The festival lights flickered against the cobblestone as the group made their way back toward the cabins. The crowd had thinned, but whispers and glances still lingered like smoke.
Ella had been holding it in all day—burning, fuming, plotting. And now… she couldn't anymore.
She stormed up, voice sharp, cutting through the air:
"Seriously, Jay! Can you not?!"
Jay froze mid-step, eyes widening… then slowly turned, one eyebrow raised. "Can't what, Ella?"
Ella pointed, all fire and frustration. "Flirting with him everywhere! Showing off like you own the world!"
Keifer, standing close behind Jay, didn't move, didn't intervene. He let her rant, letting his presence speak volumes. His arm rested lightly on Jay's waist, thumb brushing her side.
Ella's friends tried to pull her back, but she waved them off. "No! She's just… flaunting it! And you're letting her!"
Jay, calm as ever, stepped forward slightly, closing the distance between herself and Keifer. Her smile was slow, teasing, confident.
"Flaunting what exactly, Ella?" she asked softly, voice deceptively gentle. "The fact that I'm with someone who adores me? Or the fact that he can't stop himself from… noticing me?"
Ella froze, heat rising to her cheeks. "I—That's not fair!"
Keifer leaned down, lips brushing Jay's ear, voice low, husky, meant only for her:
"Tell her what I want, baby. Tell her how I've been thinking about you all day."
Jay swallowed, breath hitching, feeling the warmth of his lips and the deliberate weight of his words. Every nerve in her body screamed—but she stayed composed… barely.
"Oh, I could," she whispered back, teasing him right in front of Ella, letting the words drip with power. "But then… you'd lose control. And I kind of like keeping you on edge."
His fingers tightened slightly on her waist, pulling her closer without breaking the teasing moment. His lips hovered near her temple, his voice softer but still dangerous:
"Edge or not, I'm not patient. I want you—right here, right now."
Jay leaned into him, pressing her body lightly against his, whispering back:
"You might get me… if you're lucky."
Ella blinked, steps faltering. Her cheeks burned red, jaw tightening. She had no words—because nothing she could say mattered anymore. Jay and Keifer were untouchable together. Every glance, every move was deliberate, public and private all at once.
Jay straightened, giving Ella one last playful smirk before turning to Keifer.
"Come on," she said lightly. "Let's go. You and I have more important things to focus on."
Keifer wrapped an arm fully around her waist this time, pulling her flush against him as they started walking away.
"Important things, huh?" he murmured, lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Like what… exactly?"
Jay's smile was wicked. "You'll see," she whispered back, sliding her hand into his, giving him just enough to tease and just enough to drive him crazy.
Behind them, Ella's voice was swallowed by the night. She had lost. Completely. And neither Jay nor Keifer looked back.
Back in the cabin
The cabin was quiet. Almost too quiet. The soft hum of the rain outside had faded, leaving only the faint creak of the wooden floors and the low rustle of the sheets. Jay sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only Keifer's oversized shirt—the one he'd lent her earlier. It swallowed her, falling off one shoulder, the fabric soft and comforting… but it drove him insane.
Keifer stood close, hands fidgeting at first, but his gaze never wavered. Every time Jay shifted, it was like the air itself charged.
"I… I can't…" he started, voice low, rough, the kind that made her stomach clench. "I need you, Jay. More than I've ever… I can't explain it."
Jay's heart thudded. She reached out, touching his chest lightly, feeling the tension beneath his jacket. "Keifer…" she whispered, voice steady but warm. "I know."
He swallowed hard, jaw tight, hands finally moving. One reached to the hem of his shirt she was wearing, the other grazing the edge of her waist. His eyes searched hers, desperate and tender at the same time.
"I can't stop thinking about you," he murmured, voice husky. "Even when people are around… even when I try…"
Jay let out a small laugh, breathless. "You don't have to try."
Then, as if the words themselves gave him courage, his fingers moved to the buttons of the shirt, slowly undoing the top one… then the next… deliberate, teasing, dangerous.
Jay leaned in slightly, pressing her forehead against his chest, whispering, "Keifer…"
He froze—just for a second—breath caught in his throat, lips hovering near hers. The moment stretched, raw and electric, and for one heartbeat, the world narrowed to just them.
Then it happened.
"Jay! Keifer! Bonfire! Hurry!"
The shouting pierced through the cabin like an alarm.
Both of them jerked slightly, heat draining just enough to remind them the world outside wasn't theirs. Jay's cheeks flamed, and Keifer's jaw clenched—but they didn't let go of each other's hands.
"Later," he hissed, voice rough but steady, thumb brushing her skin once more, a promise.
She smirked, tugging lightly at the sleeve of his shirt she was wearing. "Later," she agreed, playful and daring.
Together, they left the cabin, side by side, a storm of heat and desire simmering just beneath the surface, leaving the bonfire—and everyone else—completely oblivious to the tension that had just almost broken them both.