Jay-Jay's POV
I woke up in a hospital.
The white ceiling blurred above me, the smell of antiseptic stinging my nose.
My legs hurt, my body sore, every breath heavy like the world was pressing down on my chest.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
Couldn't even think.
Just pain.
Then the voices came—soft, muffled
"Hello," a man said, grinning like he'd just walked into a party instead of a hospital room. He looked like he was in his twenties, casual, almost carefree.
"Hello… why am I here?" I tried to sit up, but pain shot through me, my body screaming in protest.
Bad idea.
"Whoa, easy there, " he said quickly, rushing to steady me.
"You look like you tried to wrestle a truck and lost." His tone was playful, but his eyes were kind.
I blinked at him, confused.
"I was in the forest," he explained, scratching the back of his neck.
"Just wandering around, minding my own business, when I saw you lying there. You were banged up pretty bad—looked like you got hit by a car and somehow ended up in the forest."
He gave me a crooked smile. "Lucky for you, I've got great timing. If I hadn't found you, who knows what would've happened? Guess you could say I'm your knight in shining sneakers."
Despite the pain, a small laugh escaped me .
His energy was strange—
bright, almost ridiculous—but it made the heaviness in my chest ease just a little.
"Don't worry," he added, leaning back in his chair with a grin.
"You're safe now. And hey, when you're feeling better, you owe me a thank‑you dinner. I accept pizza, burgers, or literally anything with fries."
"Hey, I'm Shawn, by the way," he said, flashing me a grin that felt too warm for the sterile hospital room.
"I'm Jasper Jean Mariano," I whispered, my voice weak. "Jay‑Jay for short."
"Do you want me to inform anyone from your family?" he asked gently.
I froze.
The question stabbed deeper than the pain in my body.
My mind replayed everything—the betrayals, the shouting, the way they broke me piece by piece.
"They probably think I'm dead," I said finally, my voice trembling but firm. "And even if they do know I'm alive… I'm not going home."
Shawn tilted his head, studying me.
For a moment, I expected pity, judgment, maybe even disbelief.
But instead, he just smiled
"You know… you look like my sister," Shawn said suddenly, his grin softening into something gentler. "She passed away last year."
"Oh…" I whispered, sadness tugging at my chest.
His words carried a weight I didn't expect.
Shawn shrugged lightly, though his eyes flickered with pain.
"Yeah. It was rough. But seeing you… it feels like maybe I've been given another chance."
I blinked at him, unsure what to say.
"If you don't really want to go back to your house," he continued, leaning forward with that same easy smile,
"you can live with me. I promise to take care of you and protect you like a real brother."
My breath caught.
The offer was so simple, so kind, yet it felt impossible.
My family… the memories… the pain.
They'd never understand.
They'd never change.
But Shawn's words wrapped around me like a blanket.
He wasn't asking for explanations.
He wasn't judging.
He was just… offering a place where I could belong.
For the first time in a long time, I felt the tiniest spark of safety.
I nodded.
He looked surprised, his grin widening.
"Really? Thank you so much."
"I'm 22 years old, by the way," he added, almost proudly.
"I'll be 18 this May," I said softly.
He nodded, then his expression shifted, a shadow flickering across his face. "I have to warn you… I'm an orphan. I don't have a mom or a dad."
"Well, you have a sister," I cut him off, my voice firm despite the ache in my body.
Shawn blinked, then laughed—a bright, genuine sound that filled the room.
"Guess I do now, huh? And you're stuck with me, Jay. No returns, no refunds."
For the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled.
A real smile.
Because at that moment, it didn't matter that my family thought I was gone.
It didn't matter that the world had broken me.
Shawn stepped outside when the doctor called him, leaving me alone in the sterile silence.
I just lay there on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my body heavy, my mind heavier.
Would they be searching for me now? Would they even care?
Why?
Why does it hurt so much?
The pain wasn't just in my body—it was in my chest, in the hollow space where hope used to live.
Section E… we grew closer in just two months.
Ci‑n became my partner in crime, always ready with a sarcastic joke or a reckless plan.
Felix was more like a younger brother—annoying sometimes, but protective in his own quiet way.
He'd argue with me, but I knew he cared.
And David… David was the kind of friend everyone wished for.
Gentle, steady, always there to listen when the chaos got too loud.
Keifer I thought he cared for me but no
I was just a pawn.
A piece in his game to get revenge on Aries.
Keifer.
I was supposed to hate him.
Every word, every action, every plan should have made me despise him.
But why can't I?
Why does his name still echo in my chest?
Why does it still hurt when I think of him?
I never said I love you.
Not once.
Not even when the moments felt like they were slipping through my fingers.
And yet… the silence between us feels heavier than any goodbye.
Was it all a lie?
"Jay," Shawn's voice pulled me back to reality.
"Hmm?" I murmured, blinking at him.
"The doctor said you could get discharged, but you'll need to come for regular check‑ups," he explained, his tone careful, almost protective.
I nodded slowly, my body still aching. "Where will we go?" I asked, my voice fragile.
"To our house," he said without hesitation.
"Our?" I repeated, the word catching in my throat.
"Yeah… ours," he said, smiling softly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The word wrapped around me, unfamiliar yet comforting.
Ours.
Not theirs.
Not the family that broke me.
Not the world that left me behind.
"Wait, what about school?" I asked, the thought suddenly pressing on me.
"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it," Shawn said, waving his hand like it was no big deal. Then he leaned closer, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"But first, let me ask you this question… Will you be okay with my last name along with yours, so we could really be brother and sister?"
I hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But I want my last name Mariano to stay the same. Don't change that part. And your last name better not be weird with mine."
He grinned, dramatically clutching his chest. "Weird? Excuse me, my last name is premium quality. Top tier. People would pay to have Reyes attached to theirs."
I rolled my eyes. "Uh‑huh."
He laughed, the sound light and easy, filling the room. "I think you'll be fine," he said, then puffed out his chest like he was announcing royalty. "Jasper Jean Reyes Mariano."
He said it with such flair, like he was introducing me to a crowd.
The name rolled off his tongue, and for a moment, I let it sink in.
Reyes Mariano.
Strange, new… but not wrong.
Shawn winked. "See? Sounds cool. Admit it, you just leveled up having me as your brother."
I shook my head, but a smile tugged at my lips
"Okay, ready? Let's go home," Shawn said, his voice light but steady.
I nodded, and he carefully helped me out of the bed, moving slow like I was made of glass.
We walked together until we reached his car.
I slid into the passenger seat, wincing as my body protested.
Shawn circled around and dropped into the driver's seat, immediately glancing at me.
"You comfy? Seatbelt on? Need a pillow? Snacks? Should I drive at grandma speed?" he teased, grinning.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine, Shawn."
As the engine started, Shawn glanced at me again. "Don't worry, Jay‑Jay. From now on, you're safe. I've got you."
I smiled at him
I hesitated. "What was your sister's name?"
"Samatha," he said quietly. "I called her Sam."
The way his voice dipped made my chest ache. She was gone, and I could see it in his eyes—the shadow he carried, the loss that never left him.
"Nice," I said softly, though the word felt too small.
But before the silence could swallow us, Shawn clapped his hands together like a game show host. "Alright, enough sad stuff! Tell me everything about you. Spill it. I want the full Jay‑Jay résumé."
I blinked. "Well… nothing interesting. I'm a huge foodie. If there's food, then I'll go there."
Shawn gasped dramatically, nearly swerving the car. "FOODIE? Oh no. I've adopted a bottomless pit. My fridge is doomed. My wallet is doomed. My life is doomed!"
I rolled my eyes. "What about you?" I asked.
He puffed out his chest like he was about to give a TED Talk. "Well, nothing interesting. I finished college, I have my own company, and—" he paused for effect, wiggling his eyebrows—"I have a girlfriend."
I snorted. "Wow. So humble."
He grinned, tapping the steering wheel like a drum. "Hey, I'm just saying, your brother is a catch. Smart, successful, charming… chaotic. You hit the jackpot, Jay‑Jay."
I shook my head. "You're impossible."
"Impossible to ignore," he corrected, flashing me a wink. "And don't worry, I'll introduce you to my girlfriend later. But fair warning—if she tries to steal you for sister-in-law bonding, I'm filing a complaint. You're mine first."
I rolled my eyes and drifted off in the car, exhaustion pulling me under.
"Jay, wake up—we're here," Shawn's voice nudged me back.
I blinked awake, only to find myself staring at… a mansion.
"Wait, I thought you said we would go to your house," I asked, my jaw practically hitting the floor.
"Well, yeah. Our house," Shawn said casually, like this was the most normal thing in the world.
"It's a freaking mansion!" I blurted, still gaping at the towering gates and sprawling driveway.
Shawn smirked, throwing his keys in the air and catching them with a flourish. "Correction: it's your mansion too now"
"Let's go, I already prepared your room," Shawn said, steadying me as we walked.
We reached the house, and he pushed open the door to a room that looked like it had been set up —warm blankets, soft pillows, even a stack of snacks on the desk.
He grinned like he was proud of himself. "Ta‑da! Your new kingdom. Don't mess it up too fast."
I raised an eyebrow. "You really did all this?"
"Of course," he said, puffing out his chest. "I'm the best brother ever. Don't argue."
Then his voice softened, almost breaking through the chaos. "Rest," he said gently, lingering at the doorway before slipping out.
I sat on the bed, staring at the room that wasn't mine but somehow felt like it could be. The laughter, the teasing, the mansion—it was all overwhelming.
But Shawn's words stayed with me. Rest. For the first time in a long time, I thought maybe I could.
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🌟😅 Author's Note 😅🌟
Okayyy, how was the chapter??? 🥹✨
If you guys have any questions about Shawn, drop them in the comments 🐸💬 (I'll answer, promise 🤓).
I might not post tomorrow since our school has an activity 🏫🎉 and I'm volunteering (3:00 PM to 7:30 PM ⏰🍕).
But if I get the chance, I'll definitely post more chapters!!! 🚀💙🔥
I will try to post another chapter today but no promises
TARGET
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