Jayjay'sPOV
I woke up to the warm sunlight gently kissing my face.
Just kidding. It was literally burning into my retinas, and I was thoroughly annoyed by it. I hadn't even fully opened my eyes when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I reached out, blinked against the brightness, and checked the screen. It was a message from Keifer.
From: Keif ❣️ Good morning. Are you awake?
To: Keif ❣️ Isn't it obvious that if I'm online, idiot I'm awake? Good morning btw.
From: Keif ❣️ Oh, so I'm an idiot now?
To: Keif ❣️ Not just now. You've been one from the very start.
From: Keif ❣️ Jayjay!
To: Keif ❣️ I was just kidding 😂 You behave like such a kid sometimes.
From: Keif ❣️ I only behave like this in front of you. Not even in front of my mom.
To: Keif ❣️ Is that so?
From: Keif ❣️ Yes.
To: Keif ❣️ Ok, I need to go get ready now. Bye.
From: Keif ❣️ Bye bye, Mrs. Watson.
To: Keif ❣️ DON'T CALL ME THAT!!
I aggressively hit send and flopped my phone face-down onto the bed, my cheeks feeling suspiciously warm.
I stomped into the washroom and took a long, relaxing shower that completely washed away all the lingering exhaustion and frustration from yesterday. Though, if I was being completely honest with myself, I had actually enjoyed yesterday a lot.
Once I was done, I picked out a bright red top paired with my favorite black jeans, throwing a black shirt-jacket over it. And just to be clear—this jacket was 100% mine, not Keifer's!
I finally headed downstairs and found everyone already seated around the rectangular dining table, seemingly waiting just for me. I walked over and slipped into my usual spot.
Our seating arrangement was always the same: Papa sat at the head of the table. To his right sat Mama, with Aries next to her. To Papa's left sat me, with Percy right beside me. The remaining three chairs—the one across from Papa, the one next to Aries, and the one next to Percy—were always left empty for guests.
"Good morning, Mama, Papa, and my idiotic, lunatic, stupid brothers!" I announced, flashing a wide, innocent smile as I sat down.
"Good morning, my princess," Papa beamed, reaching over to fondly ruffle my hair.
"Good morning, dear," Mama said with a warm smile, passing the breakfast platter.
"Good morning to my stupid sister," Aries chimed in, not even looking up from his toast.
"Good morning to my violence-obsessed sister," Percy added smoothly.
Since Percy was sitting right next to me and well within arm's reach, I immediately smacked the back of his head. Aries was too far away to hit, but I wasn't about to let him off scot-free. I grabbed my cloth napkin, balled it up, and launched it across the table. It flew through the air and landed SMACK straight onto Aries's big nose.
We finished breakfast, stood up from the table, and headed out toward our cars. Percy was off to deal with that damn family business again, while Aries and I were heading to the university. Even though we went to the exact same university, we always preferred to drive in separate cars. We never knew when a random fight might break out between us, or if he had to pick up Ella first. Whenever Ella and I got into the same car, we could practically skin everyone in this world alive with our endless gossip. Aries would eventually tell me to shut up, which would immediately trigger a massive argument between him and Ella because she always took my side. We had been in that exact situation so many times that I already knew the script by heart.
I was so busy overthinking random things and being totally delulu during the drive that I didn't even realize I had already arrived at the campus. I parked my car, stepped out, and rushed straight to my first classroom.
The second I walked through the door, I spotted my girls sitting in their usual spots. And, as on cue, they just had to yell my name the moment they laid eyes on me.
"JAY!" they all shouted in perfect unison.
Every single head in the lecture hall turned to look at me. Thank God they didn't shout that annoying ship name of me and Keifer, or they would have found themselves being beaten up in the old abandoned building behind the university. I quickly scurried over to them and threw myself into my seat.
"Why?" I groaned, rubbing my face.
The girls looked at me, completely confused. "Why what?"
"Why do you guys have to yell my name like that every single time you see me? Bro, I get so uncomfortable when the whole room stares at me!" I whispered in pure frustration.
"Because," Ella started.
"We," Freya added smoothly.
"Are," Rakki chimed in.
"Best," Mica grinned.
"Squad," Grace finished triumphantly.
We all burst out laughing at how they had actually managed to split that sentence up perfectly on the spot. Seriously, was our friend group's brain completely synced up?
"Okay, okay, stop—"
"Wait, is that a ring?" Ella suddenly cut me off, her sharp eyes locking onto my fingers as she grabbed my hand.
"Yeah, it is," I answered casually, trying to pull away.
"But it's totally different from the engagement ring you usually wear," Rakki pointed out, leaning in closer to inspect it.
"It is," I nodded hesitantly.
"But how? Where did you get it?" Freya asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Well, the first one was from Tita Serina, and this one is actually from—"
I slammed my hand over my mouth so hard it smacked my teeth. Stupid, big mouth! Shut up! "From who?!" Mica demanded, leaning over the desk.
"Tell us, Jay! Don't leave us hanging!" Grace begged impatiently.
I looked at their eager faces, realizing there was no escaping the squad. "K... Keifer," I muttered, my cheeks burning as I hesitated over his name.
"I KNEW IT!" Ella squealed, slamming her hand flat against the table.
"My suspicions were completely true!" Freya added, placing a dramatic hand over her forehead.
"Oh yeah, this is true love right here," Rakki sighed, placing her hands over her heart like she was watching a romantic movie.
"Ahh, Jayfer is finally sailing!" Mica squeaked.
"Oh my gosh," Grace whispered, shaking her head with a massive smirk.
"Stop it, you guys! This is the exact reason why I didn't want to tell you in the first place!" I whined, defensively crossing my arms and leaning all the way back against the bench.
"Okay, okay, girls, let's quiet down over there," our professor suddenly called out from the front of the auditorium.
Only then did we realize that the professor had actually walked in and was ready to start the lecture. We all instantly straightened up in our seats, pulling out our notebooks to look like model students—even though we honestly didn't understand a single word of what he was saying.
"Okay, class, you have P.E. next. Go get changed into your athletic uniforms," the professor announced.
The entire lecture hall groaned in unison. Everyone in our class absolutely hated P.E. because it was always so exhausting. Still, having no other choice, all of us girls marched to the restroom to change. We slipped into our P.E. uniforms and headed straight down to the gymnasium.
"Alright, class! We are going to start with running laps," our female P.E. teacher barked. She had the most insanely high-pitched voice I had ever heard in my life—seriously, it sounded like she was speaking through a broken electronic voice box. "Be careful and stay in your lanes, your seniors are also using the gym for their running laps today!"
We all started jogging in circles around the court. I was totally spaced out when, suddenly, the person in front of me halted. I slammed face-first right into their broad back and bounced backward, falling flat onto the polished gym floor.
"Ow..." I winced, rubbing my lower back. That was going to leave a bruise.
A hand immediately extended down into my line of sight to help me up. Thoroughly annoyed, I glared upward, ready to snap at whoever had stopped mid-lap. My jaw dropped. It was Keifer.
My annoyance instantly vanished, replaced by a weird flutter in my chest. I took his hand, and he easily pulled me up to my feet.
"Why are you here?" I asked, casually brushing the dust off my clothes while still rubbing my aching back.
"It's my P.E. class too," he replied with a slight smirk.
"Ohhh. So the 'seniors' the teacher was screaming about was your class," I said, looking past his shoulder. Sure enough, I spotted his entire group of friends jogging nearby. I smiled and gave them a little wave, and they all waved back with knowing grins. I turned back to Keifer. "I guess we're having P.E. together today."
He nodded, his eyes locked on mine. My gaze automatically drifted downward to break the intense eye contact, and that's when I noticed my sneaker laces were completely untied. I was just about to bend down to fix them myself when, without a word, Keifer dropped down onto one knee right in front of me.
He calmly reached out and began tying my shoelaces.
The entire gymnasium went dead silent for a fraction of a second, and then—BOOM. Nearly every single student in the gym started screaming and squealing.
My face instantly turned as red as a tomato. Keifer finished tying a perfect double-knot, stood back up, and flashed me a rare, devastatingly handsome smile before jogging away to rejoin his class like nothing had even happened.
"GENTLEMAN!" a random boy yelled from across the court, clapping his hands.
I whipped my head around and shot the boy a terrifying death glare. Why the hell did Keifer have to do that right now?! Once again, I was stuck standing right in the dead center of attention—the one place I never, ever wanted to be. Thank God the P.E. teacher had stepped out of the gym for a moment, or I don't even want to imagine what kind of comments she would have shrieked through that high-pitched voice box of hers!
I forced myself to start jogging again, but it was almost impossible with my girls shooting me heavy smirks, wide teasing grins, and constant winks from across the gym. I glanced over at Keifer. He was sitting peacefully on the bleachers now, his eyes locked onto me. Idiot. Stupid man.
Argh! Suddenly, his gaze flicked downward, and I automatically looked down at myself too. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing there—he was just being an absolute idiot to mess with me! I rolled my eyes, huffed, and looked away.
As I scanned the gym, my eyes landed on Aries. He was sitting on a bench, looking completely stressed and not relaxed at all. I stopped jogging and marched straight over to him.
"Hey, bro!" I chirped, slamming my palm against his back.
"Ouch! Jayjay, do you even have a girl's hand?!" he wheezed, rubbing his shoulder with a pained expression.
"Yes, I do. Want me to test it out by smacking your head next?" I asked sarcastically, raising my hand.
Aries just rolled his eyes. I dropped my hand and sat down right next to him, my tone softening. "What happened? Why do you look like that?"
"Nothing," he muttered, staring at the floor.
"You can't lie to me. I'm your sister, I know you," I said firmly.
He finally turned his head to look at me, letting out a heavy sigh. "Jayjay... it's nothing special. It's just my grades."
I blinked, completely confused. "You are literally making no sense right now. You're the top student in your class, and you're stressing over grades?"
"Idiot, not those grades," he groaned.
Suddenly, realization hit me, and I remembered our private family leaderboard. It turned out Kuya Angelo had recently started a fierce competition between Aries, Percy, Felix, and Ci-n. The rules of the game? They had to do things to make me happy, and Kuya Angelo would grade them based on my feedback. Honestly, when Angelo first mentioned it, I thought it was a total joke. I never imagined these grown men would take it so seriously! It was so childish—which, to be fair, fit our family perfectly.
Since I was the judge, I had already decided I would just give them all equal points to keep the peace. But looking at Aries's stressed face, a wicked idea popped into my head.
"Well... I'm the one who has to grade you guys, right?" I asked, a slow smirk spreading across my face.
He nodded slowly, looking suspicious.
"Buy me whatever I want, and I'll officially give you the highest grade," I bargained, leaning in.
Aries let out a defeated sigh, but his shoulders relaxed. "Fine."
I flashed him a brilliant, wide smile. "Perfect! Okay, I'm going to head back now."
I stood up and started walking toward my friends when a solid arm suddenly extended out, completely blocking my path. I didn't even need to look up to know who it was. I knew this hand all too well.
"Keifer, go away," I deadpanned, crossing my arms. He didn't move an inch. "Didn't you hear me? Are you deaf?" I asked sarcastically.
"I heard you, I'm definitely not deaf, and I'm not leaving," he replied smoothly, stepping right in front of me to block me completely.
"What the heck!" I snapped, glaring up at him.
"Why are you always so annoyed by me?" he asked, his dark eyes searching mine.
My heart did a stupid little flip, and I quickly looked away so he wouldn't see me blush. "I swear I'm not. Let's just talk about this during lunch, please?"
Keifer stared at me for a second, then a soft smile broke across his face. "Fine."
I couldn't help but return the smile. Satisfied, he finally stepped aside and walked back to his friends. Thankfully, our P.E. class was almost over, and since none of us wanted to jog a single lap more, the girls and I immediately bolted to the restroom. We quickly changed back into our regular clothes and headed back to our lecture hall.
It was finally lunch time. The girls and I walked down the crowded hallway toward the cafeteria, though I was practically being suffocated by their endless teasing.
"Shoelaces..." Grace whispered, grinning from ear to ear.
"Bro, please. Just drop it," I pleaded, covering my face.
"What do you mean 'please'? Are you actually getting shy now, Jay?" Ella teased, bumping her shoulder against mine.
"Oho! The absolute gentleman that he is... it was just..." Freya trailed off, holding her hand up and making a dramatic chef's kiss gesture (🤌🏻).
"Admit it, Jayjay, you totally untied your laces on purpose, didn't you?" Rakki laughed.
"I will literally punch you! I didn't do that on purpose!" I yelled, raising a warning fist in the air.
"Hayyeee, bro..." Mica sighed, placing a hand over her heart and making a face like she was completely melting into a puddle.
"Stop it. Right. Now," I grumbled, thoroughly annoyed as we finally pushed past the cafeteria doors.
We spotted our usual massive table, and the girls immediately dispersed. Each one of them walked up to their respective boyfriends and gave them a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek. I watched them, feeling a mixture of aww and total secondhand cringe at the exact same time.
I walked over to the empty spot right next to Keifer and slid into the seat. The second I sat down, he leaned in slightly and tapped his index finger against his own cheek, looking at me expectantly.
"No way. Get out," I deadpanded, pushing his face away.
Keifer instantly pouted, crossing his arms like a disappointed kid, but he didn't press it.
"So, we should all go somewhere fun together soon," Ella announced, drawing everyone's attention to her end of the table.
"Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea," Freya agreed, leaning forward.
"What about a botanical garden?" Mica suggested.
"No, no, no way," Grace immediately whined. "There are always so many little kids there yelling and running around like absolute idiots."
"Grace, they're literally just kids, you idiot," Rakki snapped, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, okay, stop before you two start a whole wrestling match," Yuri chuckled, wrapping an arm around Rakki and pulling her closer to him to calm her down.
"What about an amusement park?" David chimed in.
"Yes!" I gasped, my eyes lighting up instantly.
Aries immediately shot me a look from across the table. "Too childish, Jay."
"If we are going anywhere, we're going to the amusement park. Otherwise, we go nowhere," Keifer stated, his tone suddenly dropping into that deep, serious, authoritative voice of his.
My heart did a stupid little jump, but I quickly caught myself. Underneath the table, I reached out, grabbed Keifer's hand, and squeezed it with maximum force—a very clear warning for him to stop being so intense.
"No, actually, somewhere else is totally fine," I cleared my throat, forcing a smile for the group. Then, I whipped my head toward Keifer and flashed him a terrifying death glare before turning back to the group's brainstorming session.
"Umm... a restaurant?" Calix offered.
"Too boring," Freya groaned.
"What about someone's house?" Danzel suggested.
Keifer spoke up next, his voice back to normal. "My house is going to be completely empty starting tomorrow. Keiran and Keigan are leaving for a two-to-three-day school trip, and Mom and Dad are heading out for a business meeting."
I blinked, turning to look at him. "Wait, so you're going to be all alone?"
"Yeah, starting tomorrow," he nodded.
"Let's just hang out at Keifer's house then," Aries decided, and everyone around the table nodded in agreement.
"Which day?" Ella asked, pulling out her phone.
"The day after tomorrow," Keifer replied smoothly.
Everyone murmured their agreement, and with the plans officially locked in, we all finally dug into our lunch, chatting and eating peacefully.
After we finished eating lunch, we all headed back to our respective lecture halls. The rest of the afternoon classes went by smoothly without any more drama. Finally, the bell rang, and it was officially time to go home. Hiiyaah!
"BYE!" I yelled out to my girls as I scrambled into my car.
I drove the way I always do, weaving through traffic and making it back to the house in a record ten minutes. Since I had stuffed my face so much during lunch, I felt like a total sloth. I shuffled straight up to my room, flopped onto my bed, and immediately crashed out.
A few hours later, I was rudely jolted awake by a barrage of loud voices echoing from downstairs. What the hell is going on now? I dragged my exhausted body out of bed, shuffled out of my room, and started heading down the stairs. Halfway down the flight, I spotted a familiar figure standing right in the center of the living room.
"CI!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I recognized Ci-n.
I practically bypassed the last few steps, leaping down the stairs and charging straight toward him. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a massive, bone-crushing hug. He laughed, wrapping his arms around me just as tightly.
"I missed you, Jayjay," he said softly as we finally pulled away.
"I missed you way more!" I beamed.
A loud, exaggerated cough sounded from right behind us. I turned around and saw Felix standing there with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, I see how it is. So Ci is your absolute favorite now? Look at you, openly playing favorites," Felix teased.
I rolled my eyes, stepped over to him, and pulled him into a warm hug too. "I would never do that to you. You both are completely equal to me—my favorite twins," I said, pulling back with a grin.
"Oh, wow. So there's absolutely no hug for your Kuya then?"
A deep, amused voice echoed from the kitchen doorway. I whipped my head around to face him.
"Isn't it obvious?" I deadpanned.
Felix, Ci-n, and I instantly burst into roaring laughter. I didn't let him suffer for long, though; I marched right over to Kuya Angelo and threw my arms around him, and he fondly wrapped his arms around me in a protective, big-brother hug. Once our chaotic greetings were out of the way, the four of us piled into the living room and collapsed onto the couches, ready to catch up.
Kuya Angelo, Ci-n, Felix, and I were all packed onto the couch together. The three of them sat with their legs hanging down, listening intently to my stories, while I sat cross-legged right in the middle, animatedly telling them absolutely everything that had happened. After all, one was my older cousin brother—my ultimate shield—and the other two were my younger cousin brothers who felt exactly like my own twins. I shared everything with them. Well, except for the private moments between me and Keifer, hehe.
The second I told them about Aries stressing out over the secret grading system to make me happy, the three of them burst into roaring laughter.
"I already know I'm going to easily win that competition," Felix declared proudly, leaning back.
"Oh, really?" I mocked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Not really, because I'm actually going to win," Ci-n chimed in with a wide grin, confidently putting his hands on his waist. We all cracked up at his confidence.
"No, it's definitely going to be me!" Aries's loud voice suddenly echoed from the staircase. He practically launched himself down the flight of steps like he was starring in a high-budget Bollywood action movie.
"All of you shut up. It's obviously going to be me," Percy announced, stepping out of his bedroom, which was right next to Mama and Papa's room.
I rolled my eyes at the whole dramatic lineup. "You all need to shut up because the real winner is going to be Kuya Angelo. So get away, shoo, shoo, shoo!" I said, waving my hands at them as if I were shooing street dogs off the porch.
"Wait, Kuya isn't even a part of the competition!" Felix protested dramatically.
"He's my Kuya, and since all of my brothers are in this competition, he is officially included too. So shut up!" I countered. Kuya Angelo smirked victoriously, wrapping a proud arm around my shoulder to pull me into his side.
"THAT IS NOT FAIR!" the rest of the boys yelled in perfect, loud unison.
"Okay, children, that is quite enough for now," Mama chuckled, walking out of the kitchen while giggling at the absolute chaos in the living room.
"Children? Tita, I am a fully grown man now," Kuya Angelo said playfully, walking over to give Mama a sweet greeting.
"Yes, but to me, you will always be that sweet little boy I used to hold in my arms," Mama replied warmly, making us all chuckle. "Alright, come on, everyone. Dinner is officially ready!"
My eyes automatically drifted over to the giant wall clock, and my jaw dropped. Did I really sleep for that long? "Wait... did I seriously sleep through the entire afternoon?" I asked, completely confused.
"Yeah, because you're a... wait, Aries, what do you usually call her again?" Percy asked, turning to his partner-in-crime.
"Sleepyhead," Aries supplied smoothly.
Percy's mouth formed a perfect 'O' shape. "Right! Because you're a total sleepyhead!"
The entire room erupted into laughter. I rolled my eyes and pretended to ignore them on the outside, but on the inside, my heart was completely melting. Seeing my whole family gathered together, laughing and teasing each other so happily, made me feel incredibly warm. A soft, genuine smile spread across my face as I just stood there, watching them all.
"Hey, don't you dare tease my princess," Papa's voice boomed lovingly as he stepped out of his bedroom.
"TITO!" Ci-n yelled excitedly. Without a second thought, he lunged forward and practically jumped right onto Papa for a massive hug.
"Hoi! What on earth is this?!" Papa gasped, completely startled by the sudden flying cousin.
We all howled with laughter at Papa's shocked reaction while Ci-n just pouted playfully, refusing to let go.
After talking in the living room for a bit longer, we all finally migrated to the dining room. Papa, Mama, Aries, Percy, and I sat in our exact morning spots. Ci-n slid into the empty seat right next to Percy because the two of them together are pure, unadulterated chaos. Felix sat next to Aries because they are the perfect mix of peacemakers and low-key walking disaster magnets. That left Kuya Angelo to take the seat directly across from Papa at the other end of the table.
As we ate, the boys continuously tag-teamed to tease me about Keifer. I just rolled my eyes every single time they dramatically referred to him as the absolute love of my life. Okay, fine, it's true that I love him. But I absolutely hate it when people tease me about the person or things I love!
To get my revenge, I casually looked over at Aries and Percy and dropped the names "Ella" and "Honey" into the conversation. The two of them instantly froze, shutting up completely, while the rest of the table looked at us, totally confused by the sudden silence. Victory for Jayjay.
"Jayjay, so when are you actually getting married?" Kuya Angelo asked out of nowhere.
The second the word married left his mouth, Aries, Percy, Felix, and Ci-n's faces fell instantly. A heavy sadness washed over them because they realized I would really be leaving the house soon.
"I mean, what's the official date?" Kuya clarified gently.
"We haven't decided on the exact date yet, but we know the wedding is happening next month," I answered softly, looking around at them. "And I really want to spend this entire month just focusing on my family."
I flashed them a wide, reassuring smile, and the sad atmosphere instantly vanished. The rest of the dinner went by in a happy blur of endless talking, laughing, and lighthearted teasing. Once we finished, everyone retreated to their own separate bedrooms.
Since I had slept all afternoon, I didn't feel tired at all. I was just lying on my bed scrolling through my phone when it suddenly started vibrating in my hand. It was Keifer. I swiped to answer immediately.
"I miss you," his deep voice echoed through the speaker the exact millisecond the call connected.
Wow. Unbelievable. No "Assalam-o-Alaikum," no greeting, no asking how I was doing, and not even asking about my day.
"I hate you," I deadpanned, and instantly hung up on him.
My phone flashed as he aggressively called back. I didn't pick up. Instead, I tossed my phone onto the bed, put it on silent mode, and walked over to my laptop. But because he was Keifer, he obviously didn't give up. The screen kept lighting up bright white next to me. Thoroughly annoyed, I finally snatched it up and answered.
"Why did you hang up on me?" he demanded, sounding completely annoyed. Wow, the sheer audacity of this man to be annoyed after he was the one who annoyed me!
"My choice," I irritatedly snapped.
"Jayjay, did I actually do something wrong?" Keifer asked, his voice suddenly dropping into a serious, incredibly soft tone.
"No, you didn't do anything. I did," I replied sarcastically.
"Jayjayyyyyy," he dragged out my name with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. Even if I don't completely know what I did, I'm sorry."
"Oh, wow. The very first thing you say to me is 'I miss you.' No greeting, no asking how I am, and not even asking how my day went! Wow, look at the audacity of you, Watson," I ranted.
I heard him let out a soft, amused chuckle on the other end. "I didn't greet you properly, so I am incredibly sorry for that. Please forgive me. As for asking how you are? I didn't ask because I already knew you'd be over the moon after seeing your cousins. And your day? Half of your day went into sleeping, and the other half went into taking a beating from your brothers' teasing."
I blinked, my eyebrows furrowing in total confusion. How on earth did he know all of that? Was he literally reading my mind from across the city? "Wait... how do you even know my cousins are here?"
"Aries texted me the second they walked through the door," Keifer explained, and I could practically hear the smirk on his face. He cleared his throat, his voice softening even more. "I'm sorry for not greeting you, Jay. I just... I missed you so much. Sorry."
The second the words left his mouth, a massive swarm of my worst enemies—I mean, butterflies—burst into wild flight inside my stomach. It was just a completely normal apology, so why the heck was my heart beating like a bass drum?!
"Apology accepted," I muttered, trying to sound casual as I smiled widely at my screen.
"But we literally just saw each other today at the gym," I pointed out.
"I told you before, Jay. Even a single minute spent without you feels like an absolute eternity," he murmured softly. "I love you, Jay. Until scientists finally find the literal end of the universe."
My cheeks burned a furious shade of red, a soft smile taking over my face. "I love..."
I was just about to completely finish my sentence when my eyes flicked toward the doorway. There, standing in the crack of my door, was Felix, openly peeking into my room with a giant, teasing smirk on his face.
The romantic bubble popped instantly.
"FELIX, YOU STUPID JERK!" I roared at the top of my lungs.
I slammed my phone face-down onto the table, completely forgetting that the call with Keifer was still live. I frantically looked around for the heaviest object I could find to hurl at his head, but Felix was way too fast. The second I screamed, he bolted down the hallway like an Olympic sprinter. Seriously, is that idiot secretly the Flash?!
I stood up from my bed, marched over to my bedroom door, and locked it with a sharp click. Then, I checked the window, looking down into the dark yard to make sure Felix wasn't hiding in the bushes, but the lawn was completely empty. I shut the window tightly, walked back to my bed, and collapsed onto the pillows.
He probably hung up after all that screaming, I thought to myself, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Hoi."
A deep voice suddenly echoed through the quiet room.
"Hoi!" I gasped, sitting up straight. For a split second, I forgot I was on a call! I frantically grabbed my phone off the table and pressed it against my ear. "You scared the absolute life out of me, idiot!" I snapped, my heart racing.
"You didn't speak for a long time," Keifer replied, his tone laced with amusement.
"Well, I thought you hung up," I muttered, pulling the blanket over my legs.
"Oh, so..." he trailed off.
"What 'so'?" I asked.
"You're also coming with them, right?"
I blinked, totally confused by his sudden question. "Where? And who is 'them'?"
"Here. To my place. With our friends the day after tomorrow," he explained.
A mischievous smile crept onto my face, and I decided to play hard to get. "No, I'm not."
"Why?" Keifer asked, his voice instantly dropping into a sad, disappointed pout.
"I'm just not in the mood," I replied casually.
"I swear, Jayjay, if you don't come, I am going to drive over to your house, kidnap you, and take you somewhere so far away that you won't ever be able to run from me," he warned, his voice deep and serious.
"Oh, please, as if you could!" I scoffed, mimicking his intense tone. "If you even dare to try that, I am going to beat you up so bad that you'll be the one running away from me!"
"Are you sure you can beat me?" he asked teasingly.
"Of course I can! Want me to give you a live demonstration tomorrow at the university?" I challenged, making him let out a rich, warm laugh.
"Okay, okay, I believe you. I know you can beat me up," Keifer chuckled softly. "So... are you coming?"
"Of course I am, idiot. How could I miss it?" I smiled.
"Thank God," he breathed out. I laughed softly on my end because I could literally hear the massive wave of relief in his sigh.
"So, how's life going with five chaotic brothers in the house?" he asked curiously.
"Umm... it's quite chaotic, but honestly full of laughter," I said, leaning my head back against the headboard. "With Kuya Angelo? Life feels completely safe. There's no pressure about anything—except for my studies, obviously. Percy? He's the one who can always make me laugh, even when I'm having the absolute worst day. Aries? He is so incredibly protective, sometimes he acts like he's the oldest brother instead of the youngest. And Felix and Ci-n? Those twins are my ultimate buddies. They love to tease me to death, but they're the best."
I paused, and I could hear some shuffling sounds through the speaker, like Keifer was sitting up straighter on his bed, listening intently to my words.
"And... what about with you?" I murmured softly.
My eyes drifted toward the glass windowpane, looking out at the dark night sky. "When I'm with you... I feel the safest in the whole wide world. I feel protected from even the smallest things. I feel completely loved."
The line went completely silent for a long moment. My heart began to pound against my ribs, suddenly wondering if I had said too much.
"I, Mark Keifer Watson, will protect you from everyone," Keifer finally spoke, his voice incredibly deep, steady, and full of an emotion that made my breath hitch. "I will stand up for you whenever you want, Jay. And even when you think you don't want me to, just look right beside you. I will always be there for you. Because I freaking love you, Jasper Jeen Mariano."
A beautiful, radiant smile broke across my face, tears of pure happiness pricking the corners of my eyes.
"Okay, bye. And... Mark Keifer Watson? I... I love you too," I rushed out in one breathless sentence.
I slammed the "end call" button immediately, cutting him off before he could say another word. I threw my phone onto the mattress, pulled the blanket all the way over my burning face, and curled into a tight ball. I fully intended to go straight to sleep, but my traitorous brain completely refused. All I could do was lie there in the dark, staring into the shadows with a racing heart, thinking about him and only him.
But eventually, with a soft smile still lingering on my lips, I finally drifted off to sleep.
The End 🌸.