*Continuation of Flashback*
Jay-Jay's POV
The thing about Keifer Watson is this:He doesn't need to announce that he cares.
He just… shows up.
Not loudly.Not dramatically.Not like in those cheesy campus love stories where the boy brings a bouquet the size of a small tree.
No.
With Keifer, it's the quiet things that make my heartbeat do stupid somersaults.
Like today.
I'm walking toward the library, arms straining under the weight of six textbooks—because my professor believes in "character-building through academic suffering"—when a shadow falls beside me.
Then a hand slides the books right out of my grip.
I don't even have to look up.
"Keifer," I sigh.
"Jay-Jay," he answers, smirk already in place.
"You're supposed to be in your college," I remind him. "You literally have training today."
"I finished early."He shrugs, shifting all my books into one arm like they weigh nothing. "And you were struggling."
"I was not struggling."
"You were two seconds away from dropping that blue one on your foot."
"I—Keifer—"
He leans down slightly, lowering his voice just enough that it dances across the shell of my ear.
"Sunshine," he murmurs, "you're cute when you lie."
Heat slams into my cheeks so fast I almost trip on my own soul.
Behind us, I hear Dane gasp theatrically.Eunice squeaks.
"Oh my god," Dane calls out, walking faster to catch up. "Are you two flirting in public again?"
"We're not—" I start.
"We are," Keifer answers at the same time.
I elbow him.
He accepts it like I kissed him.
The library is crowded today—exams, deadlines, chaos. People are pushing past each other, backpacks slamming, voices too loud. It's the kind of environment that makes my chest tighten, just a little.
Keifer notices before I even finish inhaling.
His hand slides to my back.
Warm. Steady. Familiar.
He doesn't grab—he guides. Moves subtly so I fall into step beside him instead of behind. Places himself between me and a group of rushing students without saying a word.
Eunice notices first.
"He's doing the shield-thing again," she whispers to Dane.
"I know," Dane murmurs. "I ship it."
I pretend not to hear them.Keifer very much hears them.
He smirks.
When we finally settle at a table, he places my books down gently and sets something on top of them.
A snack pack.
My favorite one.
The one you can only find in a specific convenience store two streets away.
"Um," I say carefully, "how—?"
"You mentioned craving it last week."
I blink.
"I mentioned it one time."
He shrugs. "I remember everything you say."
I want to die.
Or melt.
Or both.
Dane slaps the table. "HELLO? Why are you two not married yet? This is peak husband behavior."
I bury my face in my hands.
Eunice sings under her breath, "Mrs. Watson… Mrs. Watson…"
"EUNICE!"
Keifer leans back, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with the laziest, most pleased expression known to mankind.
He loves this.
He loves my suffering.
He thrives on it.
Later that afternoon, while we walk toward the gate, the street gets crowded again—students pouring out like a river.
I tense.
Just a little.
But Keifer reads me like I'm his favorite book.
His hand reaches for me.
Not to hold—he rarely forces anything.
He just lets his fingers brush my wrist.
Soft. Gentle.
A silent question.
I answer without speaking, letting my fingers curl around his for half a second.
His grip tightens—not possessive, but grounding.
Warm.
I release him quickly, face burning.
He doesn't tease me this time.
He just smiles.Small. Soft. A secret kind of smile.
We stop near the crossing where he usually turns left toward the road to his house.
But today… he doesn't move.
"Keifer," I say, "your house is that way."
"I know."
"Then why—?"
"Because you're walking home."
I blink. "That's… not on your way."
His eyes soften.
"I don't care."
There's no bravado. No teasing. No smirk.
Just honesty.
Honesty that reaches straight into my ribs and squeezes something unsteady.
"Keifer—"
"Jay-Jay," he interrupts gently, "I'm walking you home."
Dane, who has been pretending not to spy on us, mutters from behind a tree:"You can cut the tension with a spoon."
Eunice hits him.
I wish the ground would swallow me.
When we reach my street, I turn to him."You didn't have to do that."
He shrugs. "Want to hear the truth?"
"No."
"Too bad," he says, stepping close enough that I can feel the warmth of his breath, "I like taking care of you."
My brain ceases all function.
He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.
His fingers linger.
"Future Mrs. Watson," he murmurs, just low enough that only I hear.
My knees almost give up.
"I— I'm not— we're—not—"
He laughs under his breath.His thumb grazes my cheek—slow, infuriatingly gentle.
"You blush so beautifully," he whispers, "my girl."
I gasp.The red on my face could set off fire alarms.
He leans closer, lips inches from my ear.
"And I meant what I said back there," he murmurs, voice sliding over every inch of my spine. "I love you till the scientists find the end of the universe."
Every atom in my body lights up.
I swear I hear Eunice scream from twenty meters away.
Keifer's POV
She looks like she might combust.
Good.
My sunshine, trying so hard to hide the way she trembles every time I get close.Every time I call her mine.
But I see her.All of her.
The way she tugs my sleeve when she's nervous.The way her eyes soften when she thinks I'm not looking.The way she leans—just barely—toward my hand whenever I touch her hair.
She can deny it all she wants.
But her body always answers me first.
"Goodnight, Jay," I say softly.
She swallows. "G-goodnight, Keifer."
I take one step back.
Her eyes follow mine.
Perfect.
I grin. Slow. Wicked.
"See you tomorrow, sweetheart."
The way she freezes—The blush that floods her cheeks—The tiny, involuntary smile she tries to hide—
Worth everything.
I walk away only when she's safely inside the gate.
And even then…
I'm already planning tomorrow's excuse to show up for her again.
Jay-Jay's POV
I should not be this distracted.
There are exactly forty-two pages of notes I need to memorize for tomorrow's quiz, and yet—
"Jay-Jay," Keifer murmurs behind me, voice low, warm, and unfairly close, "you're staring at the same sentence for three minutes."
I jump slightly, because yes—he's sitting behind my chair.
Not beside.
Not across.
Behind.
His legs on either side of mine, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder like he owns the spot. Like it's reserved for him. Permanently.
"I'm studying," I mutter.
He hums. "You're overthinking."
"I'm not," I lie.
He laughs softly. I feel the smile against my shoulder.
"Sunshine, I can literally hear the overthinking."
I swat the air behind me. "Stop analyzing my brain."
But his arms slide around my waist—slow, secure, deliberate—pulling me back a fraction so my spine brushes his chest.
"Then stop letting your brain bully you," he murmurs near my ear.
And that—Great.That sends a shiver down my neck.
I look at my notes again, trying to pretend I'm totally unaffected.
Totally.
Completely.
Absolutely—
"Jay," Keifer whispers, lips brushing very lightly against the shell of my ear, "what are you actually thinking about?"
I slam my pen down.
"Okay, fine, maybe I'm overthinking," I grumble.
"Hmm." He taps his chin on my shoulder gently. "What about?"
I exhale.
This is the thing with him.
He waits.
Silently.
Like whatever I'm about to say matters. Like he wants every piece of it.
"…People expect too much from me," I mumble.
His arms tighten.
"And?"
"And…" My voice goes smaller. "I feel like I'll disappoint everyone someday."
He goes still.
Completely still.
Then, slowly, he lifts one hand and cups my cheek, turning my face just enough so I can see him from the corner of my eye.
His brows soften.
"Jay-Jay."His thumb strokes my cheekbone."You don't disappoint me."Another stroke."Not even once."
My chest caves in.
"Keifer—"
He leans in, pressing his forehead to the side of mine.
Not forehead-to-forehead.
Forehead-to-temple.
Gentle. Protective. Anchoring.
"You don't have to be perfect with me," he whispers. "I don't need that."
I swallow. "Then what do you need?"
"You."He says it instantly.Simply.Like the answer was always that.
My breath hitches.
"Stop saying things like that," I mumble.
"Why?" He kisses the edge of my jaw—just once, barely there. "Because they're true?"
"Yes.""No.""I don't know!" I sputter.
He chuckles, low and satisfied. "You're cute when you panic."
"I'm not panicking."
"You are," he whispers, "and I love it."
I glare at my textbook. "This is not studying."
"This is studying," he argues. "Studying how fast you blush."
"KEIFER!"
His laugh shakes my whole body.
And my entire soul.
Keifer's POV
Her shoulders loosen.
Her breathing softens.
Her guard… lowers.
Piece by piece.
Every time she admits something small—another fear, another worry—I feel my heart tighten around her a little more.
She tries to hide it.
But Jay…She softens for me without realizing it.
I lean closer, letting my lips graze her cheek just barely.
"You know," I murmur, "for someone who thinks she'll disappoint people, you make my entire day better just by existing."
"Keifer," she whispers, voice cracking a little, "stop doing that."
"Doing what?" I tilt her chin lightly with two fingers.
"Saying things that—" she flails a hand, "—that make my brain explode."
"Should I stop?" I ask quietly.
She freezes.
"…No," she admits, the word falling out so softly it knocks the air out of me.
I smile.
"My girl."
She chokes. "I am not—"
But then she stops mid-sentence because she sees my expression in the reflection of the laptop screen.
I'm looking at her.
Only her.
Her lips tremble before she looks away again.
"Keifer," she murmurs, almost pleading, "don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm…" She swallows. "Everything."
I brush her hair behind her ear.
"Jay," I whisper, "you are."
Jay-Jay's POV
My heartbeat is doing gymnastics.
"This is ridiculous," I mutter under my breath. "Completely ridiculous. Absurd. Borderline illegal."
"I heard that," Keifer says.
"I intended for you to," I snap.
He grins against my shoulder. "Good. Means you're talking to me."
"I'm trying to study!"
"Okay," he says gently. "We'll study."
And he actually does.
He wraps his arms around me again—loose, soft, but present—and begins explaining the lesson quietly near my ear.
Not flirty.
Not teasing.
Just patient.
Warm.
Comforting.
Every time I tense at a confusing part, he squeezes my waist lightly, grounding me.
Every time I get it right, he kisses my temple and lets out a proud hum.
And I…I melt.
I melt so much it's embarrassing.
Then—
The door slams open.
"OH MY GOD—"
Dane's scream rattles the entire dorm.
We jerk apart ,well, I jerk—Keifer barely moves.
Dane covers his eyes dramatically.
"THE TENSION IN THIS ROOM COULD COOK NOODLES!"
"Dane, get out!" I fling a pen at him.
"I CAN'T GET OUT, I LIVE HERE!" he shrieks.
Keifer casually sits back in the chair like this is the funniest thing he's seen all week.
Eunice steps in behind Dane, peeking around him—and immediately gasps.
"Oh my gosh," she whispers to me, "he looks at you like you're the only person he wants to breathe."
I die.
I literally die.
"Eunice!" I yelp.
"It's true!" Dane cries. "He stares at you like you're the season finale of his favorite show."
Keifer smirks, resting his arm on the back of my chair.
"Continue," he tells them calmly. "I enjoy this."
I smack his knee. "STOP ENJOYING THIS."
He leans down, lips brushing my ear.
"But, sunshine," he whispers, "you look adorable when you're flustered."
I whimper.
Eunice covers her mouth, squealing.
Dane collapses onto the bed shouting, "THE CHEMISTRY IS BURNING MY EYES!"
I bury my face in my hands.
But behind the embarrassment—behind the chaos—behind the teasing—
I'm smiling.
And I can't stop.
The library is supposed to be quiet.
Supposed to be calm.
Supposed to be a place where people get actual work done without their pulse skyrocketing or their knees shaking—
But that is impossible when he is standing behind me.
Keifer's voice drops low, warm, dangerous."Jay-Jay."
I freeze with a book halfway pulled from the shelf.
His hand slides past mine, caging my body between his arm and the bookshelf as he reaches for the higher row.
I swear the air changes.
He doesn't touch me.
Not yet.
But his chest is close enough behind me that I can feel the heat rolling off him.
And then—
Then the bastard leans down, lips brushing the shell of my ear.
"You're running away again."
I gasp softly. "I—I'm literally just getting a book—"
"Mm," he hums, and his breath ghosts down my neck, "from this shelf? Or from me?"
My knees almost give up.
I whip around—big mistake.He's already closer than I thought.
So close his nose is almost brushing mine.So close I can see the teasing spark in his eyes.So close that if I tilt forward even one centimeter—
I shove a hand flat against his chest."You're—annoying."
He smiles.
Slow. Male. Wicked.
"I know."A beat."You love it."
I absolutely do not.(…I absolutely do.)
Before I can argue, his hands slide to my waist and he gently—but firmly—pins me against the shelf. His thumbs start tracing lazy patterns on my hips.
Heat shoots straight through me.
"K—Keifer—"
"Mm?"He dips his head, nose brushing my cheek."You shake too easily, sunshine."
"I'm not shaking!"
He smirks. "Sure."
Keifer's POV
She's blushing again.
My sweet, stubborn, soft problem.
Jay tries to glare at me, but her voice wobbles and she keeps gripping the front of my shirt like she'll fall without it.
I lean in.
Not kissing her.
Not yet.
Just close enough to feel her breaths stutter.
"You know what happens when you look at me like that?" I murmur.
"I—I'm not looking at you like anything!"
"Jay-Jay," I whisper, thumb brushing the corner of her mouth, "you look like you want me to kiss you."
Her whole soul malfunctions.
Perfect.
I brush my thumb slowly over her lower lip.
She inhales sharply, entire face flaming."Stop doing that!"
"Oh?" I drag my thumb a little lower. "This?"
Her knees actually buckle.
I catch her waist before she can slip, pulling her flush against me.
She stiffens.Tries pushing at my chest again—adorably weak attempt.
I catch her wrist easily."Try again," I tease, voice dipping dangerously low.
"I am trying—"
"No," I smirk, pulling her closer, "you're trembling."
"I'm not—"
"Shh." I tilt her chin gently upward with two fingers, guiding her gaze to mine.Her breath hitches.
I lean forward—
Close.
Closer.
Her lips part—
I'm about to taste her—
"STOP SEDUCING OUR SWEET BABY PEARL IN PUBLIC!!"
Dane's voice shoots across the entire library like an accidental nuclear missile.
Jay jerks like she's been electrocuted.
I don't even step back.
I just sigh.
"Dane?" Jay squeaks, red from hairline to collarbone.
Dane arrives with a hand dramatically slapped to his chest."We get it, Keifer. We KNOW she's your oxygen source. But PLEASE—have mercy on the rest of us single mortals!"
Eunice peeks from behind him, eyes wide, whispering, "Guys… the librarian is watching. She looks like she wants to commit homicide."
I finally step back—but only an inch.Jay uses the opportunity to shove me.
Weakly.
I barely move.
"Keifer," she hisses. "Wh-why are you like this?!"
I shrug, smug."Born this way."
"No, seriously—why're you—why're you—"
"Trying to kiss you?" I finish calmly."Because you look kissable."
Her entire face combusts.
Dane clutches the nearest table."Oh my god, Jay, you're so red you could power a lighthouse."
Eunice is wheezing."He looks at you like he's five seconds away from eating you alive."
Jay squeaks."I—WHAT—NO—STOP—"
I throw an arm casually over her shoulders."My girl's dramatic today."
"My—???" Jay practically chokes.
Dane falls over a chair."OH MY GOD HE SAID IT AGAIN—"
Eunice hugs her notebook like it's a shield."He didn't even blink."
Heh.
Yeah.
I don't blink when it comes to her.
Jay-Jay's POV
I move to escape.
Keifer doesn't let me.
Instead he gently grabs my wrist again, turns my hand palm-up, and presses something soft into it.
I blink.
A small paper bag?
"What is—?"
"It's the jasmine milk tea you like."Keifer says it casually, like it's nothing.But his eyes soften."I passed a café and thought of you."
My heart does something very stupid.
Inside is exactly the brand and flavor I always pick, plus a tiny rectangular box.
I open it—
A hair clip.Simple. Pretty. Pearl-white.
My breath stops.
There's a note.
For my girl.—K
My knees actually wobble.
I shove it into my pocket so fast I nearly sprain my wrist.
Dane leans over."Ohhhh she's keeping it. She's so keeping it."
Eunice whispers, "That's her third note this week."
Keifer pretends not to hear.
He totally hears.
He leans down, murmuring against my ear—
"Next time, I'll put the note somewhere closer."
"H-Huh?" I squeak.
He smirks."Your collar, maybe."
I nearly scream.
Keifer's POV
Jay looks like steam is going to rise off her head.
Perfect.
Heat under comfort.That's what we are.
She's safe.
But she's also mine.
Slowly.Gently.But undeniably.
I brush her hair back behind her ear, letting my fingertip trail a fraction lower than necessary.
She shivers.
Then glares up at me weakly."You… you are impossible."
I grin."And you're adorable."
Dane groans."ENOUGH. I need water. Or a priest."
Eunice fans herself."This is better than K-drama."
Jay covers her face with both hands, mortified.
I tug one hand away, lift her chin, and whisper low enough only she hears:
"I'm not done yet."
Her breath catches.
Beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
Jay-Jay's POV
Later that day, during a study break, Keifer decides he's a piece of furniture.
"Sit," he orders, tapping his thigh.
"No," I say instantly.
"Jay."
"No."
He raises a brow.
"Do you want me to pull you?"
"KEIFER!"
Too late.
In one smooth, horrifying motion, he grabs my waist and tugs me onto his lap.
"Comfort," he says innocently, arms wrapping around me.
"This is not comfort—this is illegal."
"I'm your future husband," he murmurs into my ear, "therefore nothing is illegal."
"I— you— THAT IS NOT HOW LAWS WORK—"
He laughs, low and warm, and I feel it against my spine.
His fingers trace lazy circles up and down my thighs.
Heat floods my entire body.
"Stop," I whisper.
He leans in, lips brushing my ear."Why? You like it."
"I don't—!"
"Jay-Jay," he drawls, "your heartbeat says otherwise."
I violently consider committing a crime.
During another session, I try to focus on my notes, but Keifer? Keifer has decided to be unhelpful.
His hand drifts, brushing the back of my arm.
Then my waist.
Then my thigh.
Then—
"KEIFER!" I hiss, pushing at his chest.
He catches my wrist again, eyes dark with a teasing warmth that makes my stomach twist.
"You really think you can push me?" he murmurs.
I open my mouth—
He pulls me closer.
So close my breath catches.
His thumb lifts to stroke my jaw, then my cheek, then my lips—
And for the second time, he leans in.
Close.Closer.His nose brushes mine.His breath mixes with mine.
"Keifer," I whisper, unable to keep the tremble out of my voice.
"Mine," he whispers back.
I swear the world stops.
He's going to kiss me.
He's—
"NOT AGAIN!"
Dane's voice echoes across the entire hallway this time.
We spring apart like guilty teenagers.
"What is WRONG with you two?" Dane yells. "Why are you flirting like a Wattpad couple in every location known to man?"
Keifer smirks. "Because we can."
Dane throws his hands up. "I'm telling Eunice. She'll scream."
"She already does," Keifer replies.
I groan and cover my flaming face.
But the worst part?
He's sweet too.
Annoying, infuriatingly sweet.
By the time my last class ends, my vision is already blurring.
The hallway spins a little, my head throbs, and my body feels like a melting candle. I grip the edge of the wall as students push past me.
Great.
Perfect.
Of all days to get sick, why today?
I blink hard—once, twice—and try to walk toward the exit. I'm only halfway there when my bag slips from my shoulder.
Before it hits the floor, a familiar hand grabs it.
"Jay."
My eyes snap up.
Keifer.
He takes one look at me—one single look—and his entire expression changes from normal annoyance to sharp, focused worry.
"You're burning up."His palm presses to my forehead."Why didn't you call me?"
"I'm fine," I mumble.
"You're literally swaying like a plant in a typhoon."
"I can walk—"
"No, you can't."
He slides an arm around my waist.
My knees buckle.
He catches me immediately, jaw clenching.
"That's it." His voice dips into that terrifyingly gentle tone. "I'm taking you home."
I try to argue, but it comes out as a pathetic croak.
Keifer ignores it—of course he does—and guides me straight to the parking lot, keeping me tucked against his side like I'm something fragile.
He opens the passenger door, lifts me inside, buckles my seatbelt, brushes my hair off my face, and whispers,"Sweetheart… you should've said something."
I look away, cheeks burning with fever and embarrassment.
"I didn't want to bother you."
He freezes.
Then exhales slowly like he's trying not to explode.
"Jay-Jay," he says quietly, "you're never a bother. Not to me."
I swallow hard.
And he drives.
We pull into my driveway, and before I can even open the door, Keifer is already there, lifting my bag, helping me out of the car, and keeping an arm around me.
The front door opens instantly.
Mama gasps."Ay, anak! Why are you so pale?!"
Tita Gemma follows behind her."Oh my goodness—Jay, sweetheart, come here."
Kuya Angelo appears next, eyes sharp."Who made her sick?"
Keifer sighs. "Probably the weather. Or her not resting. Or stress. Or—"
"I'm… fine…" I say weakly.
"No, you're not," Aries says from the living room. "You look like a dying shrimp."
"Aries!" Mama flicks his ear.
"Just saying!"
I groan.
Keifer tightens his hold on my waist."She needs to lie down."
Mama looks at him with that motherly gratitude she tries not to show too much."Thank you for bringing her home, Keifer."
"Of course, Mama," he replies respectfully.
My fevered brain short-circuits.
Mama.
He said Mama.
He's getting too comfortable.
But Mama just smiles softly at him—as if this isn't new, as if Keifer has been part of this house for years.Which, honestly… he kind of has.
Kuya Angelo crosses his arms, eyeing Keifer."You didn't skip work for this, did you?"
Keifer grins slightly. "Your partner in business is perfectly capable of skipping a meeting for his girl."
I whimper."Mama, make him stop."
Mama shakes her head, laughing."Just bring her up to her room, Keifer."
"Gladly."
And without waiting, he scoops me into his arms.
I squeak.
"KEIFER!"
"Shh. You're sick."
"My legs still work!"
"They don't," he says calmly. "I saw them collapse."
"They didn't collapse—they bent."
"Sure, sweetheart."
Everyone watches us.Everyone stares.
Tita Gemma giggles behind her hand.Aries makes gagging noises.Kuya Angelo sighs like he's watching a romance drama he never asked to see.
And Keifer?Smug.So, so smug.
He sets me on my bed carefully, like I'm made of glass.
Then rolls up his sleeves.
"Stay," he orders.
"I'm not a dog."
"Then stop trying to get up."
"I'm literally just sitting—"
"Jay." His tone softens. "Please."
…Oh.
Okay.
That one I can't fight.
He disappears to the kitchen. I hear muffled talking—Mama giving him instructions, Tita Gemma preparing something, Kuya Angelo warning him not to burn their house down.
Five minutes later, Keifer returns with a tray.
Soup. Water. Medicine. A cold towel.
He sets everything down beside me, sits on the bed, and gently presses the cold towel to my forehead.
My eyes flutter.
His voice lowers."Sorry I wasn't there earlier."
"You were," I whisper. "Like always."
The corner of his mouth lifts.
Then he massages my temples, slow circles, careful pressure. I melt instantly.
"You don't have to take care of me," I whisper.
"I want to."
"But—"
"Jay-Jay." He takes my wrist gently. "Let me."
…Oh.
That… that hits too deep.
He feeds me spoonfuls of soup, wipes my lips softly, stays beside me until my eyes droop.
I don't even realize I've fallen asleep until——I feel something warm around my fingers.
I blink awake.
Keifer is beside my bed, sitting on the floor, head resting against the mattress, eyes closed…
…and he's holding my hand.
His thumb strokes my palm unconsciously.
He's whispering something.
I lean closer.
"If I could take every pain from you," he murmurs, half-asleep, voice rough, "I would."
My heart cracks wide open.
Completely.
I swallow, voice trembling."Keifer…"
His eyes open slowly."Hey, sunshine."
"Why are you… on the floor?"
His lips twitch."I didn't want to leave you."
"I'm… not used to this."
"To what?"
"…Being cared for like this."
Keifer stands, sits beside me, and takes my hand again—this time fully awake, fully intentional.
"Get used to it," he whispers.
Then he lifts my hand—
And kisses my palm.
Slowly.Softly.Like a promise.
My breath catches.
He leans closer, nose brushing mine.
"Someday," he murmurs, "you're going to marry me, Jay-Jay."
I freeze.
He continues, voice low, sure, devastating:
"I can feel it."
My entire soul short-circuits.
"K-Keifer—!"
He smiles—slow, wicked, tender.
"You blush like this," he whispers, brushing my cheek, "and you expect me not to say it?"
I hide under the blanket.
He pulls it down again.
"Hey. Don't hide."He presses a kiss to my forehead."I'm not going anywhere."
Outside my door, I hear Dane's voice.
"If they don't end up together, I swear I will sue the universe."
Eunice adds softly,"They're already basically married."
Keifer smirks.
I groan into the pillow.
But secretly…quietly…deeply…
I feel the first whisper of a thought I've never allowed myself before.
Maybe I'm allowed to be loved like this.
*End Of Flashback*
*Present*
The memory fades slowly—like someone drawing a curtain over sunlight—until the warmth of the campus, the laughter, the seventeen-year-old version of him dissolves completely.
And suddenly I'm back here.
Back in my bedroom.
Back in his arms.
Keifer's breath ghosts across my cheek, grounding me in the present. He's propped on one elbow now, watching me with that unreadable tenderness that somehow hurts and heals at the same time.
"Jay," he murmurs, eyes flicking across my face, "your expression changed."
I swallow. My throat feels tight. "I… remembered something."
He doesn't flinch. Doesn't tense. Doesn't demand.
He just nods once—steady, patient—like he's been waiting for this exact moment.
"Good," he says softly. His hand finds my waist again, thumb stroking the fabric of my shirt like it's the most natural thing in the world. "Don't hide it."
I exhale shakily. My pulse is all over the place."I'm scared," I whisper.
It feels stupid, saying it out loud. It feels like peeling my own ribs open.
But he doesn't laugh. He doesn't tease. He doesn't even smirk.
His voice drops to something deeper—warm, serious, protective."You don't have to be," he murmurs, leaning closer. "Not with me, sweetheart."
The nickname lands in my chest like a soft punch. My heart twists painfully.
His fingers brush a stray strand of hair from my cheek. "Come here," he says quietly.
He doesn't pull.
He waits.
So I move first, almost without thinking, settling against him as he wraps his arm around me, drawing me closer—slowly, like he's giving me time to pull away if I want to.
I don't.
I lean into him until my forehead rests against his collarbone, until I can feel his heartbeat under my palms.
"Jay-Jay," he murmurs into my hair, "you're trembling."
"I'm fine," I whisper, even though we both know I'm lying.
He hums. "You always say that when you're not."
I close my eyes. "You're annoying."
"Mm," he agrees easily, smiling against my temple, "but you're still holding on to me."
I shove his shoulder weakly. He doesn't even budge.Of course he doesn't—stupid, absurdly-built man.
He pulls back just enough to look at me. "Come on. Breakfast?" He nods toward the door. "It'll help."
I blink. "Breakfast?"
"Yeah," he smirks. "You know—food? The thing people eat in the morning instead of panicking about flashbacks?"
I smack his arm. He laughs, catching my wrist midair and pressing a kiss to my knuckles before letting it go.
I swear my heartbeat trips over itself.
We eventually make it out of the bedroom—after he steals another lazy kiss at the doorway, and then one more at the hallway wall because he's "making sure I'm awake." Idiot.
The kitchen table is warm with sunlight, too bright for my mood, but Keifer sits beside me instead of across—like he doesn't trust me to be more than an arm's reach away.
He places his mug down, then glances at me. "Jay."
"Hm?"
He leans close enough that his breath brushes my ear."Sit nearer."
"I'm already—"
He hooks two fingers in the belt loop of my shorts and tugs me closer with a quiet, smug little hum.
"Now you are."
I glare at him. "Keifer—"
"What?" he asks, pretending innocence as his hand drops under the table and settles on my waist. His thumb strokes slow, small circles into my side—so protective, so claiming my stomach flips.
"Behave," I mumble.
He rests his chin on my shoulder like it belongs there."I will. If you stop looking like you're about to disappear on me."
My breath catches. "I'm not—"
"You are." His voice is soft, not accusing. "Your eyes go far away when you're remembering the things that hurt you."
My throat tightens.
He presses a kiss to my shoulder. Barely there.Barely anything.
But it shatters me.
"Jay?" he murmurs.
I stare at my hands. "I just… I don't know if I deserve this."
The moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them.
But his hand under the table tightens around my waist—firm, steady, reassuring in the way only he can be.
"Look at me," he says quietly.
I do.
His eyes are warm. Too warm. Almost gentle.
"You don't run from me anymore," he murmurs. "That's enough."
Something inside me aches—deep, sharp, hopeful.
My voice shakes. "Keifer…"
He brushes his thumb across the back of my hand under the table, drawing invisible shapes over my skin, slow and intimate.
"Whatever you remember," he murmurs, "don't hide it from me."
I swallow hard. "I'm still scared."
He leans in, touches his forehead to mine."You don't have to be," he whispers, voice barely a breath. "Not with me."
I exhale, shaky but real.
He smiles—small, lopsided, real.
Then, under the table, his fingers slide between mine.Warm. Sure. Claiming.
One gentle rub of his thumb against my knuckles.Then a faint whisper, low enough that only I can hear it:
"My girl."
The world tilts—softly, quietly, beautifully.
And for the first time in years…
…maybe—just maybe—I let myself think:
Maybe I'm allowed to believe him.