🌙 Chapter 68: The Island With No Name
The rain disappeared by morning.
Sunlight flooded the villa so brightly it almost looked unreal, warm gold reflecting across the ocean while waves crashed softly against the shore below. The storm from last night felt far away now, like the island itself decided to pretend nothing emotional happened.
Jay wished she could do that too.
Unfortunately, her brain had been replaying last night since sunrise.
Because I love you.
Idiot.
Absolute idiot.
She was currently standing in the kitchen aggressively making coffee like it personally offended her existence.
Keifer walked downstairs a few minutes later looking significantly healthier.
Also significantly more smug.
Jay narrowed her eyes immediately.
"You look annoying today."
"You gave me a chance."
"I said maybe."
"Still counts."
"It absolutely does not."
Keifer grinned slightly while opening the refrigerator.
Jay hated how normal this was becoming.
The kitchen smelled like coffee and toasted bread while ocean wind moved softly through the curtains. Somewhere outside, birds screamed dramatically like they were involved in the relationship too.
Everything felt peaceful.
Dangerously peaceful.
Keifer grabbed orange juice before glancing toward her.
"You slept?"
"Barely."
"You stayed awake thinking about me?"
Jay pointed the butter knife toward him immediately.
"Don't make me violent before breakfast."
"That's not a no."
"You survived fever just to become irritating again."
"Nature is healing."
Jay rolled her eyes aggressively and carried her coffee toward the balcony instead.
The island looked beautiful in the morning.
Too beautiful.
The ocean stretched endlessly ahead while sunlight reflected against the water in glittering waves. Palm trees moved softly with the wind, and the sand looked untouched except for footprints from yesterday.
Jay leaned against the balcony railing quietly.
Then suddenly remembered something.
She turned around sharply.
"…Wait."
Keifer looked up from his toast.
"What."
"You said this island is private."
"It is."
"And technically yours."
"Kind of."
Jay narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"What does kind of mean."
Keifer suddenly became very interested in buttering bread.
"Keifer."
"What."
"What did you do."
He sighed dramatically before walking toward her slowly.
The sunlight hit his face softly while the wind moved through his hair again in that annoyingly cinematic way.
Jay hated rich people.
Keifer stopped beside her near the balcony.
Then casually said:
"It's yours."
Silence.
Jay blinked once.
"…What."
"The island."
Another pause.
Then:
"…WHAT."
Kiefer looked way too calm for someone confessing something indane.
"I bought it for you."
Jay stared at him like he'd lost every functioning brain cell.
"You bought an entire ISLAND."
"Yes."
"FOR ME?"
"Yes."
"ARE YOU MENTALLY STABLE?"
"Debatable."
Jay put her coffee down immediately before she could throw it at him.
"You can't just casually say things like that!"
"You asked."
"That doesn't mean ANSWER NORMALLY."
Keifer crossed his arms lazily against the railing.
"I was going to tell you eventually."
"Eventually?!" Jay looked genuinely distressed now. "Keifer normal people buy flowers!"
"I can still buy flowers."
"You BOUGHT LAND."
"You like privacy."
"That is NOT the point!"
Keifer looked suspiciously amused now.
Jay pointed aggressively toward the entire island.
"This is crazy people behavior!"
"You're currently yelling at me while standing on property I gifted you."
"I DIDN'T ASK FOR PROPERTY."
"You once said you hated crowded places."
"That doesn't mean I wanted a whole damn island!"
Keifer laughed softly under his breath.
That stupid soft laugh again.
Jay glared harder.
"Don't laugh. I'm experiencing financial intimidation."
"You hate expensive gifts?"
"I hate emotionally confusing gifts!"
Keifer leaned slightly closer.
"So you're emotionally confused?"
Jay's expression immediately flattened.
"I'm going to drown you."
"There she is."
She looked away quickly before he could notice the tiny smile trying to appear.
Because honestly—
Part of her felt ridiculous right now.
Who buys someone an island?
Psychopaths.
Rich psychopaths.
And somehow the craziest part wasn't even the island itself.
It was the fact that he remembered.
Jay once jokingly said she wanted to disappear somewhere quiet forever.
And apparently this idiot listened.
Of course he did.
Keifer rested both arms against the railing beside her.
"We still haven't named it."
Jay blinked slightly. "Named what."
"The island."
"You can NAME islands?"
"You can when you own them."
Silence.
Then slowly:
"I hate rich people."
Keifer laughed again.
The ocean wind moved softly around them while sunlight warmed the balcony floor beneath their feet.
Jay stared toward the horizon quietly.
Then unexpectedly asked:
"…Why."
Keifer looked at her.
"Why what."
"Why buy this."
For once, he answered seriously.
"Because I wanted a place where nobody could hurt you."
The words hit too hard.
Too directly.
Jay looked away immediately toward the ocean.
Her chest tightened painfully again.
That stupid dangerous feeling.
Keifer continued quietly:
"No Section E drama. No expectations. No noise. Just…" He exhaled softly. "Peace."
Jay swallowed slightly.
The ocean waves crashed louder below them.
And for a few seconds neither spoke.
Then eventually—
Very quietly—
"It's too much."
Keifer looked at her carefully. "The island?"
"The caring."
That shut him up immediately.
Jay hugged her arms around herself loosely while staring ahead.
"Nobody ever does things halfway with me," she admitted softly. "People either leave… or stay so hard it scares me."
Keifer's expression softened.
"I'm still here."
Jay laughed softly under her breath.
"Unfortunately."
He smiled faintly.
Then after a few seconds:
"So."
Jay looked at him suspiciously.
"So what."
"We need a name."
"For the island?"
"Yes."
Jay groaned dramatically. "Why does this feel like naming a child."
"Because you're emotionally attached already."
"I absolutely am not."
"Liar."
Jay ignored him aggressively.
The wind moved softly through her hair while she stared toward the ocean thinking.
Then suddenly—
A terrible idea appeared.
And immediately she smiled.
Keifer looked concerned instantly.
"That smile looks dangerous."
"It is."
"What are you thinking."
Jay slowly turned toward him with complete confidence.
"Isla Ulopong."
Silence.
Keifer blinked once.
"…Excuse me."
"Isla Ulopong."
"That sounds illegal."
Jay looked deeply pleased with herself now.
"It means stupid island."
Keifer stared at her blankly.
"You want to name a private luxury island… stupid island."
"Yes."
"Why."
"Because you bought it."
Silence.
Then suddenly Keifer started laughing.
Actually laughing.
The kind that made him lean against the railing because he couldn't stop.
Jay tried staying serious.
Failed immediately.
A laugh escaped her too.
Small at first.
Then bigger.
Real.
The sound sutprised both of them.
Because it had been a while since laughter between them felt easy.
Not forced.
Not painful.
Just real.
Keifer looked at her quietly afterward.
Still smiling softly.
"Okay," he said finally. "Isla Ulopong it is."
Jay snorted softly.
Then looked out toward the ocean again while wind moved around them gently.
And for the first time in a long time—
The future didn't feel terrifyingly heavy.
.....