Jay's POV
The night at Keifer's house felt endless. After the truth-or-dare chaos, everyone slowly settled down with pizza slices and laughter echoing through the room. But my mind was still stuck on that kiss.
I lay on the floor beside Keifer, pretending to scroll through my phone, but really just replaying the moment in my head. His lips, his words, the way he looked at me—it was all too much.
Ci-n suddenly shouted, "Wake up early tomorrow, guys! We're hitting the beach at sunrise!"
"Sunrise?!" David groaned. "Bro, we're not monks."
Felix laughed, "Don't worry, I'll drag you out of bed."
Everyone agreed to sleep, but of course, Section E couldn't stay quiet. Whispered jokes, giggles, and random singing filled the room until one by one, we drifted off.
The next morning, Keifer nudged me awake. "Jay, come on. Let's go before the others eat all the food."
I rubbed my eyes, still half-asleep, but when I saw him smiling down at me, my heart jolted awake instantly.
We packed snacks, towels, and umbrellas, then piled into Eman's van. The ride was loud—Ci-n blasting music, Calix teasing Mica, and David staring out the window silently.
When we finally reached the beach, the salty air hit me, and I felt free. Everyone ran toward the waves, shoes flying off, laughter bouncing across the sand.
Keifer stayed beside me, watching the others. "Jay," he said quietly, "about last night… I don't regret it."
I froze. The ocean roared behind us, but his words drowned everything else.
"I don't care if they tease us," he continued. "I just want you to be honest with me. Do you feel the same?"
My chest tightened. This was it—the moment I couldn't escape. I looked at him, the sunlight reflecting in his eyes, and whispered, "Yes. I do."
His smile widened, and before I knew it, he pulled me into another kiss—this time with the waves crashing behind us, and Section E cheering like maniacs in the distance.