Jayjay'sPOV
I'd texted Kuya to bring food, and he agreed. I'm pretty sure if Keifer weren't currently bedridden, kuya would definitely say 'am I his servant or what'. But h didn't said that because keifer can't stand properly.
Kuya handed me the food at the door and had to leave almost immediately; he had to return to base because his leave was cut short due to that stupid kidnapping. Urgh, stupid, idiot, dumb kidnappers. I felt my temper rising, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Calm down, Jayjay. Keifer needs you.
I walked back inside, and there he was—sitting up and casually scrolling through his phone. I marched over and snatched it right out of his hand.
"Hey! Give that back," he complained.
"First, you eat," I commanded.
"Jay, give me my phone," he insisted, reaching for it.
"Why? What's the big deal? Can't you let me hold your phone for five minutes?" I asked, getting a little annoyed.
"Huh?"
"Maybe it's because you're hiding something," I said, my voice rising with a sudden spark of jealousy. "Like a secret relationship? A secret girlfriend?"
"Wait... what?" He looked at me, completely confused.
"Here. Take it. Go talk to your secret girlfriend," I snapped. I shoved the phone back into his hand and slammed the bowl of soup onto the bedside table. I turned to leave, but he caught my wrist instantly.
"Keifer, leave me alone," I said, refusing to look at him.
"I swear, Jay... I've never had a girlfriend. I don't have one now," he said earnestly.
"Liar," I muttered. I pulled my wrist away, but he caught the other one. I yanked my hand back so hard that he nearly slipped off the bed.
"Oww!" he groaned, clutching his side where the bandages were.
Guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. I quickly sat back down in the chair and took his hand. "S-sorry," I whispered.
He let out a soft, low laugh. I looked up and saw that smug look on his face. "You really do care about me," he teased.
I realized then that he was totally acting. I moved to stand up again, but he caught my wrist—again. Oh god, give me patience to deal with this idiot.
"Keifer, let go and just eat."
"How?" he asked, looking at the bowl and then at me. Was he serious?
"With your hands, stupid!"
"Are you forgetting I'm injured?"
"Your hands aren't injured, Keifer."
"But it hurts to lift them," he pouted.
"Then what do you want? Should I call a nurse to come in here and feed you?"
"Why would I want a nurse to feed me? I only want my fiancée to do it," he said. This jerk. Even with a bullet wound, he didn't stop flirting for a second.
"What?" I asked, though I knew exactly what he was doing.
"I. Want. You. To. Feed. Me," he said, enunciating every word slowly as if I were a child.
"I don't want to," I said. "And if your hands hurt so much, how are you holding my wrist so tight?"
"Because I don't want you to leave. Even if it hurts, I'm never letting you leave me," he said softly.
Aww, this guy... No! Jayjay, get a grip!
I sighed and sat back down, picking up the bowl. His face lit up instantly, and he straightened himself up. As I fed him, he just sat there smiling at me. It was so annoying, but I couldn't really complain—it was my fault he was in this condition in the first place.
Halfway through the soup, he suddenly took his phone and plopped it onto my lap.
"Go through everything," he said firmly. "Contacts, gallery, every social media app. I don't ever want you to think I'd cheat on you."
I felt a small smile tug at my lips. I tried to hand it back, but he pushed it toward me again. "Check everything you want, Jay."
I sighed and took it. "Fine. Unlock it then."
He didn't reach for the phone. He just looked me in the eye. "The password is your birthday."
I froze. My birthday? I stared at him, my brain stalling. He snapped his fingers in front of my face to bring me back to reality. I slowly typed in the numbers, and the phone clicked open. I pretended to scroll through his messages and apps for a while, but honestly, I wasn't even looking. My heart was beating too fast for that.
After eating, Keifer winced as he shifted slightly to one side of the hospital bed. He reached out and patted the small space he'd cleared. I raised my eyebrows, completely lost.
"Jayjay, sit here beside me," he said.
"The bed is tiny, Keifer. You really want me to squeeze in there?" I laughed softly, but his expression stayed dead serious. "Wait, are you serious?"
He nodded firmly. "But—"
"Just sit," he insisted.
I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with a stubborn, injured man. I stood up and perched on the edge of the bed. There was still a gap between us, his gaze suddenly turning intense.
"Jayjay, don't get angry at what I'm about to say," he started. My stomach did a little flip.
"What happened, Keifer?"
"Tita, Tito, and my parents... they've been talking. They're saying we should move the wedding up. They want us to get married soon."
I took a breath, trying to stay calm. "Okay. When?"
"Next-to-next week," he admitted.
"That's... that's really early," I whispered, my mind racing.
"I know. I'll talk to them. I'll try to get us at least a month," he said quickly, looking worried. "But knowing them, they'll probably say a month is too long."
I looked at him—really looked at him. After nearly losing him today, the idea of being tied to him didn't feel like a cage anymore. I smiled softly. "It's okay. We can have the wedding the week after next."
"You're not angry?" he asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. I shook my head, and he immediately lunged forward to hug me tightly but i stopped him.
"Hoi! Hoi! You're injured!" I reminded him, panicking about his stitches. He let go quickly, looking sheepish.
"Sorry. I just got excited."
"I can see that. Hold your excitement before you tear your back open," I scolded him. Since it was getting late, I stood up to head toward the hospital couch.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice instantly dropping.
"To the couch. To sleep."
"Your back will hurt on that thing. Sleep here," he said.
"Keifer, we've been over this. The bed is too small for both of us!"
Instead of arguing, he just picked up his phone and typed a quick message. Ten minutes later, a group of men walked in carrying a high-end foldable bed. They set it up right next to his hospital bed, perfectly level with his mattress. I just stood there, stunned. Wow. One text and a bedroom appears.
I lay down on the new bed, finally feeling the exhaustion of the day. "You're injured, so don't you dare move from your spot," I warned him. He laughed, but I shot him a death glare that made him lie back down instantly.
The room grew quiet, the only sound being the soft hum of the monitors.
"Jayjay," he called out softly into the dark.
"Hmm?"
"Mahal na kita," he said.
I froze. I love you. The air in the room suddenly felt thick. I knew he wasn't asking a question, but I knew the answer was sitting right on the tip of my tongue—an answer I wasn't quite ready to say out loud yet. I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart hammering against my ribs, and pretended to be asleep. I don't know when the darkness finally pulled me under.
I woke up the next morning feeling a heavy warmth across my waist. For a second, I panicked—did this shameless jerk actually crawl into my bed? I spun around, ready to scold him, only to see him still lying on his own bed.
Because the beds were so close together, he had easily reached over in his sleep and put a pillow on my waist and he his hand on the pillow. I shook my head, fighting a smile, and quietly got up. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I called Keigan. I told him to bring some fresh clothes for Keifer; there was no way I was letting him go home in those blood-stained rags.
When I walked back into the main room, Keifer was sitting up, rubbing his eyes with his fists like a tired toddler. It was actually kind of cute. I let out a soft laugh at the sight.
"Good morning," I said, walking over to the foldable bed.
"Good morning," he rasped, his voice still thick with sleep.
I made quick work of folding the bed and leaning it against the wall to clear some space. "I'm going to go grab us some breakfast," I told him. He nodded, but as I turned to the door, he called out.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"What now?"
"Whatever you do, do not bring that green soup full of vegetables again," he said, looking genuinely horrified. I laughed. He's a grown man, a fighter, and yet he's scared of a little broccoli.
"Fine. What should I bring then?"
"Anything but that," he insisted. I gave him a mock salute and headed down to the cafeteria.
"Hello po," I said to the lady behind the counter. "Can I get breakfast for a patient who just had surgery? He's refusing vegetables and soup, so I'm not sure what's safe."
"Don't worry, dear," the old lady replied kindly. "Who is the patient?"
"My fiancé," I said. It felt a little more natural saying it today. She nodded and prepared a tray with fresh bread, fruit, and juice.
"Thank you po!" I took the tray and turned around quickly, but I wasn't looking where I was going. I bumped right into someone. "Oh! Sorry, sorry! I didn't see you—"
I looked up, bracing for an apology, when I recognized the face.
"Jay?"
"Liam?" I blinked in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking me up and down.
"Just grabbing breakfast," I said, gesturing to the tray.
"I mean, why are you even in a hospital?"
"Oh. Keifer got shot in the back yesterday, so we've been here all night," I explained quickly. "Anyway, I really need to get back. He's probably starving."
"Wait, I'll come with you," Liam said. I didn't really have the energy to argue, so I just signaled for him to follow me back to the room.
Liam and I entered the room, deep in conversation, but the second I looked at the bed, I saw Keifer's face. If looks could kill, Liam would have been buried right there in the hospital hallway. Keifer was staring at him with pure, unadulterated venom.
"Yoo, how are you feeling?" Liam asked, seemingly unfazed.
"Good," Keifer replied, his voice like a sheet of ice.
"I know you're jealous, Keifer, but you don't need to be. I'm not stealing your fiancée—we're just friends," Liam said with a shrug.
Keifer narrowed his eyes. "As if you even could."
Liam laughed. "I just came to check on you, but it's getting late, so I'll head out. Bye-bye..." He paused at the door, turning back with a grin. "...couple!"
He bolted out before I could throw something at him. I heard Keifer let out a small, begrudging chuckle. I sighed and walked over, placing the breakfast tray over his lap.
"Can you eat by yourself now?" I asked.
He nodded, and we ate together in a much more peaceful silence. A few minutes later, the doctor walked in to check his vitals.
"So, Mr. Watson, how are you feeling today?" the doctor asked, checking the monitors.
"Good, Doctor," Keifer replied.
"Well, your wife is clearly taking very good care of you," the doctor noted with a smile.
I choked on literal air. My face went beet red as Keifer let out a soft, amused laugh. "I'm his fiancée, not his wife," I corrected quickly.
"Oh! Well, soon-to-be wife then," he said, and I couldn't even argue because it was technically the truth. The doctor turned back to Keifer. "Honestly, your chances of waking up this early were slim to none. Our entire staff is shocked. How did you do it?"
Keifer looked directly at me, his gaze softening. "I just couldn't leave my loved one behind."
I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. The doctor handed me a piece of paper. "Here is the list of his food restrictions and medications, Mrs. Watson."
He walked out before I could correct him again. The second the door clicked shut, Keifer burst out laughing.
"You planned this, didn't you?" I asked, crossing my arms. "You told them to call me that!"
"I swear, I didn't," he said, though his eyes were dancing with mischief. I gave him a look that clearly said I don't believe a word you're saying.
A knock at the door interrupted our talk. It was Keifer's butler, who handed me a garment bag of fresh clothes before bowing and heading back out. When I turned back to the bed, I saw Keifer staring at the empty doorway. He lowered his head, looking genuinely upset and disappointed.
I rushed to his side and gently lifted his chin so he had to look at me. "I know you're upset because your brothers didn't come to see you," I said softly. "But Keifer, they have school. They're probably in class right now wishing they were here."
A genuine smile finally broke through his gloom. "It's okay," he said. "I know that you're always by my side to lift my mood."
My cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire. Why? Why am I blushing?
"Ok, no more flirting! Go and change," I stammered, trying to hide my face. I started helping him sit up, but another knock sounded at the door. Urgh, who is it now?
I opened the door to find a nurse holding fresh bandages and a tray of medicine. "Ms. Mariano, Mr. Watson needs his bandages changed," she said.
I stepped aside to let her in. As she prepared the supplies, a thought hit me: she was going to have to touch his back. She'd be touching him. It's her job, I know, but I felt a sharp pang in my chest. Am I jealous? No. Right? Okay, maybe a little.
"Mr. Watson, I need to apply the medicine to your back. Please sit up straight," the nurse instructed.
Keifer looked at the nurse, then at her hands, then at me. Then he looked at her hands again.
"My fiancée will apply it," he said firmly. "Just give the supplies to her. You can go."
I bit my lip, trying desperately to hide the massive grin spreading across my face. Oh my god.
"As you wish, Mr. Watson," the nurse replied, sounding a bit disappointed. She handed me the tray and hurried out. The audacity of that girl to look disappointed! He's my fiancé, soon to be my husband... Hoi, Jayjay, get a grip! You're acting stupid.
"Why didn't you let her do it?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I began dabbing the medicine onto his wound.
"Because anyone could tell from your face that you wanted to kill that nurse," he chuckled.
"And if I wasn't looking, would you have let her?" I teased, pressing the bandage down.
"Nope. Only you," he said. Suddenly, he winced. "Owww!"
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to press so hard!"
"It's okay, Jay. It's not your fault," he breathed, relaxing a bit. "Now, help me to the washroom. I need to get out of these hospital clothes."
I nodded and helped him stand, guiding him slowly to the bathroom door. Once he was safely inside, I went back to the bed and started scrolling through my phone.
CRASH.
A loud, heavy thud echoed from the washroom. My heart stopped.
"Everything okay, Keifer?" I yelled, springing to my feet.
No response.
"Keifer?" I called out again, my voice trembling as I reached for the door handle. Still, nothing but silence. "KEIFER" I yelled but nothing. "Keif, everything ok in there?" I asked but no response, my panic was rising now.
The End 🌸.
A shout-out for my one lovely reader, I honestly didn't expect what they did and when I got to know about that. I swear I feel like dancing from happiness, I was so much happy. Thanks a lot "FAN_JAYFER", I literally didn't expect that much support. I'm literally so happy from the day I got to know what you did. Thanks a lot for your support. I love you all, my readers and thank you all for supporting me and reading my book. I can't even explain how happy I am from your support guys. Literally after reading what "FAN_JAYFER" did I felt so happy that my eyes got filled by happy tears. Once again thanks a million times for supporting me and my books.