(Jay's POV)
I got home still thinking about his room.
The bottles.
The fight.
The kiss.
The way he looked at me after.
I fell asleep with that look stuck in my head.
Saturday morning was loud.
Aries stole my sausage.
"Give it back."
"Make me."
"You're insufferable."
"You're dramatic."
I smacked his arm.
He called me a monkey.
I called him a failed horoscope prediction.
Normal chaos.
Afternoon, I was texting in the groupchat.
Zane.
Liana.
Mia.
Kairo.
Memes. Voice notes. Laughing.
Then Percy texted.
"Baby sistah. Get dressed. I'm taking you to Kingsground. Your sadness ends tonight and my handsomeness deserves exposure."
I snorted.
"Pick me up at 9."
Night came fast.
Percy picked me up.
In the car he sighed dramatically.
"Do you know how hard it is being this attractive and still choosing to babysit you?"
I smacked his shoulder.
"Drive."
Kingsground was loud.
Lights flashing.
Bass shaking the floor.
Percy leaned close.
"Don't accept drinks from strangers. Don't disappear. If someone breathes wrong near you, I will sue."
"I'm fine," I said.
He went to get drinks.
And then—
I saw him.
Keifer.
With Honey Bee Ryder.
She was laughing.
Hand on his arm.
Too close.
He saw me.
Smirked.
Honey tilted her head.
"Oh Keifer, you look so good tonight," she said, fingers sliding from his shoulder to his chest lightly. "You clean up dangerous."
He smiled at her.
Actually smiled.
My jaw tightened.
"Jay?"
I turned.
"KAIRO!"
I hugged him dramatically.
He laughed. "We saw each other two days ago."
"Shut up."
We started teasing.
Bickering.
Laughing.
But my eyes kept drifting back.
Honey leaned closer to Keifer.
Whispered something in his ear.
Her nails tracing slow lines on his sleeve.
He didn't move away.
He looked at me.
Mouthed: jealous?
I mouthed back: pathetic.
Honey laughed loudly. "Dance with me, Keifer. Or are you scared I'll outshine you?"
He smirked.
"Let's see."
They walked to the dance floor.
That did it.
Kairo leaned down near my ear.
"Want to make him mad?"
I looked at him.
"Dance."
We stepped onto the floor.
His hand on my waist.
Mine on his shoulder.
We moved.
Not slow.
Not soft.
Laughing.
Spinning.
Kairo whispered, "His jaw is tight. He's glaring."
Good.
Honey pressed herself closer to Keifer.
Her hand sliding up his arm again.
She said something flirty.
He leaned down to hear her.
Smiling.
That's when something inside me snapped.
I grabbed Kairo's collar.
And kissed him.
Not soft.
Not hesitant.
Sharp.
Intentional.
Kairo froze.
Then gently held my waist.
Not deepening it.
Just steady.
The music didn't matter anymore.
Because Keifer was already moving.
Fast.
Honey tried grabbing him.
"Keifer wait—"
He shook her off.
Hard.
Not enough to hurt her.
But enough to make her stumble.
The crowd shifted.
He grabbed Kairo's shirt.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Kairo held his hands up.
"Relax. She kissed me."
Wrong sentence.
The punch landed.
Kairo stumbled back into a table.
Glasses shattered.
Gasps exploded around us.
"KEIFER!" I yelled.
He moved again.
Another swing.
Kairo blocked this one.
"Stop!" I shouted.
Honey grabbed Keifer's arm.
"Keifer, stop it! It's a club!"
He shook her off again.
"Don't touch me."
Percy finally pushed through the crowd.
"Oh my God, what is happening? Why are we punching people? Baby, this is not your personality!"
Keifer didn't look at anyone.
Just me.
"You kissed him."
"You were dancing with her!"
"I didn't kiss her."
"She was all over you!"
"She's my secretary!"
"I don't care!"
He stepped closer.
"So you kiss someone else?"
"You don't own my mouth!"
The crowd went quiet.
Honey looked between us, shocked.
Kairo wiped blood from his lip.
"Bro, calm down. I didn't force her."
Keifer lunged again.
That's when I stepped between them.
"Enough!"
He tried to move past me.
I slapped him.
Hard.
The sound cracked through the music.
Silence.
Keifer froze.
Head slightly turned.
Slowly… he looked back at me.
Not angry.
Not shouting.
Just burning.
"You don't get to hit people because you're jealous," I said, voice shaking but firm.
"You did that to hurt me."
"You were hurting me first!"
His chest was rising fast.
"I watched you look at me while you did it."
My stomach dropped.
Because I had.
"You think this is a game?" he snapped. "You think I don't feel it?"
"I was angry!"
"So was I!"
"You think I like seeing you with her?"
"I didn't touch her like that!"
"She was touching you!"
Honey cut in softly, "Jay, I wasn't—"
"Not now," I said without looking at her.
Kairo stepped beside me.
"Look, no one forced anyone. She's not your property."
Keifer's eyes darkened.
"Stay out of this."
"Then stop acting like she belongs to you."
That almost made him swing again.
Percy grabbed Kairo.
"No more punching. I refuse to explain this to anyone."
Keifer looked at me again.
Lower voice.
Dangerous.
"Don't test me like that."
"Then stop trying to control me!"
"I'm not controlling you!"
"You punched him twice!"
He ran a hand through his hair roughly.
"I don't share."
"I'm not something to share!"
Silence.
Heavy.
Tight.
Honey stepped back, shaken.
Kairo stayed steady beside me.
Percy whispered dramatically, "I need therapy."
Keifer looked at me one last time.
Jaw tight.
Eyes furious.
"You don't get to do that again."
"And you don't get to scare me like that."
For a second—
Just one—
He looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
Then he stepped back.
Breathing hard.
Hands shaking slightly.
And the music slowly came back.
But nothing felt normal anymore