Keifer'sPOV
I didn't sleep at all last night. Jayjay developed a fever, so I stayed awake to look after her. I pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat there through the early hours of the morning. I must have drifted off with my head resting near her hand at some point, because when I woke up, the sun was already peeking through the curtains.
I took the thermometer and put it in her mouth. Her temperature was lower, but she wasn't fully recovered yet. I decided right then to skip university; there was no way I was leaving her in this condition.
I was just admiring how peaceful she looked when her eyes fluttered open. She sat up immediately, looking disoriented. I hurried to propped a pillow behind her for support.
"Kei—achoo!" she sneezed before she could finish my name. I quickly handed her a tissue.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Don't worry, just rest. No uni for you today," I said firmly.
She shook her head stubbornly. "Why?" I asked.
"Because I need to submit an assignment. Today is the last day."
"Don't worry about that. I'll have the driver take care of it for you," I promised. She finally nodded, leaning back.
"I—achoo!—want—achoo!—ice cream... achoo!" she said between sneezes.
I stared at her. "Are you kidding me?"
She looked at me as if I was the one being unreasonable. "What?"
"Jayjay, you have a terrible cold and a fever, and now you want ice cream?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I want ice cream."
"No means no."
"I WANT ICE CREAM!" she yelled.
"Okay, okay! Don't yell," I muttered, giving in just to keep her quiet. I left the room to go find some, but when I returned, my heart nearly stopped.
Jayjay was lying on the floor, clutching her stomach and let out a silent, pained scream. I dropped everything and ran to her, she sat up still clutching her stomach with one hand, I offered her my hand to stand up and she accepted it. She sat on the bed and I sat Infront of her.
"Jayjay, what happened?" I asked, panic rising in my chest. She just shook her head, her face pale. "Is your stomach hurting?"
"Girl's problem," she managed to whisper through the pain.
I understood immediately. "Okay, wait here. I'll get everything you need."
I gave her a painkiller to help ease the cramps, then grabbed my keys and sprinted to the car. I drove so fast I made it to the medical store in five minutes. I stood in the aisle, staring at the rows of products and scratching my head in total confusion. I had no idea what I was looking for.
An elderly woman approached me with a kind smile. "Young man, are you looking for something for your loved one?"
I nodded quickly. "For my fiancé. She's staying at my place and... she's in a lot of pain. I don't know what she needs."
"You wait here," she said. "I'll bring everything she'll need."
She returned a few minutes later with a discreet black bag. "Thank you, po," I said, paying her before racing back home. I ran into the room and found Jayjay sitting up, still holding her stomach.
"Hey, don't worry. Here," I said, handing her the bag before stepping out to give her some privacy.
Jayjay'sPOV
He handed me the bag and stepped out. I went into the bathroom and opened it. Inside was everything I could possibly need. My mind started racing—how did he know exactly what to get? Did he have a secret girlfriend before?
I decided I'd grill him about it later. When I came back out, he was already waiting for me.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked softly.
"A little better," I admitted.
"Come, lie down. Don't move," he commanded. For once, I actually obeyed him because the pain was still lingering.
"My ice cream?" I asked hopefully.
"No." He shook his head.
"Why?"
"Because I searched Google, and it says you shouldn't eat cold things during... this," he said, gesturing vaguely. "Plus, you have a cold. So no ice cream. And don't start yelling again, or I'll shut you up by locking you here."
I shut my mouth and nodded instantly. "Did you have a girlfriend before?" I asked suddenly.
"No, why?"
"Because you brought all the right things. How did you know?"
He explained the whole story about the old lady at the store, and my mouth formed a perfect 'O' shape. He actually asked for help for me.
"Ahhhhh!" I groaned again as a sharp cramp hit me. He immediately called his butler to bring a hot water bag. When it arrived, he sat on the bed, and placed the warm bag gently on my stomach.
The heat eased the tension almost instantly. Between the warmth of the bag and the comfort, I felt my eyes getting heavy. I didn't even realize when I drifted off to sleep.
Keifer'sPOV
She fell asleep on my hand, and I didn't mind one bit. To most people, it wouldn't be a big deal, but to me, it was everything. She's my fiancé—the only woman I'd ever want resting here. My Jayjay. My queen. My life. I didn't care if I'd embarrassed myself asking for help at the store; if it was for her, I'd do it a thousand times over.
After a while, I felt her stir. I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be in a deep sleep. I could feel her gaze on me, lingering.
"Keifer?" she whispered, shaking me gently. I stayed perfectly still. Then, without warning, she reached up and pinched my cheek.
"Ouch!" I yelped, opening my eyes to glare at her. She immediately shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep herself. "Jayjay, I know you're awake."
She didn't even flinch.
"Okay, fine. Don't blame me for this," I whispered, I put the pillow a little up from her face, like it's my face. Her eyes flew open and she shoved the pillow away instantly. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. She sat up.
"Hey, I'm hungry," she announced, her voice a bit weak.
I nodded and stood from the bed, I went to the kitchen. I found a tray of pasta, microwaved it, and brought it back upstairs.
"Jayjay, come eat," I called out. She nodded but didn't say a word. Suddenly, she bolted for the bathroom. My eyes widened as I heard her vomiting. I rushed in after her, open the tap as she leaned over the sink.
"It's okay," I murmured. "I think you just ate something wrong at dinner."
"Maybe," she whispered, looking pale. I took her hand to lead her back to the bed, but she was walking so slowly—it was like the bed was miles away. She stumbled, her head lolling as if she were dizzy. Before she could take another step or hit the floor, I grabbed her sleeve and dragged her with me.
"I could have walked," she protested feebly as we reached the bed and sat there.
"Yeah, you could have," I teased, reaching for the tray on the side table. "If you wanted to bump into every chair, table, and wall on the way there."
She rolled her eyes, but she didn't have the energy to argue. I realized it was already evening; Keiran and Keigan were likely napping after school. I hurried downstairs to grab plates and spoons, and when I returned, I caught Jayjay scrolling through her phone. I snatched it out of her hands immediately.
"HEY!" she snapped.
"First eat, then rest," I said calmly. She glared at me, but eventually gave up. I served her the pasta, and she started eating slowly.
"What about a cold drink?" she asked hopefully.
"Nope."
"Why?"
"It's cold. You have a fever and a cold, Jay."
"Please? Just one glass?" She made the cutest face I had ever seen. My resolve crumbled instantly. I called the butler to bring up a glass of soda—and a bottle of alcohol for myself.
"You drink alcohol?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting up. I nodded. "Then you probably smoke, too," she added, her voice laced with anger.
I nearly choked on my pasta. "No! But... would it be a problem if I did?"
"Yeah, duh! I'm not going to marry a man who ruins his own health with his own hands," she said firmly.
I smirked, leaning toward her. "So... you do want to marry me?"
She cleared her throat, looking away. "I don't want to. I'm being forced."
The playful mood shifted slightly. She was right—she was being forced into this. I looked her in the eyes, my voice turning serious.
"Don't worry," I said softly. "This marriage will never happen unless it's your own choice. I promise you that."
I watched her closely. She was fighting so hard to hide a smile, but she couldn't quite tuck it away. Seeing that tiny spark of happiness on her face made me smile, too.
We sat there in silence for a moment, both of us fighting back smiles. Our drinks arrived shortly after; the butler handed Jayjay her soda and gave me my bottle. I was just about to take a sip when she stopped me.
"Are you really going to drink that?" she asked. I nodded. Before I could even react, she snatched the bottle right out of my hand.
"Jayjay, doesn't anyone drink in the Mariano household?" I asked, surprised.
"No! My dad doesn't drink because my mom told him not to. Aries and Percy don't touch it because they saw that Dad doesn't need that trash," she said firmly.
"Jayjay, just give it back," I said, reaching for it.
Instead of handing it over, she tilted her head back and downed the entire bottle in one go. I could see her flinching, forcing the bitter liquid down, but she didn't stop until it was empty.
"What did you just do?" I asked, my voice rising in anger.
"What you were going to do," she snapped back sarcastically.
"Jayjay, that's bad for your health!"
"Exactly! That's what I was trying to tell you!"
It clicked then. She did it to protect me. But the realization was quickly replaced by worry. "You're already sick, Jay, and now you've just downed a bottle of alcohol."
She ignored me, mostly because the room was clearly starting to spin for her. She flopped back onto the bed, dizzy and exhausted. I cleared the trays and took everything down to the kitchen. When I returned, she was fast asleep.
Watsons are heavy drinkers, so a bottle wouldn't phase me, but Jayjay? This was likely her first time, and it had knocked her out. She looked so peaceful, so cute, lying there. I moved to my study table to finish prepping for our test tomorrow.
I was almost finished when I heard her muttering. I froze, listening carefully. My heart skipped a beat.
"Keifer..." she whispered. Then again, "Keifer..."
She was saying my name in her sleep. I didn't know whether to be happy or shocked, but the moment was cut short when she suddenly gasped for air and woke up, sobbing. I rushed to the bed and held her shoulders, I shook her and she came to her senses. She stopped sobbing but her tears were falling nonstop.
"It's okay. It's fine," I whispered, rubbing her back. "I'm here. I'm right here with you."
She slightly to wipe her tears away. "Now, tell me. What was the dream about?"
"I saw myself tied to a chair in a dark room," she shivered. "Then a man came... I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember where. He said he was going to call you and beat you until you..." She trailed off, unable to say the word. "Then you showed up, and he attacked you from behind with a metal pipe. He just kept..."
She broke down again. I looked at her, realizing her nightmare was tied to the warning I'd given her earlier.
"Hey, hey. That's never going to happen," I promised. "Do you really think anyone can do that to Mark Keifer Watson? I'm strong. No one beats me—except my dad, of course."
She let out a small, wet laugh, and I smiled. At least she was breathing again. I helped her lie back down and started to head for the couch, but she caught my wrist.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To the couch, obviously."
"You slept here last night," she reminded me, her voice small.
"Because you were sick, Jay."
"Sleep here. Please... I'm scared."
"There are no ghosts in this house, Jayjay," I teased gently.
"Not everyone is scared of ghosts!" she snapped, her old fire returning for a second. "I'm scared of that dream."
I sighed, unable to win against her. I lay down beside her, keeping a respectful distance. She was at one edge while I was on the other, she suddenly sat up and put a pillow between us, not just one, three, that make a perfect line.
"Here" she said and lie back down. I turned to my side and watched her fall asleep, she was looking so cute and adorable while sleeping. I don't know when I slept while admiring her.
The End 🌸.
Guys thanks a lot for answering my question and I just want to say that I will try to manage both books together ☺️.