JAY'S POV —
Slowly… the night quieted.
The elders started packing up — my mom kissing my forehead three times, my dad hugging me one last time, Tita Gema fussing over my hair, and Kuya Angelo threatening Section E seventeen separate times.
"Bring her back by tomorrow evening," he said, pointing at Stella and David like they were criminals.
"YES KUYA," Stella saluted dramatically.
"Sir, I swear, we'll return her with all limbs attached," David added.
Kuya Angelo glared. "…Including her sanity."
"Can't promise that," Cin whispered loudly.
"YOU."
Her mom snorted. My dad rolled his eyes.
But eventually — after too many reminders and way too many warnings — they all finally left.
The last car rolled out of the venue gate.
And suddenly…
It was just us.
Section E scattered around the garden, still buzzing from sugar and serotonin. Stella slipped her arm around mine. David threw confetti into the air even though the party was basically over.
And Keifer…
Keifer stayed close.
Not touching — just standing near enough that I could feel him. A quiet presence. A warmth against my side.
The night breeze was soft. The lights dimmed to gold. Music played faintly in the background, something slow, something calm.
Stella nudged me.
"Birthday girl," she whispered, "you happy?"
I looked around — at my friends, at the empty venue full of memories, at the gifts that felt like pieces of love, at the pendant still resting safely against my skin, at him.
I breathed out.
"Yeah," I said softly. "I really am."
Keifer's eyes flickered to me at that — the softest smile tugging his lips.
Cin immediately jumped between us like a gremlin.
"OKAY! WHAT'S NEXT? MIDNIGHT SWIM? KARAOKE? DO WE SACRIFICE DAVID FOR GOOD LUCK?"
"HEY—" David cried.
"Guys," Stella sighed, "maybe we let Jay breathe for two seconds?"
Aries and percy slung their arm around my shoulders.
"Two seconds is too much. We're kidnapping her."
"WE GOT PERMISSION," Mica added, holding up an imaginary certificate.
They all laughed — loud, chaotic, ridiculous.
My heart felt full.
For the first time in a long time…
I didn't feel alone.
And somewhere behind me, Keifer shifted closer — close enough that his fingers brushed mine for a moment.
Just a small touch.
But enough to make everything inside me go soft and warm again.
For a moment, everything was soft and warm and perfect.
Then David ruined it — of course.
He threw his arm around my shoulder dramatically and yelled,
"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH EMOTIONAL SH*T — LET'S GO TO JAY'S CLUB!"
Cin gasped. "YES. THE PRIVATE ONE. THE ONE WITH THE GOOD ACOUSTICS FOR MY SCREAMS."
I laughed, shaking my head — but before I could say anything, David and I locked eyes.
And at the exact same time, we both shouted:
"MY MCLAREN!"
Every head turned.
Stella blinked. "Wait. THE car?"
Aries: "The supercar?"
Cin dropped to her knees. "JAY PLEASE LET ME RIDE IN THE TRUNK—"
"NO." everyone said in unison.
Keifer sighed beside me, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he already had a headache.
But he still took the keys gently from my hand before I could even blink.
"I'm driving," he said simply.
"EXCUSE ME?" I protested.
"You're tipsy from cake," he lied.
I opened my mouth to argue but… okay, maybe he wasn't entirely wrong. The emotional rollercoaster didn't help either.
David shoved me toward the passenger seat.
"LET MR WATSON DRIVE, BRO. HE WON'T LET YOU CRASH YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY GIFT."
"Traitor," I muttered.
But I climbed in.
Section E piled into their cars behind us, yelling out of windows, arguing about who would DJ once we arrived.
The moment Keifer started the engine, the entire car purred — deep and smooth.
He glanced at me, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Like it?" he asked quietly.
I turned my head toward him, heart stupidly soft again.
"Yeah… I love it."
He didn't say anything — but his fingers brushed mine on the center console.
Just once.
Just enough.
The place lit up the moment we arrived.
My staff saw me and instantly switched on the lights, the speakers, the bar — everything.
Music thumped.
Section E poured in like hyperactive children.
David sprinted to the DJ booth.
Cin climbed onto the counter.
Stella: "Why are you on the counter—"
Cin: "TO FEEL TALL."
percy:YOU'LL STILL BE SHORT SHORTYY!!
Meanwhile, I wandered to the bar.
Keifer followed like my silent shadow.
The bartender placed a tray of shots in front of me.
Bright, colorful, dangerous.
Keifer's hand immediately slid to cover the tray.
"No."
I grinned. "It's my birthday."
"You've had enough."
"Noooo," Zack shouted from across the bar, "SHE HASN'T EVEN STARTED."
Before Keifer could react, I grabbed one, tipped it back, and slammed it onto the counter.
Stella cheered.
David yelled, "AYO SHE'S GONE WILD—"
Keifer stared at me.
"Jay."
"I'm fine," I said, taking another shot.
He exhaled sharply — the Keifer-Wilson-is-losing-his-patience exhale — and gently took the rest of the tray away.
I pouted. "Party pooper."
He leaned closer, voice low and warm against my ear.
"I'm keeping you standing, Mrs. Watson."
My heart flipped. Actually flipped.
I forgot about the shots for a second.
Maybe two.
But then—
Cin stood on a stool and screamed:
"OKAY LISTEN UP YOU GREMLINS! TRUTH OR DARE IN FIVE MINUTES— GET YOURSELVES TO THE LOUNGE!"
The entire club roared in agreement.
David yelled, "I'M BRINGING THE SPICY QUESTIONS!"
Stella sighed. "We're all going to die."
Keifer looked at me, raising one brow.
"You sure you want to play with them?"
I smirked, grabbing his hand before he could stop me.
"Oh, absolutely."
Tonight wasn't over.
It was just getting started.
We'd barely settled into the lounge of my private club — music thumping, lights low, drinks already in everyone's hands — when Cin jumped onto the center table like she owned the place.
"OKAYYYY!" she screamed.
"TRUTH OR DARE, YOU SINNERS!"
Everyone groaned, cheered, or both.
David pointed at her.
"If we die— it's your fault."
Cin grinned.
"Correct. Now shut up."
We made a messy circle on the floor. Drinks everywhere. Energy feral.
Cin raised a bottle.
"RULES!" she declared dramatically.
"Truth? You take a shot first, THEN answer."
"Dare? No shot… BUT—" she held up a suspicious-looking glass, dark brown and bubbling like acid— "if you fail the dare, you drink my SPECIAL POTION."
We all recoiled.
"What the hell is IN that?" Yuri asked.
Cin proudly lifted it like a cursed trophy.
"Vinegar. Soy sauce. Hot sauce. Pepsi. And love."
"THERE IS NO LOVE IN THAT," Stella yelled.
"Drink it and you'll see," Cin winked.
Keifer leaned toward me.
"Don't drink that."
"I won't," I whispered.
He glared.
"You say that now."
I ignored him.
Cin clapped.
"FIRST SPIN! LET'S GO!"
She spun the bottle with enough force to create a tornado.
It spun.
And spun.
And spun.
Until it slowed…
…and pointed directly at Stella.
"NOOOOOO—" Stella dropped to her knees dramatically.
"Why me first?!"
"Choose," Cin said, crossing her arms.
"Truth or—"
"Dare," Stella groaned. "If I take a shot first, I'll die before the party ends."
Cin was about to give her a dare—
But I shot my hand up.
"My birthday," I said sweetly.
"I choose the dare."
Everyone oooh'd.
Stella stared at me, betrayed.
"What is it, Jay?" she asked cautiously.
I grinned.
"Five shots of straight vodka."
The whole circle erupted.
"JAY SHE'S TRYING TO KILL YOU—" David yelled.
"That is MURDER," Aries said.
"I BELIEVE IN YOU, BESTIE," Cin screamed while handing her a shot glass like a weapon.
Stella looked at me with the deadest expression ever.
"You… want me… to die."
"You'll live," I said, patting her shoulder. "Probably."
Keifer pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This is a bad idea."
"It's a GREAT idea," David corrected.
Stella sighed like she was about to jump into a volcano.
"Fine. Pour it."
Cin poured the vodka like she was filling a car tank.
Stella grabbed the first shot.
"One…" she whispered. Slam.
"Two…" Slam.
"THREE—"
Everyone screamed.
"FOUR—"
Her soul left her body.
"FIVE—"
She dropped to her knees.
"I hate everyone."
"WE LOVE YOU!" Cin yelled.
Everyone cheered, clapping, laughing.
And me?
I grinned — because the night was officially unhinged.
And the bottle was already spinning again.
Straight toward…
someone who absolutely didn't want it.The bottle slowed… wobbled… and landed on Aries.
He groaned immediately. "No. Nope. Not this time."
"Truth or dare!" Cin demanded, hands on hips.
Aries rolled his eyes, pretending to be stoic. "Dare. Obviously."
The room erupted.
"Ohhhh, this is going to be good," Blaster muttered.
Cin leaned in with a wicked grin. "You. Are. Going. To…" paused for dramatic effect, "kiss Ella in front of all of us. Right. Here. Right. Now. On the cheek. Don't chicken out."
The circle lost it.
Aries groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You guys are terrible human beings."
David whispered, smirking, "Birthday rules. Don't blame us."
Aries' phone came out immediately. He dialed Ella. "Stop laughing, everyone," he muttered under his breath.
The call connected. Ella's giggle filled the room.
"Hi," she said, teasing.
"I—uh—need to do something," he muttered, glaring at all of us.
"MWAH!"
A quick, dramatic kiss to the cheek.
"YOOOUUUUU!!!" Section E screamed in unison, throwing themselves onto the floor, laughing hysterically.
Aries sank onto the couch, covering his face. "I hate all of you."
I laughed, pointing at him. "Happy birthday gift to the crowd!"
Cin clapped, spinning the bottle again. "Next victim…"
This time, it landed on Eman.
"OH NOOO," he groaned. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare," he said immediately, the second he realized there was no escaping Cin.
"Call your crush and say you miss them," Cin declared sweetly.
Eman froze, panic flooding his face. "NO—NO—"
"You know the rules," Felix shouted.
Eman groaned dramatically but dialed, muttering, "This is why I don't play with you people."
Section E leaned in, chanting: "DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!"
Eman whispered, "I… miss you," into the phone.
A pause. Then a giggle from the other side. "Eman??"
The room shook with laughter. Eman buried his face in his hands.
Cin spun the bottle again. This time, it slowed… and pointed at me.
"Birthday girl," Cin purred.
"Your turn. Truth or dare?"
The room went completely silent, all eyes on me.
I swallowed, my heart racing. "D… dare," I whispered, feeling the tension spike.
Cin grinned like she'd been waiting for this moment. "Ohhh… it's going to be legendary."