Jay's POV — The Road Back to Where It All Started
The moment the car pulled away from the house, everything felt… different.
Not in the obvious way. Not because I was leaving. Not because of training, responsibilities, or change.
But because of him.
Keifer stood there, hands in his pockets, watching the car like it held every part of him he didn't know how to say out loud.
His last words echoed in my chest.
"Bye, Mrs. Watson, I love you."
I didn't even think. The answer just slipped out of me.
"I love you too."
Now, as the city slowly shrank behind us, I pressed my forehead against the window, holding onto the blurry memory of his figure standing in the soft morning light until it vanished behind buildings and trees.
And only then…
Only then did I let myself breathe again.
Aries looked at me from the passenger seat, raising a brow.
"You okay?"
I nodded, though my chest felt tight. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
"Thinking of Keifer," Angelo said from the driver's seat, his tone flat, judgmental, dramatic — typical Kuya energy.
I kicked the back of his seat.
"I'm thinking about training, Kuya."
"Right," he snorted. "Training with a side dish of Keifer Watson obsession."
Aries laughed. "More like main dish. Training is just the appetizer."
They wouldn't shut up.
But honestly?
Their teasing made the goodbye hurt less.
I leaned my head back against the seat, letting their chatter fade into background noise while my thoughts drifted.
The drive to Lola's province was long — almost two hours of winding roads, rice fields, and trees that stretched out like they were welcoming me back.
The sun rose slowly, washing everything in gold.
It smelled like morning dew, dust, and nostalgia.
And memories.
So many memories.
Me running barefoot outside Lola's house. Me climbing the mango tree behind the kitchen. Me crying on the porch steps when I scraped my knee. Me hugging Lola until I couldn't breathe.
Me promising I'd come back.
Now I was.
But for something… different.
For something bigger than I ever thought I'd face.
The farther we drove, the more I felt the weight of everything settling in my chest.
Responsibility. Change. Fear. Hope.
Keifer's hands on my face. His kiss. His voice saying he'd wait.
I closed my eyes.
I could still feel it.
His thumb brushing my cheek. His breath brushing my skin. The way he said "princess" like it was a prayer.
And suddenly my week away didn't feel like training.
It felt like running toward something I wasn't ready for.
Or running away from someone I was starting to need too much.
---
When we finally pulled onto the familiar dirt road, my heart squeezed.
The gate. The tall santan bushes. The old wooden swing hanging from the tree. The tiny bench where I used to sit with my lola.
And the house.
Paint chipped. Windows open. Curtains fluttering in the wind.
Exactly the same.
"Home sweet old home," Aries whispered dramatically.
I smiled.
Kuya parked the car and stretched like a dad from a sitcom. "Go in, Jay. Lola's been waiting since 4 AM."
I rolled my eyes. "She wakes up at 4 AM every day."
"Yeah," Aries said, "but today she made all our favorite food she sent me a picture before you..heheh"
I shoved his shoulder. "You traitor."
I didn't even knock. I just pushed the door open gently.
"Lo—"
"AY MY ANAK OHH!"
Before I could finish, Lola practically tackled me with a hug.
I laughed into her shoulder, hugging her so tight I could feel her bones.
She smelled like coffee, old books, and home.
"I missed you," I whispered.
She cupped my face with both hands. "You grew again. I told you, stop growing. Enough na!"
I laughed. "I can't help it, Lola."
She dragged me inside, fed me pandesal, asked for updates, squeezed my cheeks, interrogated me about my future — and yes, asked about Keifer.
"Who is this handsome boy on your Facebook photos? Why is he looking at you like you're his oxygen? Why didn't you bring him? Does he eat? Can he speak Tagalog? Do I need to interview him—"
"Lola! Stop—"
"I'm just asking."
"STOPPP."
Angelo and Aries laughed for ten minutes straight.
---
My Old Room
When the chaos settled, I finally went upstairs.
The hallway creaked under my feet.
My old room door was slightly open, as if waiting.
I pushed it gently.
The breath left my body.
Everything was exactly how I left it years ago.
The pale blue walls. The shelves filled with books I used to steal from Lola. The tiny wooden desk with my initials carved into the side. The window overlooking the rice fields. My old stuffed toy on the bed — my childhood rabbit, Fluffy, still missing one ear.
I walked inside slowly, fingers brushing the furniture like they were touching old ghosts.
Everything smelled like dust and memories.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
The springs squeaked.
Just like before.
I looked out the window.
The fields waved back at me with the same softness they always had.
Safe.
Quiet.
Slow.
A world completely opposite of the one waiting for me after graduation.
A world where Kuya Angelo wasn't yelling every five minutes. Where Section E wasn't causing chaos. Where there were no CEOs, no shares, no expectations.
No Keifer.
My chest tightened.
I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
The fan blades spun lazily.
And for the first time all morning…
Silence.
Real silence.
It felt like my thoughts finally had room to breathe.
What am I doing?
What if I'm not ready for this?
What if the company changes me?
What if I come back different?
What if Keifer realizes a week is enough to forget—
I sat up immediately, heart pounding.
No.
He wouldn't.
He promised.
He wasn't perfect. But he never said something he didn't mean.
I reached for my phone.
No messages yet.
It had only been an hour since I left but it felt like days.
I put the phone down.
"No, Jay," I muttered to myself. "You're not going to be that clingy girlfriend."
I stopped.
My heart made a weird flip.
Because the truth?
The truth was starting to feel like something I couldn't ignore anymore.
What we had wasn't just teasing. Not just flirting. Not just banter. Not just chaos.
It was growing.
Scary. Real. Warm. Constant.
It was him waiting outside my gate every night. Him saying he'd wait for me. Him kissing me like he didn't want me to leave.
It was me loving him back before I even realized it.
I lay down again, hugging Fluffy to my chest.
And for the first time since the car left home…
I smiled.
A small one.
Soft.
Hopeful.
Because maybe…
Just maybe…
This week wasn't going to break us.
Maybe it would make us stronger.
Maybe it would give me the space to understand my feelings.
And maybe when I came back—
I'd know what I wanted.
Who I wanted.
And maybe…
He'd be waiting at my gate again.
Same hoodie. Same soft eyes. Same stupid smirk that ruined my day in the best way.
I closed my eyes.
Breathing in nostalgia. Breathing out fear.
"Okay," I whispered to myself. "Let's do this."
One week.
One quiet, terrifying, hopeful week.
And then…
Back to him....
— One Week Later
That first night in my old room, everything felt overwhelming.
But the days after?
They didn't give me any time to breathe.
Training started immediately.
Meetings.
Strategies.
Investor calls.
Financial reviews.
Groundwork lectures.
Shadowing executives.
Touring departments I didn't even know existed.
Every morning started at 6 AM.
Every night ended past 10 PM.
Kuya Angelo was merciless.
Aries fell asleep in two meetings.
I caught him once — mouth open, drooling — and kicked his chair to wake him.
He almost fell on the floor.
I nearly got banned from the boardroom.
But slowly… I adjusted.
I learned.
I absorbed.
I adapted.
And somewhere between the stress and the spreadsheets…
I made a friend.
Samantha.
Intern.
21.
Overworked. Underpaid. Surviving on iced coffee and anger.
We bonded instantly.
She was the one who whispered, "Don't look now, but the investor to your left is picking his nose."
She was the one who slipped me candy during a three-hour seminar.
She was the one who grabbed my hand when I froze during my first presentation and whispered, "Breathe. You've got this."
And slowly…
The week stopped feeling suffocating.
It felt empowering.
I wasn't just someone shoved into a future I didn't choose.
I was… capable.
Confident.
Growing.
But no matter how busy I was…
Every night, when I lay on my old bed…
I thought of him.
Of Keifer's voice.
His hands on my cheeks.
The way he said he'd wait.
I'd check my phone.
Sometimes he texted.
Sometimes he sent a photo of Cloud with messy fur.
Sometimes just:
Goodnight, princess. Rest well.
Simple.
Soft.
Enough to make my chest warm every time.
---
THE WEEK FLEW BY
Before I knew it, the final day came.
My suitcase was packed.
My room was back the way I found it.
Lola hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe.
"Come back soon, anak."
"I will, Lola."
Kuya honked outside, yelling for me to hurry.
Aries was eating turon in the backseat.
And me?
I stood by the window one last time, looking at the waterfall running behind...
Golden.
Quiet.
Waving like they knew I was leaving again.
The week went fast.
Too fast.
But it changed something in me.
I wasn't the same scared girl who arrived seven days ago.
And as I held my phone in my hand, ready to text Keifer—
A smile tugged at my lips.
Because now?
Now I was ready to go home.
Ready to face everything waiting for me.
Ready to face him.
Especially him....