Chapter: My Room, My Rules (Apparently His Too), Pt. 2
Aries was still ranting, Angelo was lecturing, and Keifer was sitting there like the most annoying calm person on earth when—
"JAYJAY!"
The three of us froze.
No. No way. That voice—
The door pushed open a little wider, and there she was. My Lola.
Holding a bag of groceries. Wearing her house slippers. Looking like she'd just casually teleported into the middle of my doom.
Her sharp eyes flicked from me (a flushed mess), to Keifer (still sitting on my bed with that damn grin), to Aries (pointing like a snitch), to Angelo (arms crossed like some mafia boss).
The silence was deafening.
Then Lola gasped, loud enough to wake the neighbors. "Jasper Jean Mariano!"
I died. On the spot. "Lola—"
"Since when do you bring BOYS into your room?!" She dropped the grocery bag on my desk with a thud. "And not just any boy—Keifer Watson! Anak, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
Keifer, being the reckless idiot he is, stood up and smiled at her like he was meeting the queen. "Good evening po, Lola. It's nice to finally meet you properly. You raised a beautiful, strong granddaughter—"
"Don't you flatter me, Watson!" Lola snapped, pointing a finger at him. "I've heard the stories. The fights. The rumors. And now you're here in her bedroom?"
Aries folded his arms, smug. "Exactly, Lola. That's what I've been saying!"
"Shut up, Aries!" I hissed.
But Lola wasn't done. She marched right up to Keifer and poked his chest. "Listen to me, iho. This girl went through hell and back. I raised her with my two hands when nobody else could. If you break her heart, I swear—"
"—I'd let you bury me alive," Keifer said instantly. Dead serious.
We all blinked.
Lola paused. Stared at him. Then… sniffed. "Hmph. At least you know."
Angelo groaned. "You're too soft, Lola."
Aries muttered, "Should've brought a shovel just in case."
And me? I just wanted the ground to swallow me whole. But even as Lola fussed, as Aries smirked, as Angelo glared, Keifer caught my eyes across the chaos… and winked.
Like none of it mattered.
Like I was still the only thing he saw.