WebNovels

Chapter 11 - Chapter 11 - A Promise Ring

Jay-Jay's POV

The late afternoon sunlight spilled across my office, casting golden streaks on the sleek surfaces of SE Tower. I sat at my desk, a rare quiet settling over the room, though my mind was anything but still. Coel and Samy had stepped out for a quick meeting, leaving me alone with the hum of the city below and the memories that refused to be silenced.

I reached into the drawer beside me, my fingers brushing the familiar, worn velvet box. It had been tucked away for years, hidden among files and paperwork, almost forgotten. Almost. Inside lay the ring — small, delicate, yet carrying a weight that no material object should ever hold. Keifer's promise, given all those years ago, gleamed under the sunlight, catching my eye in a way that made my chest tighten.

I held it gently, remembering the day he had given it to me. I was seventeen then, standing amidst friends, laughter echoing around us in the halls of Section E. My eighteenth birthday had been approaching, and Keifer had insisted on presenting the ring as a symbol — a promise that transcended birthdays, celebrations, and fleeting moments.

His words had been simple, yet powerful: "I'll love you till the scientists find the end of the universe."

Even then, I had understood the weight behind those words. They were reckless, passionate, absolute. They belonged only to him, a vow no one else could claim. I had slipped the ring onto my finger carefully, feeling the warmth of his hand linger even after he let go.

I leaned back in my chair, letting the memory wash over me. My friends had been around — Yuri, quiet, calm, often silent, but with that teasing glint in his eyes when he chose to show it, and Ci-N, full of energy, mischievous in ways that mirrored my own extroversion, though he never poked into matters that didn't concern him. The rest of the gang — Mayo, Kit, Josh, and the others — filled the hall with noise, life, and chaos, each a part of the vibrant Section E tapestry.

The laughter of my classmates, the teasing, the whispered jokes — it all returned, vivid and relentless. I remembered Keifer's sly smile, that quiet assertion that he had claimed me in his own way. Even the smallest gestures, the way he had adjusted my hair when a strand fell over my eyes, or the subtle protective tilt of his shoulder when someone got too close, now felt monumental.

And then there was Ci-N, my anchor of normalcy, the one whose energy mirrored mine but whose calm demeanor balanced me. Our friendship had been seamless, effortless, until the day I left for New York. That departure had pulled a wedge between us, leaving a void that no time or distance could entirely mend. I had wanted to explain, to say why I had to leave, but the words had caught in my throat. Leaving had been necessary, but the guilt lingered.

I sighed, placing the ring back in its box. Time had moved on, life had moved on, but certain things never changed. Certain promises never faded. And some people, no matter the years, never truly left your heart.

I glanced at the skyline again, my thoughts wandering back to the present. Two days had passed since Keifer's reappearance in my life, since his words had unmoored me from my carefully constructed calm. He was here, in New York, a living, breathing reminder of a past I had tried to control, a past that had always been uncontrollable.

The memory of our last interaction in the boardroom surfaced — his quiet, almost imperceptible smirk as he watched me navigate the meeting flawlessly. That gaze had been magnetic, pulling me toward him even as I fought to maintain my composure. The reminder that I was not entirely in control was intoxicating, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.

I closed my eyes, letting the sounds of the office fade. My mind wandered further back, to the field trips, the late-night walks, the stolen moments of laughter and whispered confessions. Keifer had been patient yet persistent, teasing yet tender, protective yet respectful in ways no one else could understand. Each memory was a stitch in the intricate pattern of our shared past, a pattern I could no longer ignore.

I thought of the pool party at his mansion, the night when the air had been thick with tension and anticipation. The moments we had shared, fleeting yet intimate, had left a mark on me that time could not erase. Even the hickeys I had tried to hide the next day were a testament to our reckless, consuming connection.

And now, years later, here he was again. The man who had promised to find me, who had kept that promise in ways both subtle and undeniable. I could feel the pull of our shared history in every glance, every word, every silent acknowledgment. He had not changed, and perhaps, I had not either.

A soft knock on the door broke my reverie.

"Jay-Jay?" Samy's voice was tentative, concerned. "Coel and I finished the review… but you've been quiet all morning. Are you okay?"

I forced a smile, sitting up straighter. "I'm fine. Just… thinking," I replied, my voice lighter than I felt.

She stepped in, her eyes soft with understanding. "About him?"

I froze slightly, gripping the edge of my desk. "Maybe," I admitted, letting the smallest hint of vulnerability slip. "The past has a way of… following me."

Samy nodded, as if she understood completely. She didn't push further, and I appreciated that. Some things were mine alone to process, mine alone to reconcile.

I returned to the ring, letting my fingers brush the delicate metal. The thought of Keifer, of his unwavering promise, filled me with a warmth I hadn't allowed myself to feel in years. I remembered the words he had whispered that night, the solemnity in his voice even as he teased me relentlessly: "I'll love you till the scientists find the end of the universe."

That simple vow had endured, untouched by time, untouched by distance. It was absolute, infinite, irrevocable.

I leaned back again, closing my eyes and letting the memory carry me forward. I was Jay-Jay, Jasper Jean Mariano, a woman of power and independence, yet also of heart and history. I had built an empire, forged a life in New York, survived losses and heartbreak. But some promises, some bonds, were eternal.

The afternoon passed in a quiet rhythm. The sun shifted, the city moved, and I allowed myself a rare, lingering thought of him. Keifer Watson, the boy who had become a man, the man who had never let go, the presence that had returned to challenge my composure and reclaim the space in my life he had always quietly held.

By the time Coel and Samy returned, I had regained a semblance of control. I closed the velvet box gently, sliding it into the drawer, and straightened my shoulders. The past was alive, persistent, but I was ready to face it.

Whatever came next — negotiations, confrontations, or confessions — I would face it on my terms. I was Jay-Jay, untamed, relentless, and fiercely alive.

And the promise ring, delicate and steadfast, would remain a beacon, a tether to both the girl I had been and the woman I had become

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