not the "vultures" waiting at the breakfast table. But as I pulled the shirt over my head, I caught Jay-Jay staring at the mirror with a look of pure, adorable panic.
She was dabbing frantically at her neck with a small, elegant glass bottle.
"Keifer, it's not working!" she hissed, her voice rising in a pitch that usually meant a meltdown was imminent. "Freya gave me this 'emergency' foundation before we left, saying I might need it for 'unexpected accidents.' I didn't think she meant you!"
I walked up behind her, my chest hitting her back, and looked at the reflection. The mark was a deep, tell-tell rose color—a permanent receipt of our morning.
"Freya is a genius," I murmured, a smirk spreading across my face as I watched Jay-Jay's expression in the glass.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I froze. My hand, mid-dab, dropped to the marble counter.
"A genius?" I repeated, my voice dropping an octave. I slowly turned around in his arms, narrowing my eyes. "Oh, so Freya is a genius now? Because she anticipated you being a prehistoric caveman? I didn't realize you and my best friend were on such high-level intellectual terms regarding my neck. Oh I just realised she was your Ex. She knows you way to we'll."
Keifer blinked, his smirk faltering for a split second. "Jay, it's just a compliment. She clearly knew I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off, and there is nothing related to her being my Ex–"
"No, no," I interrupted, crossing my arms over my chest. "It's 'Freya is a genius.' Maybe you should have invited her into the tub for a strategy meeting. Since she's so brilliant at predicting your 'accidents.' Is there anything else about my friend and your ex you find genius, Keifer? Her hair? Her fashion sense?"
--: Keifer's POV: --
I stared at her. She was actually jealous. Over a foundation bottle and a single word.
It was the most ridiculous, frustrating, and incredibly hot thing I'd ever seen. The way her eyes sparked and her lip pouted—it made me want to go right back to the bed and stay there for another three hours.
"Baby," I growled, stepping into her space until she was pinned against the vanity. I took the bottle from her hand and set it aside, my hands framing her waist. "Freya is a genius because she knows exactly how much of a menace I am when it comes to you. But I'm pretty sure I didn't spend thirty-two minutes of my life being ignored by Freya this morning. I didn't carry Freya into the shower, I never did even when she was my girlfriend. And I definitely don't have Freya's name tattooed on my brain."
I leaned down, my nose brushing hers. "You're the only one I want to leave marks on. Now stop being a brat and let me fix it."
I took a tiny bit of the cream on my finger. My hands, usually meant for gripping a steering wheel or a fist, were surprisingly steady as I blended the cream into her skin.
"There," I whispered, my thumb grazing her jawline. "Invisible. Just like I was in the tub. You still jealous, little demon?"
"Maybe a little," she muttered, though she finally let out a breath and leaned into my touch. "Just don't call other girls geniuses in front of me when I'm stressed out, especially not your EXES.. It's bad for my heart."
"Duly noted."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The walk to the docks was like a dream. The island was waking up, the air smelling of blooming hibiscus and salt.
We didn't head for the breakfast pavilion—instead, we saw the squad already loading up a massive, triple-deck luxury catamaran anchored at the private pier.
"Forget the pancakes!" Drew yelled from the deck, waving a snorkeling fin in the air. "The tide is perfect and Blaster says the reef is calling!"
David was already on board, adjusting a GoPro onto a floating mount, while Thyme stood at the helm, looking like the king of the ocean in his designer shades.
"We're skipping the boring stuff," Keifer said, lifting me onto the deck in one effortless motion before jumping up beside me. "Today is about the water."
--: Keifer's POV: --
The engines roared, a deep, muscular vibration that traveled through the deck and straight into my bones. As the catamaran cut through the glass-like water, the turquoise shallows bled into a deep, infinite sapphire.
We spent the next several hours lost in the rhythm of the ocean. I didn't want to talk about the stress of the previous night or the "vultures" at the breakfast table. I just wanted this.
We traveled all the way around the island, exploring hidden coves that were only accessible by sea. The squad was in high spirits—the kind of high-energy chaos that only happens when the F4 and Section E are given a boat and no supervision.
There was scuba diving in the "Blue Cathedral," where the water was so clear it felt like we were flying. There were underwater caves where the bioluminescent moss glowed like fallen stars. We did every water activity imaginable—jet skiing, paddleboarding, and even a ridiculous competition to see who could stay on the towable tube the longest while Thyme tried to throw us off by making sharp turns.
Through it all, I kept my eyes on Jay-Jay. She was everywhere—laughing with David and others, splashing MJ, and diving into the waves like she belonged there. Every time she surfaced, her skin glistening with salt and her hair dark and slick, my heart did a heavy, painful thud in my chest.
She was vibrant. She was alive. And most importantly, she was mine.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I had never felt so free. The boat trip was a blur of blue water, white foam, and the constant sound of the everyone's laughter. We explored the entire perimeter of the island, discovering places that looked like they belonged on a postcard.
We spent time deep underwater, surrounded by schools of shimmering fish, and we spent time on the surface, basking in the midday sun. Keifer was never more than a few feet away. Even when he was jet skiing with others, I could feel his gaze on me, protective and steady.
By the time the sun started its slow descent toward the horizon, we were all exhausted in the best way possible.
The catamaran slowed to a crawl as we approached our private beach, the water turning from sapphire to a sheet of hammered gold and burnt orange.
"Best day ever?" Gorya asked, leaning against the railing next to me, his face sun-burnt and happy.
"The best," I agreed, looking over at Keifer, who was standing at the back of the boat, drying his hair with a towel.
--: Keifer's POV: --
The boat docked softly against the pier. The silence that followed was heavy with contentment. The adrenaline of the diving and the racing had faded, replaced by that deep, bone-weary satisfaction of a day well spent.
I helped Jay-Jay off the boat, her legs a little shaky from the "sea legs." I didn't let her walk far before I swept her up into my arms.
"Keifer! Put me down, everyone's right there!" she squeaked, blushing furiously and burying her face in the crook of my neck.
"Not happening," I grunted, walking confidently down the pier.
The effect was immediate. The entire squad stopped in their tracks. It was like I'd just dropped a bomb on the pier.
"Oh, come on!" Gorya snapped, hitting Thyme's shoulder. "Look at that! Why can't you ever be that romantic instead of just yelling at the seagulls or bragging about the boat's horsepower?"
"I own the boat, Gorya! The boat is romantic!" Thyme shouted back, looking completely offended.
"Kavin, look," Kaning sighed, her eyes turning into literal hearts. "Keifer is such a green flag. He doesn't even care who's watching. He just wants to make sure she's comfortable. You'd probably complain about your back after three steps."
"I have a delicate lumbar region, Kaning! It's a medical condition!" Kavin defended, clutching his side.
In a domino effect, the complaints rippled through the group. Rakki glared at Ci-N, Grace turned her nose up at Denzel, Ella gave Aries a pointed look, and Freya poked Edrix in the chest.
"See, Edrix? That's effort," Freya said, gesturing wildly at me. "That's a man who understands the assignment. Keifer Watson is officially the Green Flag King of this island. Take notes, or I'm moving to a different cottage."
"He's not just a green flag, he's a whole forest," Grace added, shaking her head at Denzel. "Look at the way he's holding her. Like she's made of gold."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I was hiding my face in Keifer's chest, but I could hear everything. My heart was pounding—partly from the proximity to Keifer and partly from the sheer embarrassment of being praised as the girlfriend of a "Green Flag King."
Ci-N, looking at Rakki's expectant face, let out a dramatic, high-pitched gasp. "What? You want me to lift you?" He threw his hands up in the air. "How can I lift you while I also want someone to lift me? My legs are like noodles after that scuba dive! I'm a victim of the ocean!"
Before anyone could react, Ci-N turned and sprinted toward David. With a flying leap, he latched onto David's back like a koala.
"Thank you, Grandpa David! You're the best! My hero!" Ci-N chirped, hugging David's neck tightly.
"I'M NOT YOUR GRANDPA!" David roared, stumbling under the sudden weight while trying to keep his GoPro from falling into the ocean. "Get off me! You're getting saltwater all over me! Get off, you overgrown toddler!"
"Never! Onward, my noble steed! Carry me to the pancakes!" Ci-N shrieked, kicking his legs like he was riding a pony.
"I will literally drop you into the shark-infested shallows!" David threatened, though he was secretly laughing.
--: Keifer's POV: --
The pier behind us was a symphony of absolute idiocy. David was still spinning in circles trying to shake a shrieking Ci-N off his back, Thyme was shouting over the wind about the "romance of high-end engineering," and Kavin was leaning against a piling, dramatically clutching his lower back like he'd just been through a war. The rest of the guys were looking at me with pure, unadulterated betrayal.
"You're making us look bad, man!" Kavin yelled, his voice carrying over the water. "Stop being so perfect! Some of us are trying to maintain a 'cool guy' reputation, and you're out here playing Prince Charming!"
I didn't even bother to look back. I just tightened my grip on Jay-Jay and kept walking, a smirk tugging at my lips that I couldn't suppress.
"You see what you've done?" Jay-Jay whispered, finally peeking out from the safety of my chest as we hit the soft, dry sand of the beach. "Everyone thinks you're this perfect, romantic gentleman now. You've ruined their reputations, Keifer."
"I am a perfect, romantic gentleman," I murmured, leaning down so my lips brushed her salt-crusted temple as we walked. "At least for you. Everyone else can deal with the fallout. I've got better things to do than worry about Kavin's 'delicate' spine."
"You're a menace," she giggled, her arms wrapping tighter around my neck as the sound of David's yelling and the girls' laughter finally began to fade into the background.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
Instead of heading straight to the cottage, Keifer led me toward a small, simple wooden table set up on the sand right near our porch. It wasn't fancy—just a plain table with a couple of chairs and a single lantern flickering in the center. There was a large platter of grilled seafood and some cold drinks waiting for us.
"I asked them to leave some food out here," Keifer grunted, finally setting me down on the chair. "I figured you'd be too tired to deal with the dining hall, and I definitely wasn't in the mood to share you with the 'vultures' for another hour."
I slumped into the seat, the exhaustion hitting me in a massive wave. "Thank you. Truly. I think if I had to hear MJ talk about his 'near-death' experience with a turtle one more time, my head would have exploded."
We ate in a comfortable, heavy silence. There were no grand speeches, no fancy wine—just the sound of our forks against the plates and the rhythmic hush of the tide coming in. The sun had finally vanished, leaving the sky a deep, bruised purple.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I watched her eat, noticing the way her movements were getting slower with every bite. She was running on fumes. The salt from the ocean had dried on her skin, leaving white streaks against her tan, and her hair was a wild, tangled mess of beach waves.
"You're falling asleep in your lobster, Jay," I said softly, reaching across the table to take the fork from her hand.
"I'm fine," she mumbled, though her eyes were already half-closed. "Just... the boat legs. I still feel like I'm moving."
"You're done," I said, standing up and pulling her to her feet.
I guided her toward the porch, her steps small and heavy. As we reached the door, I leaned down, my breath hot against her ear as I whispered one last thing before we stepped into the quiet of the cottage.
"You know... Freya really is a genius for giving you that foundation. It really came in handy after the 'Green Flag King' got a little carried away this morning. And honestly? Looking at how tired you are..." I smirked, my hand resting on the small of her back. "I think you're going to need a lot more of it tomorrow."
"KEIFER! DON'T START!" she shrieked, though it was muffled by a yawn as she swiped at my chest.
I just laughed, a deep, satisfied sound, and kicked the door shut behind us.