Jayjay'sPOV
The second those words left Mom's mouth, I knew exactly who it was. I could feel the tension radiating off my brothers, so I gave them a quick pat on the arm—a silent signal telling them it's okay, I've got this. They took the hint and left the room. Now, it was just the two of us in the living room, standing in a heavy silence, just staring at each other.
"Jay..." he breathed, stepping closer. He reached out, maybe to hold my arms or my hands, but I instinctively stepped back.
"Don't touch me," I said, my voice firm.
"Jayjay—" he started, his eyes searching mine.
"Keifer, please. If you're here to apologize and explain everything, then don't." I paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "I forgive you. But please... can we just be like we were before? When we had fun? When we just spent our time bickering and fighting? That life was fun, Keifer. So please, just be like that again."
A small, genuine smile touched his lips, and he nodded. "As you say."
"And please... be the old Keifer. The one I actually knew. Because right now, you're not him."
He nodded again, respecting the boundary. "Okay. But for now, I'll be going home." He walked toward the door, pausing just before he left. "Bye, Shortie."
A smile tugged at my lips. Shortie. That was it. That was the normalcy I needed. My chaotic life was finally coming back.
The second the door closed, I started jumping around the living room, ready to bolt upstairs and celebrate, when Mom called out to me again. "Jayjay!"
"What?" I asked, still buzzing with energy.
"Change of plans. You and Aries are shifting next week, not tomorrow."
I nodded, not even minding the delay. In fact, I was thrilled. I ran upstairs to my room and started rolling around on my bed. I have one more week in this house—one more week to enjoy all my favorites.
I had invited my favorites, and they were supposed to be here tomorrow. I couldn't wait to see them—my little boys were finally coming. I was still thinking of them, a smile plastered on my face, when I didn't even realize I had drifted off into a deep sleep.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
I groaned as my phone blared, shattering my peaceful rest. I didn't even check the caller ID before answering.
"Hello? Whoever this is, just shut up, go to sleep, and let me sleep too. Bye!" I mumbled in a thick, sleepy voice, ready to toss the phone across the room.
"Wow. So you're the one who called us, and now you're not even going to welcome us?" a voice teased. It was a voice I had been aching to hear for so many days. It was him. "Open the door, Jay. We're standing right outside your main gate."
My eyes snapped open. I practically levitated off the bed. I didn't care that my hair was a mess, that I was in my pajamas, or that I probably looked like a zombie. I just ran. I sprinted down the stairs as fast as my legs would carry me.
I had missed them so much while I was abroad, and the thought of finally seeing them again made my heart race faster than any car I'd ever driven.
I flung the door open, and before I could even say a word, two voices yelled in unison: "JAY!"
We all started jumping and hitting eachother's arms.
"Felix! Ci-n! I missed you guys so much!" We stopped just enough to look at them. Felix and Ci-n—my cousins who are two years younger than me, but honestly, we're the same person. We share the same brain, the same sense of humor, and definitely the same chaotic energy.
"We missed you too!" they said, still perfectly in sync.
"Now c'mon, let's go inside and eat," I ushered them into the house. They didn't need to be told twice. We headed straight for the dining table, and I asked Ate Khaimah to bring us a massive breakfast.
While we waited, the dining room exploded with noise. We were laughing until our stomachs hurt, hitting each other playfully, and gossiping about every single thing that had happened while I was away. My two favorites are just like me—food-obsessed, a little childish, and determined to enjoy every second of life. When the breakfast finally arrived, we dived in, talking between bites and making up for all the lost time.
After breakfast, the three of us retreated to my room. It didn't take long for the competitive spirit to kick in. We played game after game, but Ci-n was being a total menace—he cheated so much that by the end, Felix and I had enough. We lunged for him, but he was too fast. He bolted out of the room, laughing like a maniac.
"You little brat! Get back here!" I yelled, chasing him through the hallways.
"This rascal cheated his way to the top!" Felix added, hot on his heels.
We finally cornered him near the stairs. Felix was blocking the path behind him, and I stood firmly in front.
"Nowhere to go now, Ci," I said, a devious smirk playing on my lips. Felix mimicked my expression. "You're surrounded. Give it up."
Ci-n looked left, then right, his eyes darting around. "I'm not surrounded on all sides! My left and right are perfectly free!"
Before we could grab him, he pulled a pro-athlete move and sprinted past us toward the garden. We took off after him, but suddenly, Ci-n came to a dead halt, staring at something behind me. I was running too fast to stop and—BAM—I walked straight into a solid chest.
"Ouch!" I hissed, rubbing my forehead.
"Why the hell are you three running around like toddlers?" Aries asked, looking down at us with a judgmental brow raised.
"Because we are kids," I snapped back.
"No," Aries countered, "they are in high school and you are in university. Grow up."
I gave him a solid push. "Heck off, I don't care. I'm having fun." I turned away from my grumpy brother and looked at my favorites. "Hey, Felix! Ci-n! Let's go to the mall!"
They immediately started jumping for joy. "Wait! Let me change first!"
I ran inside to my room. Since we were hitting the mall, I wanted something simple but sharp. I pulled on a white top that hugged my body perfectly, paired with black trousers and a black oversized jacket to keep it chill. I finished the look with my favorite white sneakers with the black stripes. I realized I was wearing full black and white—perfect, since Felix was in all white and Ci-n was in all black. We'd look like a matching squad.
I grabbed my car keys and bounded back downstairs. "Come on, kids! Let's go!" I yelled, already halfway out the door. I knew they were going to scream, "WE'RE NOT KIDS!" in unison, but to me, they'd always be my little boys.
I hopped into the driver's seat and waited. After a few minutes, the boys came out jumping and shoving each other, fighting over who got to sit in the front. In the end, Felix won. He sat down with a triumphant look on his face—but I was about to make him regret that victory. Hehe. 😈
"Hey boys... how about a little speeding?" I asked, grinning widely.
"No, no, no!" they both yelled at the same time. Ci-n immediately got the hint and scrambled to click his seatbelt, but Felix was too busy gloating to notice. I slammed my foot on the gas.
"JAYJAY, SLOW DOWN!" Felix screamed as the car surged forward. "PLEASE, JAYJAY! I'M GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK!"
Ci-n and I burst out laughing as we zoomed through traffic, reaching the mall in record time. As we walked inside, I could feel everyone staring at us. We were quite the trio—matching in our black and white, looking like a coordinated squad. Our first stop? A perfume shop.
"Why are we here?" Ci-n asked, looking confused.
"Because you smell horrible," Felix deadpanned. We both broke into fits of laughter. Even Ci-n tried to hold it in, but he failed miserably and started laughing along.
"First time I've seen someone laugh at their own insult," I teased.
"I'm only laughing because you two look like idiots!" Ci countered.
We spent forever trying out scents. I suggested the very first one, but they insisted on trying seven more, only to end up picking the first one anyway. I rolled my eyes as we stood at the counter. The staff were packing the bottles like they were rare diamonds—which made sense, considering they cost 10k for both! These two were definitely trying to empty my pockets. They offered to pay, but I insisted. I'm the older one, after all.
While waiting, I noticed a familiar figure nearby. It was Keifer. I didn't realize how long I had been staring until Felix nudged me. He looked... wow. He was wearing black and white, too. Again. We were accidentally matching for the hundredth time.
"Quit staring," Felix teased.
"I should tell your fiancé," Ci-n added with a smirk.
"He is my fiancé," I whispered back, "and if he sees me with you two, I'm not sure you'll go home with working legs. He's the jealous type."
"Let's go! I don't want to get beaten!" Felix whispered, his eyes widening.
"Yeah, look how big he is compared to us!" Ci-n agreed. They practically scrambled out of the shop, and I followed, laughing.
"Wait," Felix asked once we were a safe distance away. "Aren't you guys being forced into this?"
I nodded.
"Then why is he jealous?" Ci-n asked.
"I don't know. He's been behaving so weird since that sleepover I told you guys about," I admitted.
"He's fallen for you," Ci-n said simply, and Felix nodded in total agreement.
"No way," I insisted, but they didn't look convinced at all. "Anyway, come on! Let's finish shopping."
I had to run to catch up as they started walking off. We spent the next few hours having the time of our lives, eventually ending up at a cozy cafe inside the mall, just talking and enjoying the chaos.
Keifer'sPOV
I was bored out of my mind, so I headed to the mall. While I was testing a perfume, I felt a heavy stare burning into my back. I ignored it—it's a public place, people look at people—but the feeling didn't leave. After I bought the scent, a classmate messaged me to meet up. I told him to head to the cafe inside the mall.
When I arrived, my heart nearly stopped. There she was. My queen, looking incredibly hot in black and white. It's official: we're soulmates. Even fate wants us to match.
But then I saw them. Two boys, looking a little younger than Jayjay, were sitting with her. The three of them were laughing and hitting each other playfully. My blood started to boil. They were so close. I wanted to march over there, but I forced myself to stay back. I didn't want Jayjay to think I was stalking her.
I cancelled on my classmate and took a seat right behind their table. I just sat there, watching my life—seeing her laugh again after the past two days made me genuinely happy. I waited until they finished their food and left before I finally moved. I remembered Keiran had begged for some specific chocolates, so I spent the next half-hour hunting them down before heading home.
Keiran was thrilled with the sweets, but I had a lingering itch I couldn't scratch. I needed to see her.
"Hey, Keiran. Want to go see Ate Jay?" I asked. He nodded frantically. "Come on, let's go."
"But whenever she sees you, she runs. Maybe you shouldn't come," he said, making me freeze.
"Hey! She's my fiancé. I have every right to see her. Maybe I should leave you here because whenever you're around, she forgets I even exist!" I snapped.
"Because I matter more to her than you do," he said, sticking his tongue out.
"Whatever. You're not going."
Keiran immediately burst into tears. "Sorry, sorry! Please, I want to see Ate Jay!"
"Okay, okay! Stop crying. You're going." He scrambled into the car before I could change my mind.
When we arrived at her house and walked inside, it was total chaos. Jayjay and those two boys were in the middle of a massive pillow fight. Feathers were flying everywhere like snow. She looked beautiful, jumping and dodging, her hair flowing across her face.
Suddenly, she tripped over a stray pillow. My instincts kicked in. I lunged forward, grabbing her wrist to steady her just before she hit the floor. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, the world went silent.
"Oooooooooo!"
The two boys broke the silence. Jayjay snapped out of it and pushed my hands away from her sleeves. I looked over at the cousins—they were both covering Keiran's eyes while he struggled to pull their hands away.
"Keiran wanted to see you, so I brought him here. Sorry I didn't inform you before we came," I said, looking at Jayjay. She just nodded, still looking a little breathless from the pillow fight.
At that moment, Keiran somehow managed to wiggle free from the twins' grip. He sprinted over and jumped onto Jayjay.
"Hey, Keiran! Stop jumping on her, she'll fall!" I warned. He immediately stopped, though he kept his arms wrapped around her waist.
One of the boys stepped forward, looking me up and down. "So, you're Keifer. Jayjay's fiancé."
I nodded.
"I'm Felix, Jayjay's cousin," he said, offering his hand. I shook it, noting his firm grip. "And this is Ci-n. We're twins." Ci-n gave a quick nod, and I acknowledged him in return.
"Do you two have each other's numbers?" Ci-n asked suddenly.
Before I could even open my mouth, Jayjay jumped in. "No, we don't. And why are you even asking that?"
"Because you both are matching!" Felix chirped. The twins started bumping shoulders and laughing like they'd just discovered a huge secret. I couldn't help it—a small giggle escaped me.
Jayjay immediately whipped her head toward me and gave me a bombastic side-eye. I cleared my throat and went silent instantly.
"You're fiances and you still don't have each other's numbers? Weird," Felix teased, shaking his head.
"You two stop it right now," Jayjay hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Or once they leave, I'll show you what happens when you tease me."
The twins immediately went dead silent, pressing their index fingers to their lips. They knew when Jay was actually reaching her limit!
"Felix, Ci-n, you two keep Keiran company. I'll be back soon," Jayjay instructed. Then she turned to me, her expression dead serious. "And you—come with me."
When Jayjay gets that serious, you know something is up. I followed her up to her room, the air between us suddenly feeling a lot heavier.
"What?" I asked as she closed the door.
"You could have just asked your driver to drop Keiran off. Why did you come?" she demanded, crossing her arms.
"Hey, hey. I'm your fiancé, and that little kid is currently stealing my fiancé from me," I teased.
"Fiancé," she repeated, unimpressed. "Keifer, why are you really here? Just tell me. I know it's not just for Keiran."
My heart hammered. How could I tell her I just missed her? That I needed to see her face to feel okay?
"Mom and Dad are inviting you and your family to dinner," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
"Oh," she said, her posture softening slightly. "Okay. When?"
"Tomorrow night."
"Fine. We'll come. But what time?"
"Whenever you want. It's your house too, after all," I said, stepping closer. I leaned in until I was at her eye level, my voice dropping to a low, deep vibration. "But there's one more reason I came here... and that's you."
"Huh?" she whispered, looking genuinely confused.
"I missed you. I wanted to see you."
Jayjay froze. For a few seconds, she just stared at me, her brain clearly rebooting. Then, she snapped out of it and pushed me back, though she couldn't quite hide the small smile or the blush creeping up her neck.
"You know what? You're crazy," she stammered.
"Yeah. I'm crazy. Crazy for you."
She looked shocked again, then shoved me toward the door. "Go away!" She pushed me out into the hallway and slammed the door shut.
I leaned against the wood and raised my voice just enough so only she could hear. "Jasper Jeen Mariano, remember my words: you have made me crazy in love with you."
I headed downstairs, feeling triumphant. In the living room, Keiran was having the time of his life with Felix and Ci-n. They were all acting like toddlers together.
"Keiran, I'm going. I'll pick you up in half an hour," I said, but he immediately wrapped himself around my leg like a koala.
"Don't leave! I want to play!"
"So play. I'm going," I joked.
"No, no! You have to play too!"
Just then, Jayjay came downstairs. Her cheeks were still a lingering shade of pink. Keiran spotted her and sprinted over. "Ate Jay! Tell Kuya to stay and play with us!" He hugged her tight—this rascal really was stealing my fiancé.
"Okay, okay," Jayjay said, finally looking at me. I shook my head 'no,' but then she gave me this look—this soft, cute expression that I simply couldn't say no to.
I sighed and nodded. "Fine."
We spent the next hour playing, laughing, and actually enjoying each other's company without any of the old bitterness. By the time Keiran and I finally headed home, my heart felt fuller than it had in years.
"Mom, I've invited Jayjay and her family to dinner tomorrow," I announced as I walked into the kitchen.
"Oh? Inviting your in-laws without even telling us?" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Mom!" I groaned, feeling my face heat up.
"Okay, fine. But what time?"
"I don't know. Call Tita and ask her," I said, quickly retreating upstairs before she could tease me more.
Once I was in my room, Felix's words kept echoing in my head. He was right—it was ridiculous that we were engaged and didn't even have each other's numbers. I messaged Aries, expecting a lecture, but he just sent the digits right away. I saved it immediately. Wait. Let's have some fun with this.
To: My Queen 👑💝💖
Hello, my Queen, my Love, my Future Mrs.
I didn't write Mrs Watson because she will recognise me and I want to tease her.
From: My Queen 👑💝💖
Who is this?
To: My Queen 👑💝💖
Guess.
From: My Queen 👑💝💖
Only one person has the audacity to flirt with me. Keifer.
My heart skipped. She recognized me instantly. My queen.
To: My Queen 👑💝💖
Jayjay, what time are you guys coming?
From: My Queen 👑💝💖
I don't know, ask Mom. And don't disturb me, I'm going to sleep.
To: My Queen 👑💝💖
Sleep well, baby.
From: My Queen 👑💝💖
Screw your baby.
And just like that, she went offline. I stared at the screen, a massive grin on my face. This girl has officially made me lose my mind. I lay back on my pillows, still staring at her contact name, and before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep with a heart full of hope.
The End 🌸