Jay's POV
The transition from a deep, pain-muddled sleep to wakefulness was like drifting upward through warm, honeyed water.
The sharp, clawing cramps that had dominated my morning had retreated, leaving behind a dull, manageable hum. But it wasn't just the ginger tea or the hot water bottle that had done the trick.
It was the furnace-like heat radiating against my back and the steady, heavy weight of an arm draped protectively over my waist.
I didn't open my eyes immediately. I wanted to savor the sensation—the way his chest rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic cadence against my shoulder blades, and the faint, intoxicating scent of sandalwood and cedarwood that was uniquely Keifer.
Slowly, I shifted, turning within the circle of his arms. He didn't wake, but his grip tightened instinctively, pulling me closer as if even in sleep, he was afraid I might slip away.
I looked up at him. Without the sharp, arrogant edge he usually wore like armor, Keifer looked younger. His dark lashes cast long shadows over his high cheekbones, and his lips—usually set in a smirk or a firm line—were parted slightly.
I found my breath hitching. I reached out, my fingers trembling as I hovered them just an inch above his jawline, tracing the rugged contour without actually touching him.
How could someone so infuriating be so beautiful? How could the man who broke my heart be the only one who knew exactly how to put the pieces back together?
I watched a stray lock of dark hair fall over his forehead. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and gently brushed it back.
His eyes fluttered open.
For a heartbeat, we just stayed there, trapped in the gravity of each other's gaze. The air in the room felt thick, charged with an electricity that made the skin on my arms tingle.
"Caught you staring, wifey," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated right through my chest.
I felt the heat rush to my cheeks instantly. I tried to pull back, but his arm was a velvet vice. "I am not your wifey. I wasn't staring. I was... checking if you were still breathing. You were snoring like a chainsaw. "
Keifer let out a soft, melodic laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Liar. You were admiring the view. It's okay, Wifey. I'm a masterpiece; I get it."
"You're a narcissist," I snapped, though there was no heat in it." And stop calling me Wifey".
He leaned in, his face inches from mine. "I won't. You're blushing. Your ears are literally pink. It's adorable."
"Shut up!" I huffed, burying my face in his chest to hide the evidence. I could hear his heart—it was racing, a frantic, thumping rhythm that matched my own. He wasn't as composed as he was pretending to be.
"Jay?" he whispered, his hand coming up to cup the back of my head, his fingers tangling in the braid he'd made for me earlier.
"Mmm?"
"I meant what I said. About the second chance. I'm going to spend every day proving that I'm worth your 'five more minutes'."
I pulled back just enough to look at him. The playfulness was gone, replaced by a raw, naked sincerity that made my stomach do a somersault. "One step at a time, Keifer," I whispered.
He grinned, that devastating, dimpled smile that always made my knees weak. "Fine.
Step one: I get a kiss for being the world's best heating pad.
"In your dreams!" I laughed, grabbing a nearby throw pillow and smashing it into his face.
"Oh, it's on!"
He lunged, and suddenly we were a tangle of limbs and laughter on the couch. He was careful not to hurt me, mindful of my cramps, but he was relentless with the tickling until I was breathless, shrieking for mercy. In that moment, the "beast" and the "liar" were gone. There was only us.
After the laughter died down and the air in the room settled, a heavy, tethered silence took its place. The couch felt too small, the intimacy too sharp. I needed space to breathe, so I stood up, smoothing out my hair.
"Let's go to the shore," I whispered. "I need the air."
We walked down to the beach in silence. The sand was cool under our feet, the tide pulling back as if giving us room to speak. We sat down near a cluster of jagged rocks, the spray of the salt water misting our faces.
For a long time, I just watched the horizon, feeling the phantom weight of his hand near mine.
"You asked me why I find it so hard to trust," I began, my voice barely audible over the waves. "Why I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Keifer turned to me, his expression softening, his entire body leaning toward me like a flower to the sun. "You don't have to, Jay. Not if it hurts."
"It always hurts," I said, a dry laugh escaping my throat. "My step-fathers… they weren't just mean men, Keifer. They were predator. They used his power to make me feel small, to make me feel like I was nothing but a nuisance in my own home." I felt the familiar coldness settle in my chest. "And the worst part wasn't them. It was my mother. Every time I cried, every time I begged her to listen, she'd look the other way. She'd tell me I was imagining things, or that I was being 'difficult.' She chose their comfort over my safety every single day."
I looked at Keifer, my eyes stinging. "So when you lied to me… when you played that 'beast' role… it didn't just feel like a betrayal. It felt like I was back in that house. It felt like the person who was supposed to protect me was the one holding the knife."
Keifer's face crumbled. He reached out, his hand shaking as he covered mine, pinning it to the sand. "Jay… I am so sorry. If I had known—"
"But you didn't," I interrupted. "Why did you do it, Keifer? Why the games? I know you had your reasons but it still hurts ...
He looked away, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the churning water. "I did it because I was terrified," he admitted, his voice cracking.
"The plan... the 'beast' act... it was to keep you away from the people I was dealing with. I thought if you hated me, you'd stay far away from the crossfire. I thought I could finish it alone and then come crawling back."
He turned back to me, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I lost my mother because I couldn't protect her. I watched her fade away because of my father. When things started getting dangerous, all I could see was her face on yours. I couldn't lose you like that, Jay. I'd rather you live and hate me than be 'mine' and end up in a grave."
"So you decided for me?" I asked, the hurt still sharp. "You didn't think I was strong enough to stand beside you?"
"I knew you were strong enough," he whispered, sliding closer until our shoulders touched. "I just wasn't strong enough to watch you suffer. It was selfish. I was trying to save myself the pain of losing you by throwing you away first."
The honesty in his voice sent a swarm of butterflies through my stomach, but they were bittersweet. He had acted out of a broken kind of love—a love rooted in trauma, just like mine.
"We're a mess, Keifer," I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder.
"We are," he murmured, his fingers interlacing with mine. "But I'd rather be a mess with you than be 'perfect' with anyone else."
I didn't say I forgave him. The shadows of my mother and my step-father were still there, lurking in the corners of my mind. But as we sat there on the sand, the sun warming our skin, I didn't pull my hand away. For the first time, I wasn't just seeing the beast or the liar. I was seeing the boy who was just as scared as the girl he was trying to save.
A/n
Guys, I'm sorry for not uploading chapters last few days.I was busy with some relatives at my home.So I couldn't get time to update . They are still here.But I will try to upload chapters whenever I get time....