Jay POV
The call comes while I'm reviewing numbers I don't need to review anymore.
Unknown number.
I almost ignore it.
"Hello?" I say anyway.
There's a pause. Then—
"Jay…?"
The voice is unsure. Like it's afraid I'll hang up.
"I'm sorry," I say carefully, "do I know you?"
A small laugh, breathy and shocked. "Wow. Okay. That hurt. It's Rakki."
My heart stutters.
Rakki.
"Oh," I breathe. "Hi. How are you?"
"You sound… calm," she says. "Too calm for someone who disappeared for eight years."
I smile despite myself. "You called to scold me?"
"No," she says quickly. "I called to invite you."
"To?"
"My birthday party. Tonight."
Tonight.
I sit back in my chair. "How did you even get this number?"
"You think I don't know how to find people?" she says lightly. "Cin helped. Don't ask."
I hesitate.
"I don't know if—"
"Just come," Rakki interrupts. "No pressure. No explanations. Just… show up."
Silence stretches.
"…Okay," I say before I can overthink it.
She exhales like she's been holding her breath for years. "Good. I'll send the address."
The call ends.
I stare at my phone for a long time after.
I don't overdo it.
Black dress. Clean lines. Hair down. Nothing that screams CEO, nothing that hides me either.
In the mirror, I look… steady. Prepared on the outside.
Inside is another story.
By the time I reach the venue, the music is already loud. Warm lights spill onto the street. Laughter leaks through the doors.
I step inside.
And suddenly, I'm seventeen again.
Cin spots me first.
He freezes. Blinks. Then grins so hard it looks painful.
"NO WAY," he yells, already pulling Rakki into a dramatic hug like he's protecting her from emotional damage.
Rakki turns.
Her smile falters—then softens.
"You came," she says quietly.
"Happy birthday," I reply.
She hugs me without asking.
Others notice.
Felix is leaning against a wall, tall and relaxed, nodding at Percy beside him. Eman is laughing with someone near the food table. Edrix and Rory are arguing about something tech-related like nothing has changed. Drew looks… lighter. Kit and Mayo sit close, fingers intertwined, unbothered and unapologetic.
Denzel lifts his glass at me from across the room, pride clear in his eyes.
The room is loud, warm, chaotic—but all of it fades the moment someone says my name.
I turn. Faces I haven't seen in eight years look at me like I never left, but some… are asking questions they've waited to ask for years.
Someone steps forward. Calm, curious. "Jay… why did you leave?"
The words hit harder than I expect.
I swallow. "Business," I say simply.
There's a pause. Then someone else—gently, but firmly—asks, "But… why did you leave without a word?"
The question is quiet, but it lands like a weight.
I open my mouth, trying to think of something—anything—that won't crack the fragile control I've built.
"I… uh—" I stumble, searching for an escape. "Can we maybe… talk about something else?"
I see the flicker in their eyes—curiosity, disappointment, something I can't quite name.
"Jay," David's voice cuts through softly but firmly, and I know there's no ignoring it. "Don't change the subject."
I freeze.
The silence stretches. I can feel every gaze on me, waiting, expecting an explanation I'm not sure I'm ready to give.
"I… I had my reasons," I manage, my voice quieter now. "Can we… not talk about this tonight?"
A beat passes. Then one nod. Another. Someone even laughs lightly to diffuse the tension.
"Okay," someone says finally. "We can drop it for now."
The music swells again, filling the space that had been heavy with unspoken words.
I exhale slowly, letting the tightness in my chest ease slightly.
And for a moment, the past doesn't matter. Not yet.
The music swells again, and the room feels lighter, though the questions still hover at the edges of my mind.
Cin nearly trips trying to pull Rakki to dance, all arms and excitement, and I can't help but smile at his chaotic energy.
Calix is standing close to Mica, calm and collected, but his glance lands on me with that quiet understanding that always makes me feel… seen.
David offers his hand. "Dance?"
It's tempting. Safe. Familiar. I accept.
We move together, lightly at first. Laughter comes easily. Memories of school days slip into our steps. The world outside this room disappears. Almost.
Keifer POV
I shouldn't be watching. I shouldn't care.
But I do.
Jay is laughing. Warm. Unbothered. Comfortable. And it kills me.
David's hand is on her waist. Not intrusive, just… present. Too present. I feel something coil in my chest. A low heat that grows with every step she takes toward him.
She spins, laughs, brushes a strand of hair from her face. My jaw tightens.
Then some random guy sidles up, trying to get her attention. Smiling. Confident. I notice immediately.
She shakes her head. Firm. Polite. But she rejects him.
I step closer, instinct before thought.
"You're enjoying yourself," I murmur, sharp.
She crosses her arms. "You're jealous."
"I'm not," I say, though my tone betrays me.
"You followed me," she points out.
Touché.
"You danced with him," I mutter.
"I danced," she says, calm, cool, frustrating. "I didn't cross any line."
She's right. Of course she is. That makes it worse.
"You don't see how people look at you," I mutter, voice low.
She steps closer. "Then don't look away."
Something snaps in me. Years of restraint, of control, of holding back, collapse in one impulse.
I cup her face. Thumb brushing her cheek.
"Jay—"
I don't finish. I kiss her.
Heat, want, frustration—all of it in a single moment.
She freezes. Eyes wide. Breath uneven.
"Keifer," she whispers, shocked.
"I know," I say hoarsely. "I shouldn't have—"
Her hands lift, touching her lips, stunned.
For the first time in eight years, I see her unsure. Hesitant. Vulnerable.
And I realize… I'm not going anywhere.