Chapter 1 – Interrupted (Again)
Jay sat across from Drew in his dim, suffocating living room, the air still heavy with everything he had confessed. Ram. Blackmail. Betrayal that wasn't really betrayal. Her chest hurt just thinking about it, but at the same time, there was nothing left to say.
"So… I'm leaving," she muttered, pushing back her chair. Drew only nodded, guilt carved all over his face. Jay's footsteps echoed as she walked out of his house, the night pressing close around her.
She didn't make it far.
A familiar car pulled up beside her, headlights cutting through the dark. The door slammed, and suddenly Keifer Watson was there, tall, sharp lines and fury written all over him.
"What the hell, Jay? Why are you coming out of Drew's house?" His voice was low, dangerous.
Jay blinked, then folded her arms. "I just wanted to hear him out."
Keifer's jaw clenched. "Hear him out? After everything he did—after he betrayed you—"
"I had to know, Keifer!" she snapped, matching his fire with her own. "I had to hear it from him."
The silence crackled. His eyes burned into hers, angry, hurt, but beneath it—something softer, something that scared her more than his temper.
And before she could stop herself—before she could talk herself out of it—Jay grabbed his collar and kissed him.
It was messy. Desperate. His hands froze at first, as if shocked, but then he was pulling her closer, kissing her back like he'd been waiting years for this moment. The world tilted, every thought drowned in the way his mouth moved against hers, in the way his fingers tangled in her hair.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Keifer let out a low laugh, almost disbelieving. "You're so damn stubborn, Mutya."
"Maybe," Jay whispered, cheeks flushed.
He pressed his forehead against hers, voice soft but firm. "Then stop fighting me. Stop fighting this. You know I'm not letting you go."
Jay swallowed, heart pounding. "I was going to tell you…" Her voice faltered, but she forced the words out. "Yes. I want to date you, Keifer."
His eyes widened. "Jay—"
But before he could answer, his phone blared in his pocket. The sharp ringtone shattered the moment like glass.
Jay flinched. Keifer cursed under his breath, pulling the phone out with a scowl. He glanced at the screen, irritation flashing across his face.
"Of course," he muttered. "Always when it matters."
He silenced the call, then looked back at her with that same frustrating mix of tenderness and fire. "Come on. I'll take you home."
And with that, he opened the passenger door, waiting until she slid inside before circling back to the driver's seat—leaving Jay's half-spoken confession hanging in the air between them, trembling and unfinished.