Jayjay'sPOV:
My heart was racing so fast that I could actually hear it. It felt like it was hammering against my ribs. Why did he do that? I know he's a flirt, but what happened in the car was something else entirely.
Omg, why am I thinking about him? I shouldn't have agreed with Ella to come to uni with that jerk. And his taste in music... it's actually good. I know I told him his choice was bad, but I really liked that song. It's exactly the kind of music I listen to. But honestly, I don't know what happened to me when he almost touched my forehead with his. Why didn't I push him? Why didn't I curse him out? Why did I just... sit there?
Am I really falling for him?
Heart: Yeah, you are.
Brain: No, it's just the tension.
Heart: It's clearly not.
Brain: Yeah, it is.
Heart: It isn't!
Brain: It is.
I was so confused. Who am I supposed to listen to?
"Jayjay!" my girls yelled as soon as they spotted me.
"My white blood cells!" I yelled back, and we all pulled into a massive group hug.
"Why are you blushing?" Ella asked, her voice dripping with a teasing tone.
"I'm not!"
"You clearly are," Freya added, echoing Ella's smirk.
"Oh guys, please, I'm really not," I insisted, but they weren't buying it for a second.
"Jayjay, don't lie. The proof is right there on your face," Rakki teased.
"She came with Keifer and now she's blushing... interesting," Mica added.
"Did Keifer do something?" Grace asked, leaning in.
"Don't overthink it, it's nothing!" I insisted. When they still didn't look convinced, I sighed. "Do you guys really want to know?" They all nodded instantly. "Then promise you won't tease me." They all held their necks, swearing they'd be quiet.
"Okay, then listen—"
"Not here," Freya interrupted. "Our first class is free, so let's go to the music room. It's always empty."
We all nodded and started walking, talking and laughing as we went. We were hitting each other the way friends do, and Rakki accidentally pushed me so hard that I lost my balance. I was about to hit the floor when someone caught me.
I hurriedly straightened up and, without looking, said, "Thank you po!"
I was about to walk away when a deep, familiar voice spoke.
"You're welcome, sunshine."
It was Keifer. I turned around and gave him a sharp glare, but he just raised an eyebrow at me.
"Did he just call her sunshine?" Ella whispered, and the others nodded frantically.
"You jerk," I snapped. "You're always flirting with everyone. Do you really think I'll fall for your games? In your dreams!" I let out a dry, sarcastic laugh.
He stepped closer, leaning in until we were at eye level. I found myself staring straight into those deep eyes of his.
"I swear... I only flirt with my fiancé," he said in a low, deep voice meant only for my ears.
I backed off immediately and took off toward the music room with giant strides. My friends were calling after me, but I just signaled for them to follow without looking back. Behind me, I could hear that jerk laughing.
We reached the music room, and I told them everything—and I mean everything, word for word. They all covered their mouths with their palms, eyes wide in shock.
"You guys promised you wouldn't tease!" I reminded them. They all looked at me with mock disappointment, and I couldn't help but giggle at their expressions.
"Tell us the pancake incident," Ella said, her eyes gleaming.
"Right. Now," Freya added. I looked at the others, desperately hoping for an out because I really didn't want to relive it.
"Jayjay, just say it," Rakki nudged.
"It's probably not even that big of a deal," Mica teased, knowing exactly how to get me to talk.
"Please, girl, share!" Grace pleaded. I just sighed; I can never say no to these cuties.
"Okay, fine," I said. They all clapped their hands in excitement, leaning in closer to hear the story.
"So, when I was six and Keifer was seven, we were having a family dinner at a park and then..."
Flashback
We were all sitting on a picnic mat when Keifer walked toward me.
"Hey, Shortie," he said, sitting down next to me. I smacked his head so hard he actually winced. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"Because I'm not short," I snapped. He just laughed.
"Let's eat now," he said. He looked over and saw that I had already started attacking my pancakes. "Are those your favorite?" he asked. I just nodded, my mouth full. "I've never really tasted pancakes before because I didn't think I liked them. My maid once made some and they were terribly salty."
I looked at him, surprised. "Eat these," I said, passing my plate to him. He looked at me tentatively, and I nodded. He took his first bite.
"These are delicious!" he said, his eyes widening. I immediately snatched the plate back.
"I know, because I made them," I said proudly and went back to eating. "I'm not sharing anymore! Go get your own; the whole box is in the car."
He ran toward the car and came back a moment later holding a plate piled high with pancakes.
"Thank you," he said as he sat beside me again.
"I really didn't want to share the secret, but I can't stand the thought of a boy hating pancakes, so I had to intervene," I said. He giggled.
"And now, because of you, I like pancakes," he said.
I looked at him, my face covered in chocolate syrup because I was eating so fast. Without a word, he reached over and wiped it with his napkin and then he wiped his snot with that.
"Ewww!" I yelled.
"Messy," he said with a smirk.
"Flirt," I muttered, loud enough for him to hear.
"Keifer is flirting with me!" I yelled, making sure Aries and Percy could hear.
They both came running over, looking dead serious. "What did he do?" Aries asked, his voice low.
"We were eating pancakes and then I got..." I explained the whole thing.
"You wanna face me?" Percy asked, puffing his chest out to look bigger.
"Oh, please," Keifer said, totally unfazed. "I heard Mom saying that Jayjay and I are going to get married when we grow up. Since she's going to be my wife later, I thought I should start being nice to her now." He actually had the nerve to wink at me.
I marched straight up to him and punched him right in the mouth.
"Ooooo!" my brothers cheered, and Percy patted me on the back like I'd just won a trophy.
"I would rather die than marry you!" I snapped.
"As if I'm dying to marry you," he countered, pushing himself up from the grass.
"By your actions, you clearly are!"
"You know you'll fall for me eventually," he said, letting out a dry, mocking laugh.
"Even if you were the last man on Earth, I would never fall for you. Not even in your dreams!" I shouted, turning my back on him.
Suddenly, a loud shout erupted behind me. I turned and saw both of my brothers tackling Keifer. I ran back, shoving Aries out of the pile and telling him to stay back. Then I grabbed Percy. I had to put one hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder to physically pin him so he couldn't move.
"Why are you all fighting?!" I demanded. No one spoke; they just glared at each other with "I-want-to-kill-you" eyes. "Percy, speak!" I ordered.
"He said you guys were getting married," Percy explained, sounding offended. "And then he said once you marry him, you'll forget all about me and Aries!"
"WHAT?!" I screamed.
"I was joking! I would never marry a psychopath," Keifer said, looking at them. "I didn't think you guys would take it so seriously. You're both so protective. But let me tell you something—you guys are my friends. Even if we did end up married, I wouldn't let her forget you. You're her brothers. You know her better than anyone."
I looked at him, fuming. "First of all, I'm not a psychopath. Second, we will not get married because I hate you. And third, no one can make me forget my brothers because these two are the people I love most after my parents!"
I turned on my heel and walked away.
End of Flashback
The music room was silent for exactly two seconds before it absolutely exploded.
"OH MY GOD!" Ella squealed, jumping up and down. "So he didn't just decide to like you now—he's been waiting for you since he was seven?! That's not a fiancé, Jayjay, that's a soulmate!"
"A soulmate who wips chocolate off her face," Freya added, wiggling her eyebrows. "That is so bold for a seven-year-old! No wonder he's such a pro at flirting now. He's had years of practice on you."
"And the way he told your brothers you'd forget them?" Rakki laughed, leaning against a piano. "He was marking his territory! He basically told Aries and Percy, 'Step aside, boys, the King is here.'"
"Jay, you said you'd never fall for him even if he was the last man on earth," Mica teased, poking Jayjay's glowing red cheek. "But your heart is currently running a marathon. Who's winning the Heart vs. Brain battle now?"
"He called her 'Sunshine' in the hallway, and now we find out he's been calling her 'Wife' since primary school," Grace sighed dreamily. "It's like a real-life K-drama and we're just the background characters."
"Stop it! All of you!" I yelled, covering my face with my hands, but I couldn't stop the heat from spreading to my neck. "It was just a stupid childhood joke. He was a jerk then, and he's an even bigger jerk now!"
"A jerk who matches your hoodie and care for you" Ella whispered loudly. "The 'Pancake Prince' is coming for you, Jayjay!"
"Wait, you guys noticed that we were wearing matching clothes?" I asked, my heart sinking.
They all nodded in perfect unison, smirks plastered on their faces.
"Crap," I muttered, burying my head in my hands.
"So, did he do that on purpose?" Rakki asked, leaning in.
"No! I stole Percy's hoodie. Then I saw he was wearing the same one, so I asked if he was copying me. He said that he, Yuri, Percy, and Aries all have matching hoodies and that I was the one copying him. I told him I stole it from Percy and didn't know he'd be wearing his today. Simple!" I explained.
Their mouths all formed a perfect "O" shape, and I nodded, satisfied that the mystery was solved. But then, Ella's phone rang. She talked for a few seconds, her expression turning serious.
"Guys, Mom said Aries and I have to come home right now. They have something to tell us, so I'm out!" she said, grabbing her bag and disappearing through the door.
"My mom just texted... she said there's an emergency, so I have to go too," Mica said, looking confused as she followed Ella out.
"Shit! Dad says something is wrong with the business, I need to head home," Freya added.
"You and business?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She just nodded frantically and bolted. "Are you two leaving, too?" I asked Rakki and Grace.
"My little brother got hurt while playing and he's crying for me," Rakki said, already halfway out the door.
"And I have guests coming, so I need to help Mom," Grace said, giving me a quick apologetic look before leaving.
Suddenly, the music room was dead silent. I knew exactly what was happening—they were all just making excuses to go hang out with their boyfriends. Typical. I sighed and decided to just stay put until class started.
I was staring at the keys of the piano when someone sat down right next to me. I turned to see who it was.
It was Liam.
In the whole uni, this guy is known as the ultimate flirt. Not a single girl takes his nonsense seriously, and I wasn't about to be the first. I decided right then and there to just ignore him and pretend he was invisible.
Then he made a joke and it made me laugh while laughing I noticed someone standing in the doorway, it's keifer. He didn't said anything he just grabbed my hand and took me to the corner he slid a ring to my finger and left without a word. Weird.
The classes before lunch were a total drag without my "white blood cells." I missed the girls, and everything felt boring. After lunch, the Head announced a mandatory meeting in the painting room. As I walked in, I realized the entire school was there. My brothers and their friends were missing—probably off with their girlfriends—meaning Keifer was the only one there from our group.
I headed for the back, feeling every girl's eyes on me like I'd personally stolen their boyfriends.
"Did you see the Insta Liam posted?" a girl whispered to her friend right in front of me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to.
I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram. My heart stopped. Liam had posted a clear shot of the music room—the exact moment Keifer was sliding the ring onto my finger.
"SHIT!" I yelled. The entire room went silent and turned to look at me. "Sorry," I muttered, turning bright red.
Just then, Keifer walked in. He came straight to the back and sat right next to me.
"What the hell is this?" I hissed, shoving my phone in his face.
"I don't know. Ask Liam," he said, totally unbothered.
"You idiot! I didn't want anyone to know I'm your fiancée!" I complained.
He looked at me, his gaze intense. "Why? I want them to know. I don't want any other guys coming near you. You're mine."
He turned away just as the Head walked in. "So, as you've all seen Liam's post... I want to ask Mr. Watson and Ms. Mariano to come up here and explain what is going on. This is creating quite a drama in our university."
We both stood up and walked to the front. Before I could even open my mouth, the jerk spoke.
"Sir, relationships are allowed in this uni, so why are Jayjay and I being targeted?" Keifer asked.
"Relationships are allowed," the Head replied calmly, "but your picture is causing a massive distraction."
"Okay, so you all want to know?" Keifer addressed the crowd. Everyone nodded. "Jayjay and I have been engaged since birth. Any problem with that?"
The room exploded in gasps.
"Ms. Mariano, is that true?" the Head asked. I simply nodded, unable to find my voice.
"OMG, that nerd got the university heartthrob?" a girl snickered from the front row.
Keifer's expression darkened instantly. "You don't have the right to call my fiancée a nerd. If I hear any of you bad-mouthing Jayjay again, I'm telling you now—you'll regret it. Our families have invested heavily in this university. One word from us, and any of you could be leaving this campus for good."
The room went deathly silent.
"Damn," a boy whispered. "The richest girl and the richest guy were engaged the whole time? What a plot twist."
"Okay, you may all return to your classes," the Head said, quickly leaving the room.
As we stood there, a girl yelled out, "Keifer, please break the engagement! I love you! Be my boyfriend!" He didn't even blink. Then a boy shouted, "Jayjay looks better with me, not Keifer!"
Keifer looked at me, and I looked at him. We both knew exactly what to do. Without a word, we both hold each other's hand and raised our middle fingers to the crowd and walked out of the room.
"That was savage," Keifer said once we were in the hallway.
"Because it was my plan," I said proudly. Suddenly, I realized we were still holding hands. I quickly pulled back. "I need to go now!"
I ran to class as fast as I could. When I entered, the entire room erupted.
"Oooooooooooooo!"
"What?" I yelled back.
"You have a fiancé since birth and didn't tell your classmates?!"
I ignored them and went to my seat. Suddenly, a boy came over and dropped to one knee. "Jayjay, leave Keifer. Be mine!"
I didn't even hesitate. I showed him my middle finger, too.
"OHHHHH!" the class roared.
"Savage!" one girl yelled.
"Loyal!" another added.
"I wish my girlfriend was that loyal," a boy sighed. The boy went back to his seat, looking defeated, just as the teacher walked in to start the lecture.
The lectures were anything but normal. Every time I looked at the board, I could feel the entire class staring at me with these annoying, permanent grins. I hated it. Even the teacher joined in, giving Keifer and me a ship name: "Jayfer."
Seriously? It was like this university had never seen two people engaged before. I'd known about this since I was twelve, and if I had just taken a stand back then, I wouldn't be sitting in class right now with my cheeks burning red while everyone whispered that stupid name.
At one point, a girl behind me said "Jayfer" so many times I finally snapped. My baddie mode activated. I turned around and told her, "Your mom's name is Jayfer," which sent the whole class into a chorus of "Oooooo!"
"Ooooo your dad!" I fired back at the rest of them. That finally shut them up—for about five minutes—before they went right back to their whispering. I wanted to kill Liam for posting that picture, and I wanted to kill Keifer for opening his big mouth. Why was I even overthinking this? The next time I saw Liam, I was going to punch him.
And wouldn't you know it? There he was, standing in the middle of the cafeteria, waving at me like we were best friends.
I marched straight up to him and landed a punch right on his nose. Hard.
The entire cafeteria went silent. Some boys watched with wide eyes, others covered their mouths with their fists, looking at me in shock.
"Damn, bro," a boy whispered to his friend nearby. "She's a beauty with serious strength."
"Keifer punched a classmate just like that last week," his friend whispered back.
"Like future husband, like future wife," the first boy replied.
I whipped my head around and gave them a death stare so terrifying they both scrambled out of the cafeteria immediately.
"It's okay. You can punch me; I know I made you frustrated," Liam said, holding his nose.
I stared at him like I was seeing a ghost. "You're... not mad?"
"I said it's fine. I deserved that," he replied with a shrug. He signaled toward a nearby table. "Come on, sit."
Since several professors from other universities were visiting for a conference, our last lecture had been canceled. The entire university was free, which meant the cafeteria was packed. We found a spot and actually started talking. Honestly? Liam wasn't that bad. Once he realized I was officially off the market, he stopped the flirting entirely. We were actually laughing at a joke when he paused.
"Wait, you have something in your hair," he said.
"Where?" I brushed at my head, but I couldn't feel anything.
"Here, let me..." He reached out to tuck a stray strand away or grab whatever was there, but before his fingers could touch me, a large, veiny hand clamped down on his wrist.
I didn't even have to look up to know who it was. I could feel the cold, possessive energy radiating off him.
"Don't. Touch. My. Fiancée," Keifer said, his voice dropping into a deep, low, and dangerous growl.
I didn't understand it. Why was he so angry? Why did he look so... jealous? We had spent our lives bickering and fighting, but ever since that sleepover, he had been acting so strange. Looking at him now, I could see the lethal intensity in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to erase Liam from existence.
"Keif," I whispered, but he didn't even look at me. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me away, dragging me toward a secluded corner of the university where we were finally alone.
"What is your freaking problem?" I demanded, pulling my hand back.
"That guy, Liam," he snapped without a second of hesitation. "Don't you know how much of a flirt he is?"
"He didn't flirt with me!" I argued. "After he found out we were engaged, he stopped. He was just talking to me like a normal friend."
"It doesn't matter. You shouldn't be talking to him at all."
"And why should I listen to you?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Because I'm your fiancé!"
"Oh, fiancé?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Are you forgetting that our families forced this on us? We didn't choose this, Keifer."
He flinched as if I'd physically slapped him. The look of pure hurt in his eyes caught me off guard, and for some reason, seeing him like that made my own heart ache. But I couldn't stop now.
"Why are you acting like this?" I pushed. "Acting like you care about me? Like you're worried? Like you're... possessive? You're behaving like you actually love me, Keifer. I remember how you were in our childhood—I know your care is fake. It was fake then, and it's fake now. So please, just let me live my life in peace."
By the time I finished, my breath was shallow and my eyes were burning. I didn't know why I was crying. Maybe it was because I was finally facing the truth I had been running from.
"You really think that poorly of me?" he asked. His voice was quiet now, stripped of all the anger, leaving only the ra
I couldn't answer. I just stared at him, hating the fact that seeing him hurt was breaking me into a million pieces. Without another word, he turned and walked away into the gray afternoon.
As soon as he was gone, the sky finally broke. A torrential downpour slammed into the earth, the rain falling so heavily it blurred the world around me. I sank to my knees, the cold water soaking through my clothes instantly.
They say the truth is a double-edged sword, cutting the speaker as deep as the listener. And as the heavens opened up, it felt as though the sky was no longer just watching my sorrow—it was sharing it. Every drop was a tear I couldn't hold back, every crack of thunder a scream I let escape into the wind. I was finally facing the truth, and the world was weeping right along with me.
TheEnd 🌸