Jay-Jay's POV
The first thing I feel is his breath on the back of my neck.
Warm. Slow. Familiar in a way that makes every bone in my body soften.
And then his arm—heavy and possessive—tightens around my waist, pulling me against him until my spine meets his chest. I don't even open my eyes. I just… melt.
"Morning, sweetheart," Keifer murmurs against my skin, lips grazing the sensitive spot under my ear.
A shiver bolts straight down my spine.
I hate how easily he does that. Or maybe I love it. Probably both.
I make a small sound—the kind I hope he doesn't catch.
He catches it.
Of course he does.
"Mm?" He nudges my neck with his nose. "What was that, Jay-Jay?"
"I didn't say anything," I mutter, burying my heated face deeper into the pillow.
He chuckles—low, satisfied, sinful. "Sweetheart, you don't have to say anything. Your body talks plenty."
My entire soul combusts.
I yank the blanket over my head.
Immediately, he tugs it back down with one hand, hooking his fingers under my chin and turning my face toward him.
His eyes are half-lidded, but sharp. Focused. Soft in that way he only ever uses on me.
"Why are you hiding?" he asks gently.
"Because you're annoying."
He raises a brow. "Annoying? After last night? After the way you—"
"Keifer!" I slap a hand over his mouth as heat erupts across my cheeks.
He laughs against my palm, deliberately kissing the center of it before lowering it slowly.
"You blush like this," he says, brushing a finger across my cheek, "and you expect me to behave?"
I swear my heart stops. He's too close. Too warm. Too much.
And yet somehow… perfect.
I swallow. "I'm not blushing."
He smirks. "Sweetheart, you are literally turning red on my pillow."
I groan and try to roll away.
He doesn't let me.
In one smooth motion—way too smooth for someone who just woke up—Keifer grabs my waist and drags me back into him, pressing my back flush against his chest again.
His breath hits my ear.
"Don't run. Not even in the morning."
My chest tightens. Because last night… he said the same thing. And for the first time, I didn't run.
His hand slides up, fingertips tracing the line of my stomach, slow and reverent. Not rushing. Not asking for more.
Just… reassuring himself I'm still here.
"Jay," he whispers, voice surprisingly soft, "look at me."
I turn my head.
He kisses me.
Not like last night—desperate and breaking and full of years of unsaid things. This one is slow. Deep. A claiming kind of soft.
His hand cups my jaw as he kisses me again—longer this time—his thumb stroking my cheek like he's memorizing the shape of my face all over again.
I breathe against his lips, "Keifer…"
He kisses the corner of my mouth. Then the other side. Then my actual lips again, lingering.
"Last night wasn't a dream," he murmurs. "You're really here, Jay-Jay."
I feel the words in my throat, the back of my tongue, the center of my chest.
"I know."
His smile is small but real—soft edges, tired eyes, the kind of smile you only give someone you love.
And then he taps my forehead gently. "Go on, sweetheart. You said you wanted to show me something today."
I blink. "I did?"
He nods, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You were mumbling about it when you fell asleep on my chest. Something about… 'I'll show him tomorrow.'"
My face explodes with heat.
Great. Sleep-me is a traitor.
Keifer laughs quietly, eyes dropping to my mouth—then lower, then back up again.
"Jay-Jay," he drawls, "you keep blushing like that, I'm going to think last night unlocked something."
I fling a pillow at his face.
He catches it one-handed. Of course he does.
"That's not fair," I mutter.
"Everything's fair," he says smugly, "when it comes to teasing the girl I'm in love with."
I freeze.
He doesn't.
He just leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth again—soft, lazy, confident—because he knows exactly what he just did to me.
"Keifer!" I shove him lightly, trying and failing to hide the stupid grin tugging at my lips.
"Oh?" He tilts his head. "Did my girl just smile?"
"I am not your—"
"Jay." His voice dips. "Look at me."
I look.
He's already looking at me like I was his yesterday, am his today, and will always be his tomorrow.
And then he says it—quiet, intent, no teasing in his tone this time:
"My girl."
Something in my chest cracks open.
Something warm spills out.
His thumb strokes the place just below my lip, and for a second I swear he might kiss me again—
—but I step back suddenly, because I can feel the flashback creeping in. The memory. The past.
Because the last time someone called me that—I was seventeen. I was in college. And I had no idea how deeply that boy would ruin and save me all at once.
Keifer watches my expression shift.
He doesn't ask why.
He just murmurs, "Jay?"
I whisper, "I… remembered something."
He nods slowly. "Good. Remember it."
I inhale.
The warmth of his hands on me fades into the warmth of sunlight on a college campus. His "my girl" echoes into another boy's teasing voice—his voice, just younger. Smooth. Annoying. Addictive.
The present dissolves gently—
—and the flashback begins.
*Flashback*
The bell rings, slicing through the hallway noise, and the whole corridor floods toward the classrooms like a stampede of stressed buffaloes. I grip my notebook to my chest and slip inside early, claiming my usual seat near the window.
I've learned that sitting early saves me the stares. The whispers. Most days, surviving college just means breathing quietly enough that no one remembers why they used to talk about you.
I'm halfway through doodling in the corner of my notebook when the classroom door creaks open again.
A girl steps inside.
Small frame, straight hair, round eyes — looking like someone dropped her in the wrong universe and she's scared to ask for directions. She clutches her bag straps like they're a life vest.
Her gaze flicks across the room… then lands on the empty seat beside me.
She hesitates.
Then walks toward me.
Oh god. She's coming here.
She stops next to my desk, voice barely above the hum of the ceiling fans.
"…Is this seat taken?"
I blink. People don't usually ask me that. They prefer giving this seat a five-meter radius like I have some infectious drama-based illness.
I shake my head. "No. You can sit."
She exhales like I saved her from drowning and sets her bag down. "Thank you. I'm Eunice."
Her smile is small but real.
I swallow. "Jay."
Her eyes brighten. "Pretty name."
I choke on air. "I— thanks."
Silence settles, but not uncomfortable. Just… soft. Normal. It's been a while since something felt that simple.
Then a familiar voice explodes through the doorway:
"HELLO CLASS, YOUR FAVORITE HANDSOME MAN HAS ARRIVED."
I don't need to look. Only one idiot on campus announces himself like a Marvel character with untreated ego issues.
Dane flops into the seat on my other side, slings his arm dramatically across the back of my chair, and sighs like he's posing for a magazine cover.
Then he notices the girl beside me.
"Oh? Ohhh? A new face." He leans forward, eyes wide. "Jay, you replaced me already? Betrayal. Harsh. Cold."
I shove his shoulder. "Shut up."
Eunice giggles.
Actually giggles.
Dane gasps. "Oh she laughs! A miracle! I'm Dane, by the way. Your future favorite person."
Eunice smiles shyly. "I… doubt that."
I snort. "Yeah, keep your standards high."
Dane clutches his chest. "Both of you are bullying me. Wow. I love it here."
The three of us fall into easy conversation — surprisingly easy. Eunice asks about the classes, the professors, the campus food ("Don't eat the spaghetti," I tell her seriously), and Dane gives the dramatic commentary nobody asked for but everyone endures.
Halfway through, I catch two girls at the front staring.
Then whispering.
Then glancing at me.
The same pattern I've seen for months.
My shoulders tense.
But before I can shrink into myself, Eunice's voice cuts through the air — loud enough for them to hear.
"Jay, do you think the professor will let us switch to a group of three for the project? I'd rather work with you and Dane."
I freeze.
The whispering girls blink… and turn away.
Because Eunice didn't avoid me. She didn't whisper. She didn't pretend sitting beside me was a punishment.
She chose me.
Dane notices too. I feel his foot nudge mine under the desk, a silent see? you're not as alone as you think gesture.
I clear my throat and nod. "Yeah… I think he'll allow it."
Eunice beams. "Great. I like being with you guys."
I don't realize how tightly I'm gripping my pen until my fingers start hurting.
Something warm and unfamiliar curls in my chest.
Belonging.
For the first time in a long time, I don't feel like a rumor wrapped in skin.
After class, the hallway swarms again. Eunice walks between me and Dane like she's always been there. She keeps asking questions about the building, the shortcuts, where the library is.
When three boys walk past and whisper my name with that stupid look in their eyes, I tense again.
But Eunice doesn't pretend not to hear.
She frowns. "Why do they talk like that?"
Dane puffs his chest. "Because they're idiots."
I almost laugh — almost.
Eunice looks back at me. "…Is it because of the things people were saying before?"
My chest tightens.
The rumors. The lies. The stories that spread faster than I could defend myself.
I swallow. "Yeah."
Eunice's brows pull together — not in judgment, but in annoyance on my behalf.
"That's stupid," she says bluntly. "You seem perfectly normal."
Dane cackles. "NORMAL? Jay? Eunice, darling, she's the strangest person I know."
I elbow him. "Says the guy who once tried to race a stray dog."
"That dog cheated," he mutters.
Eunice laughs again.
And somehow… just like that…
The whispers around me feel quieter.
Smaller.
Less powerful.
Because I'm not alone between them anymore.
We reach the courtyard outside the building, bright sunlight hitting the pavement.
"Jay?" Eunice says softly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm… really glad you talked to me today."
That tiny sentence hits harder than it should.
I smile — an awkward, shy little thing I can't hide.
"Me too."
Dane slings an arm around both of us. "Group hug—"
"Don't you dare," I warn.
He drops the arm immediately.
Eunice giggles. "You two are funny."
Dane points at me. "She's the violent one, I'm the emotional support."
I shove him again. He stumbles dramatically.
Eunice wipes tears from laughing.
And for the first time in months…
I laugh too.
A real laugh.
A real moment.
A real beginning.
As we walk toward the cafeteria, the sun warm on my face, I realize something:
This day—This new friend—This tiny shift—
It's the first gentle breeze after months of storms.
And maybe… just maybe…
My world isn't as ruined as I thought.
Eunice sits beside me in the courtyard, legs tucked close, notebook on her lap. She keeps smoothing the cover, like she's scared it might wrinkle wrong.
I nudge her gently.
"Relax," I whisper. "No one here bites."
She glances up at me with a shy smile. "You… really don't mind sitting with me? I'm still new, and you already have friends."
I snort. "Who? Dane?" I point at him across the lawn. "That moron doesn't count."
She laughs under her breath.
A few seconds later, Dane drops his bag in front of us with a dramatic sigh.
Dane, "Wow. Betrayal. I heard that."
I roll my eyes. "You weren't even listening."
Dane, "I don't need to. I can feel when you insult me. It's a gift."
Eunice giggles again, and Dane grins like he's been waiting for that sound.
He flops down beside us.
Dane, "So. What are we talking about? Why Jay looks like she's mentoring a lost kitten?"
I elbow him lightly. "She's not a kitten."
Eunice blushes.
Eunice, "I… just don't know where to fit in yet."
Dane snaps his fingers dramatically.
Dane, "Congrats. You fit here now. Welcome to the family."
My eyes widen. "Can you not be weird—"
Dane, "Too late. She's adopted. You're both stuck with me."
Eunice laughs again. God, I haven't heard myself laugh like this in weeks. Maybe months.
Something inside me — that tight, painful knot I've been carrying since the rumors — loosens a little.
Just a little.
Dane's POV
Jay is… lighter today.
Not fully. Not healed. But her shoulders aren't as tight. Her eyes aren't as dim.
And that's because of the girl beside her.
Eunice keeps glancing at Jay like Jay hung the moon or something. Like she's grateful for every second Jay gives her.
It's weird. Nice. But weird.
I nudge Jay's notebook with my foot.
Dane, "You writing again?"
She freezes. I can practically see her walls shoot back up for a moment before she exhales.
Jay, "…just small things."
I ask, "Like poems?"
She rolls her eyes — classic Jay-defense-move — but I notice the faint blush on her cheeks.
Jay, "Maybe."
Eunice asks her, "Can I read one?"
Jay's head snaps toward her, startled.
Jay, "I— they're not good. They're just thoughts."
Eunice shakes her head firmly.
Eunice, "Thoughts are allowed to be messy."
Jay goes quiet.
I watch her hand slowly, nervously pass her notebook to Eunice.
That's… big.
Really big.
Eunice reads quietly, expression softening with every line. Finally, she looks up.
Eunice, "Jay… this is beautiful."
Jay stares at her like she's hearing a foreign language.
Jay, "It's not—"
Eunice, "It is."
Something breaks open in Jay's chest then — I can see it. Her eyes glisten, but not in the painful way they used to.
I sit back, smiling.
Yeah. This new girl? Good for her.
Jay-Jay's POV
Lunch becomes a habit.
The three of us — sitting under the big neem tree, sharing snacks, complaining about professors, laughing about nonsense Dane says.
Eunice looks relieved every time we wave her over.
One afternoon, she sits on the bench between me and Dane, glancing nervously at the campus gate.
Eunice, "Everyone stared at me during chemistry lab…"
Dane snorts.
Dane, "That's just because you're new. They do that. If they keep staring tomorrow, I'll bark at them."
I choke.
I tell him, "Please don't."
Dane, "Why not? Worked once. Remember that guy who—"
I say in a annoyed tone, "Dane. Stop."
Eunice laughs, her shoulders relaxing
Eunice, "It's okay. People stare at new students. I'm used to it."
Then she glances at me.
Eunice, "But they don't stare at me the way they… used to stare at you."
My breath stills.
The rumors.
The whispers.
The pity.
I swallow tightly. But Eunice continues, gentle, honest.
Eunice, "Jay… you didn't do anything wrong. And if anyone says something again, I'll tell them they're idiots."
I blink.
No one ever said that before.
Not this directly. Not this confidently.
Dane whistles.
Dane, "I like her. She's feisty. Good choice, Jay."
I shove him, "I didn't choose her."
Eunice smiles softly.
Eunice, "Maybe I chose you."
My throat warms.
I never realized how much I needed that sentence.
Dane's POV
We start walking to class together. All three of us.
Jay walks in the middle — like she's the anchor, the balance point.
Eunice sticks close to her side, and I stay on the other, occasionally bumping Jay's shoulder just to annoy her.
She pretends to be irritated, but I catch her smiling every time she thinks I'm not looking.
Today, when we step into the hallway, people turn to look.
But here's the difference:
Jay doesn't shrink. She doesn't look down. She doesn't speed up.
Because she's not alone.
Eunice walks proud beside her. I walk like I dare anyone to say something.
And for the first time in a long time… people don't whisper.
They greet her. They nod at her. Some even smile.
The rumors are dying.
Good.
Jay-Jay's POV
After class, Eunice tugs on my sleeve.
Eunice, "Jay? Can I ask you something?"
I nod.
Eunice, "Why were people afraid to talk to you before? Did something happen?"
Dane and I exchange a glance.
I breathe slowly, "Just… misunderstandings. People saw something and jumped to conclusions."
Eunice frowns.
Eunice, "Well, they're stupid."
I laugh softly.
Eunice, "And for the record…" She takes my hand. "I'm really glad you talked to me that day. You made me feel less alone."
I squeeze her fingers gently, "You made me feel that too."
Behind us, Dane clears his throat loudly.
Dane, "Um. Hello? Am I just decoration?"
I grin, "Yes."
Dane, "Wow. Hurtful."
We all laugh.
And for the first time in weeks, I feel something I almost forgot how to feel:
Normal. Safe. Seen.
The three of us walk across the courtyard, sunlight warm on our backs, laughter trailing behind us like a soft shield.
A small trio. A fragile new peace. A breath before the storm that would arrive when he enters this story again.
But for now?
For now, I let myself enjoy this.
Eunice is telling me something about the art club when Dane suddenly nudges my arm.
"Hey, Jay… don't look now, but someone's about to ruin your calm little college day."
I frown. "Dane, what—"
He tilts his chin behind me.
I turn.
And my heart forgets how to function.
Keifer is there.
Walking through the college gate like he owns the entire campus.
Tall. Calm. Confident. Black shirt, sleeves rolled, hands in pockets, eyes already fixed on me like I'm the only person he's here to see.
My stomach flips so violently I almost lose my balance.
Of course he'd show up unannounced.
Of course he'd pick today—when I'm actually having a peaceful time with Eunice.
Eunice goes absolutely still beside me. She whispers, "Um… Jay… who is that?"
Dane snorts. "Welcome to Jay's tragic love story."
"Dane!" I hiss.
But it's too late—Keifer is close enough to hear.
He stops right in front of us, eyes warm, voice low.
"Sweetheart."
My face burns instantly.
Dane crosses his arms. "Man, you really don't know the meaning of subtle, do you?"
Keifer raises a brow. "Why should I be subtle?"
I internally scream.
Keifer's POV
Jay looks like she's about to melt straight into the pavement. God, she's cute when she blushes.
I nod politely at the girl beside her. "You must be the new friend."
She squeaks a little. Actually squeaks. "E-Eunice."
Jay glares at Dane like she's begging him to shut up, but Dane just grins wider.
I give Eunice a small smile. "Thanks for being with her."
Jay whips her head toward me, eyes wide like I just exposed her soul.
I'm not done.
Gently—so lightly she jumps—I slide my hand around her waist and pull her an inch closer.
She immediately swats at my fingers. "Keifer! Not here!"
"Why not?" I murmur against her ear.
Her entire neck turns pink.
Dane laughs way too loudly. "Yep. Classic Jayfer behavior. Public chaos."
Jay shoots him a death glare. "Don't call it that!"
He raises both brows. "Why? It's literally what you two do every time he shows up."
Jay groans and rubs her face with her palms. "I hate both of you."
Jay-Jay's POV
Keifer leans down slightly, voice dropping to that soft, dangerous tone that always ruins me.
"You missed me?" he whispers.
I smack his chest—lightly—because Eunice is watching with her mouth half open.
"Stop embarrassing me."
He smirks. "That was a yes."
"No, it wasn't!"
"Yes, it was."
I swear, if the ground could open and swallow me, I would thank it.
Dane's laughing so hard he might choke. Eunice just stares at Keifer like he stepped out of a drama series.
Keifer's thumb brushes my waist again.
"Jay," he murmurs, "you didn't tell me you were getting prettier."
My heart literally malfunctions.
"Keifer!" I whisper harshly. "Shut up—"
"Why?" he asks, leaning closer. "It's true."
I choke on air.
He's doing this on purpose. Trying to get me flustered. Trying to make me forget every stupid rumor, every stress, every single thing that made these weeks heavy.
And… it works.
Keifer's POV
Dane finally stops cackling long enough to speak.
"You picking her up today? Big plans?"
I shrug. "Not really. Just missed her."
Jay nearly combusts beside me.
"No, he didn't," she blurts. "He just—just—showed up—because—"
I tilt my head. "Because I missed you."
She covers her face again. "Keifer, please."
I lower my voice so only she hears.
"You look even cuter when you beg."
She stomps on my shoe.
I hiss, "Ow—Jay!"
"That's what you get."
Eunice looks between us slowly. "So… um… are you two… like…"
Dane answers before either of us can.
"Oh, they're disgusting. Just assume they're together always. Saves time."
"Dane!" Jay shrieks.
"What?" he shrugs. "Anyone with eyes can see it."
Jay groans loudly. "I'm actually going to die."
Jay-Jay's POV
And then, as if I'm not already destroyed enough, Keifer steps closer—so close my breath catches.
He leans down until his forehead almost touches mine.
"I'm proud of you," he murmurs.
I blink. "W-What?"
"For smiling today. "His eyes soften. "I haven't seen that in a while."
My heart twists painfully.
He's teasing me…but he's also not.
He's doing what he always does—lifting me up from things I never say aloud.
"Keifer," I whisper, suddenly shy.
He grins softly. "There she is."
Keifer's POV
Eunice clears her throat softly, reminding us that yes, we're still in public.
Jay jumps away from me like I burned her.
I grab her wrist gently. "Where are you running?"
"I wasn't running!"
"You were."
"I wasn't!"
"You absolutely were."
Dane's wheezing at this point. "You two need help."
I tug her wrist again, pulling her closer—not too close, just enough to watch her blush climb her cheeks again.
She stares up at me with those big, furious, adorable eyes.
"Keifer," she warns.
I raise a brow. "What? You gonna scold me?"
She squares her shoulders. "Yes. Stop being—being—like this!"
"Like what?"
She flails her hands dramatically. "Like this!"
I laugh. Actually laugh. "Sweetheart, if you want me to stop, you'll have to be more specific."
Dane whistles. "Jay, you lost this battle before it started."
Jay kicks him.
Fair.
Jay-Jay's POV
And then it happens.
Dane mutters a curse under his breath when he drops his water bottle.
It's quiet, but I still hear it.
And without thinking, I mimic it perfectly. "Seriously, Dane, pick it up. What the hell—"
Keifer goes absolutely still.
Jay…"
I freeze.
His voice drops into that deeper, warning tone.
"What," I say, trying to sound innocent.
"You know the rule," he murmurs.
My stomach drops. Oh no.
"Profanity...," he finishes, leaning closer.
I swallow. "Keifer—"
He smirks. A slow, dangerous, beautiful smirk.
"Break the rule… get a consequence."
"Consequence?" Eunice squeaks.
Before I can protest, Keifer moves—
Not fast. Not rough.
But deliberately.
He cups my jaw gently, tilts my face up—
And kisses me.
Right there.
Right in front of Dane. Right in front of Eunice. Right in front of half the campus.
It's not soft.
It's not shy.
It's warm and certain and claiming and devastatingly Keifer.
My knees literally buckle.
His hand slides to the back of my neck, steadying me as his lips move against mine—slow, deep, confident.
The world narrows to heat and breath and the way he whispers my name against my mouth.
When he finally pulls back, I'm breathless.
Eunice looks like she might faint.
Dane looks like he wants popcorn.
Keifer just smiles at me, thumb brushing my chin.
"Rule enforced," he murmurs.
I stare at him, speechless, heart pounding everywhere.
He leans in again, whispering:
"Careful, sweetheart. Break it again… and I won't stop at just a kiss."
My entire soul leaves my body.
The moment his lips leave mine, the world doesn't come back slowly.
It slams into me.
Gasps. Whispers. Someone definitely saying "HOLY—" before being shushed. Eunice's eyes are huge. Dane is smirking like he's been waiting for this event his entire life.
And Keifer?
He just stands there.
Calm. Unbothered. Hands still at my waist like he didn't just kiss me senseless in front of half the college.
I can still feel the warmth of his mouth. The stupid taste of mint. The fact that my knees almost buckled.
I shove at his chest.
"What— what was that?" I hiss, my face burning.
He tilts his head, pretending to think. "That? Sunshine, that was me reminding you about the rule."
My pulse hits an embarrassing speed.
Dane jumps in with way too much excitement. "Ohhh, the rule. The famous 'No swearing unless you want Watson's mouth on yours' rule?"
"Dane!" I groan.
Eunice giggles behind her hand. "I mean… I didn't know you two were that close."
"We're not— I mean— it's not— he just—"
Keifer looks down at me, amusement glowing in his eyes. "Jay-Jay, careful. You'll hurt yourself trying to deny it this hard."
I step on his shoe.
He doesn't even flinch.
He just leans down and whispers at my ear, low enough that only I can hear:
"You taste the same."
My face combusts.
"Keifer!" I slap his arm, but he catches my wrist easily.
"You kissed her so hard her soul left her body," Dane says helpfully.
"Dane," I grit out, "shut up."
"Never."
Keifer finally lets my wrist go, but his fingers trail down far too slowly, leaving my skin warm.
I hate him.
I hate him so much.
I also want to kiss him again.
God, I hate him.
Keifer's POV
She's dying of embarrassment.
It's adorable.
Her cheeks are bright pink, her eyes are wide, and she looks like she wants to melt into the floor and disappear forever.
And it is taking every ounce of self-control in me not to pull her in for another kiss just to watch her explode again.
She muttered a curse. I reminded her of the rule. I kissed her like I meant it.
No regrets.
"You're enjoying this way too much," she mutters, crossing her arms.
"And you're pretending way too hard that you didn't kiss me back."
Her face flames.
"I didn't!"
Dane snorts. "Princess, you were kissing him like he was oxygen."
"DANE!"
"Just saying. Educational observation."
Eunice smiles shyly. "Honestly? It was… kind of sweet."
Jay turns to her, horrified. "Eunice! Don't encourage him!"
Too late.
I step closer to Jay, just enough to watch her swallow nervously.
Her voice drops."Keifer… don't."
"What, sweetheart?"
"That tone."
"What tone?"
"The tone that means you're going to do something stupid."
I grin slowly. "I already did something stupid today. I kissed you and didn't ask if I could do it again."
Her breath catches. Her eyes widen.
And the entire courtyard goes quiet again.
Jay-Jay's POV
No.
No no no.
He is not doing this again.
Not here.
Not in front of everybody I have to see every day.
"No," I whisper, stepping back—but my heart betrays me by slamming against my ribs.
He follows.
One step.
Another.
A predator who just remembered he hasn't finished playing with his food.
"Keifer," I warn.
He leans down slightly, voice low. "You didn't deny the again part."
I choke.
"You have issues."
"Only when it comes to you."
Dane dramatically swoons. "Oh my God, he's disgusting."
Eunice swats his arm. "Let them be! This is like watching a live romance movie."
I bury my face in my hands. "Please stop talking."
Keifer reaches my hands and gently pulls them away from my face.
"Hey," he murmurs, softer now, "look at me."
I shouldn't.
But I do.
Slowly.
And his expression shifts—still teasing, but warmer. Warmer in a way that hits straight in the chest.
"Was the kiss too much?" he asks quietly.
My stomach drops.
"No," I whisper.
Then louder, "No."
His thumb brushes my cheek.
"Then why are you running from me like I set you on fire?"
"Because you did."
He laughs, low and dangerous and beautiful.
And then—
He takes my chin.
Just with his fingers.
Barely a touch.
But it shuts down the world again.
"Jay," he whispers, "if you want me to stop, I stop."
My throat closes.
"I…"I'm shaking. Everyone is watching. My friends. His stupid perfect face. The rule kiss. My heart. My pulse. Everything.
"I don't want you to stop," I breathe.
He smiles like I handed him the universe.
Keifer's POV
I kiss her again.
Not as wild as the first time.
Slower. Deeper. Longer.
My hand slides to the back of her neck, guiding her gently forward. She grips my shirt, pulling me closer.
She's warm. She's trembling. She tastes like panicked breaths and teenage crush and something I promised myself I'd protect.
A second kiss.
Because one wasn't enough.
Because she kissed me back.
Because she said she didn't want me to stop.
When I finally pull away, she's blinking up at me like I just rearranged her entire universe.
Her lips are red. Her cheeks flushed. Her breath uneven.
God, she's beautiful.
Dane whistles loudly. "WELL. Guess we're canceling today's classes. Jay and Keifer have supplied enough entertainment for the week."
Eunice is covering her mouth. "I… I think I'm a fan."
Jay tries to glare at all of us, but she ends up smiling.
The first real one I've seen on her face in weeks.
She looks at me from the corner of her eye. "You're impossible."
I lean closer so only she hears me.
"And you're mine."
She blushes instantly.
I grin.
Today was worth every second.
Keifer's Private Thoughts -
God.The moment my lips touched hers, the whole campus disappeared.
I swear I didn't plan it.I swear I wasn't thinking about Eunice staring or Dane choking on his own laughter or the entire class watching like they were witnessing a live drama.
I wasn't thinking about rules or teasing or the stupid smug grin I knew I'd wear after.
All I could think about was her.
Her tiny gasp against my mouth.The way her fingers curled into my shirt like she didn't know whether to pull me closer or shove me away.The split-second her eyes fluttered shut—like she'd been waiting for this, even if she'll never admit it.
Jay-Jay has no idea what she does to me.
She thinks she's the flustered one.She thinks she's the embarrassed one.She thinks she's the only one whose heart tries to punch its way out of her chest every time I touch her.
No idea.
She doesn't know how hard it is not to kiss her every time she looks at me with those eyes—big, stubborn, impossible eyes that pretend they don't care while giving everything away.
She doesn't know how close I am, every damn second, to grabbing her by the waist and kissing her until she forgets how to breathe.
She doesn't know what that kiss just did to me.
Because the moment I felt her soften—just a little, just enough—the moment she let out that tiny sound against my mouth—the moment her hands trembled but didn't push me away—
I was done.
Completely done.
I've kissed her before.But this?This was different.
This was her letting me claim her in public.This was her letting the whole campus know she was mine.This was her letting herself want it.
Even if she acted annoyed afterward.
Even if she tried to hide behind Dane's arm like a flustered tomato.Even if she glared at me with those "Keifer, I swear I'll kill you" eyes.
I saw the smile she tried to smother.
I saw the way her fingers kept brushing her lips like she could still feel me.
I saw the way she leaned just slightly toward me when I stepped close again—instinctively, unconsciously, beautifully.
And it nearly killed me.
I want another kiss.A real one this time.Slow or messy—I don't care.I want all of them.
I want to tilt her chin up again, feel her melt, feel her breath mix with mine, feel her try so hard not to show how much she wants to kiss me back.
I want her to know that she doesn't have to hide anymore.Not from me.Not from us.
And the worst part?
I know she wants more too.
I saw it in the way her cheeks stayed pink.I heard it in the way her voice went small when she told Dane, "Shut up…"I felt it in the way her wrist lingered in my hand before she pulled away.
She can pretend all she wants.
But that kiss…God, that kiss told me everything.
And now?
Now I want more.More of her blush.More of her stammers.More of her pretending she doesn't like it when I pull her close.More of her heartbeat under my palm.
More of her lips.
Jay-Jay has no idea what she started today.
Because after that kiss—after seeing the way she looked at me—
I'm not holding back anymore.
Not one bit.
Not with her.
Not ever.