--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The morning light was filtering through the heavy, charcoal-colored curtains of Keifer's bedroom, casting long, golden streaks across the rumpled silk sheets. I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt like a porcelain doll that had been dropped, glued back together, and then dropped again. My body felt like it had been run over by a freight train—twice. Every single muscle ached with a dull, heavy heat, a constant, throbbing reminder of the "lesson" Keifer had decided to teach me last night in his fit of territorial madness.
I tried to shift, just to find a cooler spot on the pillow, but I was pinned. Keifer was still sound asleep, his arm draped over my waist like a heavy iron bar. He pulled me flush against his chest, his chin resting on the crown of my head. Even in his sleep, his hold was possessive, as if he was afraid I'd evaporate into thin air the moment he loosened his grip.
I looked down at his shoulder, seeing the faint, purple-red mark where I had bitten him to make him stop. A wave of guilt mixed with a strange, dizzying warmth washed over me. He was crazy. He was a jealous psycho. But he was mine pyscho.
Slowly, agonizingly, I reached out and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. My heart nearly stopped when I saw the screen.
99+ Missed Calls and messages from: Horoscope
1 Message from: Kuya Angelo
I opened Aries' messages first, my hand shaking so much the phone almost slipped.
———
💌From, Horoscope (2:14 AM):
I KNOW WHAT THAT SOUND WAS. JAY-JAY, I AM NOT STUPID.
💌From, Horoscope(2:15 AM): KEIFER WATSON, I AM COMING FOR YOUR HEAD. I WILL TURN THE WATSON MANSION INTO A CEMETERY.
💌From, Horoscope (2:30 AM):
JAY-JAY, IF YOU AREN'T DEAD, ANSWER ME. IF YOU ARE UNCONSCIOUS, BLINK TWICE.
💌From, Horoscope (3:00 AM):
I'M TELLING KUYA ANGELO EVERYTHING. I'M TELLING HIM ABOUT THE RUSTLING. THE RUSTLING, JAY! THE ACCURSED RUSTLING!
————
I stopped reading!! I couldn't read this anymore.
I groaned, burying my face back into the pillow. He was never going to let this go. He was going to put this on my tombstone: Here lies Jay-Jay, victim of the rustling.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I woke up the moment the bed shifted. The haze of sleep evaporated instantly, replaced by a sharp, clear memory of the previous night's chaos. The "childhood friend." The hug. The "husband" joke.
I felt Jay-Jay wince beside me, her breath hitching as she tried to adjust her legs. The guilt hit me like a physical blow, cooling the embers of my lingering jealousy. I had been too rough. My possessiveness had overtaken my restraint, and now she was paying for it in physical pain.
Without saying a word, I reached for the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a small glass bottle of warming massage oil.
"Keifer? What are you doing?" she whispered, her voice raspy and eyes wide as I pulled back the duvet.
"Be quiet," I rumbled, my voice thick with sleep and authority. "You're in pain because of me. Let me fix it."
I poured the oil into my palms, rubbing them together until they were hot before I began to massage her legs and thighs. I was careful, my touch firm but intentional, working out the knots in her muscles. I moved higher, my fingers circling her core where she was the most sore, my expression focused and unexpectedly soft.
"Does that feel better?" I asked, looking up at her.
"Yes... but Aries is literally texting threats to your life," she sighed, though she leaned back into the pillows, her body finally relaxing under my hands.
"He can wait," I muttered, focusing on the curve of her hip. "His threats are as empty as his brain. You're the only one who matters right now."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The oil felt amazing, and for a few blissful minutes, I actually forgot about the impending doom. But just as Keifer was finishing, the front door downstairs slammed open with such force it rattled the windows of the master suite.
"KEIFER WATSON! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"
Aries. He was actually here. At 7:00 AM.
Keifer's face shifted instantly. The soft, caring boyfriend disappeared, replaced by the smug, arrogant king of Section E. He grabbed his silk robe, tying it loosely around his waist. "Stay here," he commanded, his voice turning into that cold, lethal tone.
"No way," I said, ignoring the ache in my joints as I scrambled to find my shirt. "I am not letting you two kill each other in the foyer."
--: Keifer's POV: --
I marched down the grand staircase, leaning against the banister with a look of pure, unbothered boredom. Aries was pacing on the marble floor below, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. He was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, his hair a mess, and his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"Why are you here??" I said, my voice echoing through the hall.
Aries spun around, his face turning a vibrant shade of red the moment he saw me. "YOU! You animal! You—you—" He pointed a shaking finger at me. "I heard it! I heard Jay moan! You did the devil's work while I was on the speaker! Do you have any respect for the Fernandez bloodline?!"
"Aries, shut up!" Jay-Jay shouted, running down the stairs behind me, still desperately buttoning her shirt with shaking hands.
"DON'T 'SHUT UP' ME!" Aries yelled, turning his wrath on her. "And you! You're just as bad! You let this... this vampire distract you from your husband! Alex was heartbroken! He was reminiscing about your childhood wedding while you were over here—" He gestured wildly at the stairs— "doing this!"
I felt the air in the room drop twenty degrees. The humor left me. I took a slow, heavy step toward Aries, my height towering over him, my shadow swallowing him whole. "Say that word one more time, Aries. I dare you."
Aries swallowed hard, but his anger was stronger than his fear. He backed up a single step, but he didn't stop. "HUSBAND! HUSBAND! HUSBAND!" he taunted, his voice rising. "He's a good guy! He brought snacks! He's polite! He didn't try to bite her neck off in the middle of a Tuesday! He actually cares about her reputation!"
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" I screamed, throwing myself between them just as Aries looked like he was about to swing a punch. I pushed against Aries' chest, my heart racing. "Aries, stop! It's nothing like you're thinking! You've got it all wrong, I swear!"
Aries stopped, his chest heaving. "Really, Jay? Then explain the sounds! Explain the 'move to the left'! Explain that last line of the call! What was that 'Ahh' sound?! It sounded like you were being—"
"I FELL!" I blurted out, my face reaching a boiling point. "I was half-asleep when you called! Keifer answered and it startled me, and I literally tumbled right off the mattress! I said 'Ahh' because I hit the floor and it hurt! It was a painful, 'I-just-hit-the-hardwood' kind of 'Ahh'!"
Aries squinted at me, his eyes full of deep, agonizing suspicion. "It didn't sound like a 'falling off the bed' sound. It sounded... rhythmic. And Keifer's voice was too deep."
"Then you need to get your ears checked up!" I snapped, crossing my arms. "Your intuition is broken, Aries! You're so obsessed with drama that you're hallucinating scandals! I fell. Keifer was just helping me up. That's why there was rustling!"
Aries looked from me to Keifer, who was standing there with a look of smug triumph. "I don't believe you. But... for the sake of my own mental health, I'm going to pretend I do."
He pointed at Keifer one last time. "If I see another 'childhood friend' get his jaw broken, or if I hear another rustle... I'm bringing Kuya Angelo and a priest. We are exorcising this house!"
With a final huff, Aries turned on his heel and stomped out, slamming the door behind him.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
As soon as the door shut, I leaned against the cool marble of the wall, exhaling a breath I felt like I'd been holding since the car ride last night. I slowly made my way back upstairs to the bathroom. The massage oil had helped, but as the adrenaline wore off, the reality of my physical state returned.
While I was in the bathroom, a sharp, familiar cramp stabbed through my lower abdomen, making me double over. I realized with a groan that my period had just started—and it was late, which explained why the pain was so much more intense than usual. Between the soreness from Keifer's rough night and the agonizing cramps, I felt like I was being torn in two.
I took a long, hot shower, watching the steam rise, but the water did nothing to soothe the internal fire. When I finally walked back into the bedroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror. I looked pale, my eyes tired, and every movement I made was slow, stiff, and guarded.
I tried to reach for my bag on the chair, thinking maybe I'd go get some air since I had nothing to do, but a sharp, sudden twinge in my core made me wince and grab the edge of the dresser for support. I felt like I was made of glass.
Keifer was standing by the window, watching me silently. The arrogance from the foyer was gone, replaced by a dark, brooding concern. He still thought I was in pain because of him.
"You look like you're in pain," he said, his voice low and full of suppressed guilt.
"I'm fine," I lied, though my voice lacked any conviction. I didn't want to tell him about the timing; he'd probably feel even worse.
He walked over, his large hand taking the bag from my reach before I could touch it. "You're not going anywhere today. You look exhausted, Jay. We don't have anything to do and anywhere to go. Stay here. Rest."
I looked at him, wanting to argue, but a fresh wave of cramps hit me, and my knees buckled slightly. Keifer caught me instantly, his arms strong and steady.
"Jay-Jay? Tell me the truth. Is it really just from last night?"
I looked away, biting my lip. "It's... it's my period, Keifer. It's late, so it's worse than usual. I'm just... really hurting."
The expression on his face softened into something so tender it made my heart ache. He didn't say a word; he just scooped me up, carried me back to the bed, and tucked the duvet around me as if I were the most precious thing in the world.
"Wait here," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "I'm getting the heating pad and some dark chocolates to reduce cramps."