As Keifer was taking their names, something shifted.
The moment the last name left his lips, Jay noticed a subtle change in him.
The vibrant excitement in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a sudden, quiet glitter of sadness that washed over his face.
Before she could even ask him what was wrong, Mrs. Watson spoke up softly from the side.
"Yuri still didn't come?"
At the mention of that name, the entire atmosphere changed.
The members of Section E looked at each other, a wave of collective sadness passing through their eyes, though they tried their absolute best not to let it show.
Jay felt Keifer's grip on her hand loosening as he completely zoned out, his mind drifting somewhere far away.
"No," Edrix said quietly, trying his hardest not to sound sad.
"Actually, he's in Japan with his family right now, busy with company work," David spoke up, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face.
His voice carried that familiar leader-like strength, intentionally hiding his own sadness to give everyone else in Section E a gentle push back into a normal, upright mood.
Sensing the heavy weight on her future husband's heart, Jay didn't hesitate.
She reached out and held Keifer's hand with her other hand too, completely enveloping his warmth in hers.
He felt the sudden, comforting pressure and looked down at her.
Jay simply smiled up at him-a soft, gentle, and understanding smile that seemed to anchor him back to the room.
Keifer looked into her eyes and let out a soft breath, his lips curving into a smile for her.
It was a bit sad, but filled with deep gratitude for the girl standing right by his side.
"My mom and dad are smilingggg!" Ci-N screamed suddenly, breaking the emotional silence as he threw his arms wildly around both Jay and Keifer.
Keifer rolled his eyes hard at his friend's endless tantrums, but a soft smirk played on his lips as he tightly wrapped his arm back around him.
Because of the sudden impact, Jay flinched a bit at first.
But as the initial surprise faded, she felt nothing but pure, genuine warmth enveloping her from both sides.
A bright, beautiful smile broke across her face, and she happily hugged him back.
"Oh wow! We are abandoned?!"
Felix shouted from the crowd, his arms crossed as he raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Who stopped you from joinnnnnnning?!" Ci-N screamed right near Keifer's ear, nearly deafening him.
That was all the invitation they needed.
With a massive wave of cheers, the entire Section E lunged forward at once.
They crashed into them, laughing so loud the sound echoed off the high ceilings, circling Keifer and Jay completely in a giant, chaotic, and suffocatingly tight group hug.
"And what about us?" Cheska asked from the sidelines, placing her hands on her hips with a dramatic pout.
"Do we need a different invitation?!"
Percy shouted, not waiting a single second as he rushed forward to join the massive hug, closely followed by Aries and the rest of the girls.
The circle expanded, locking everyone together in a beautiful, messy tangle of high school and college friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Watson stood a few feet away, their arms wrapped around each other's waists, smiling warmly with tears of joy in their eyes as they watched the beautiful, roaring chaos of the family their children had built.
When everyone finally pulled away from the massive group hug, they were all out of breath, panting, and laughing so hard their ribs ached.
The grand hall of the Watson mansion was an absolute mess of tangled shoulders, messy hair, untucked shirts, and wide, exhausted grins.
It was the kind of chaotic warmth that only a true reunion could bring.
Mr. Watson clapped his hands together loudly, trying his absolute best to project his voice and gain some semblance of control over the incredibly noisy crowd.
"Alright, alright! Look at the time, everyone. You kids need to head upstairs and get some proper rest."
"Aw, come on, Uncle!" Ci-N whined immediately, crossing his arms over his chest and stomping his foot like a pouting toddler.
"We literally just got here! The night is still young!"
"The night is young, but you won't be if you don't sleep," Mrs. Watson chided gently, though her eyes were crinkling with deep affection as she looked at her son's wild squad.
"Tomorrow is the formal engagement ceremony. It's a huge day, and I want all of you looking fresh and handsome, not like a pack of sleep-deprived zombies."
"But Mom!" Ci-N yelled at the top of his lungs, pointing a dramatic, accusing finger straight at Keifer.
Why can't we stay up?! It'll be fun."
"Yeah, let us stay up!" Percy screamed from the back of the crowd, completely feeding into the high, untamed energy of the room.
"Who needs a sleep schedule when the legendary JayFer wedding is finally happening?!"
"We do!"
Sophia yelled right back, spinning around on the staircase to glare down at the boys with her hands planted firmly on her hips.
All the girls instantly chimed in behind her, complaining loudly and shaking their heads.
"If we stay up all night, our skin will look completely dull tomorrow! We need to actually look good and flawless for the official photos!"
Hearing the word dull, Percy's hyperactive excitement evaporated in a single second.
He froze, his jaw dropping as he dramatically clutched his own face with both hands, his eyes widening in pure, unadulterated horror.
"Oh god, my handsome face! I need sleep too then!"
The entire room burst into another roaring round of loud laughter at his incredibly sudden U-turn.
Keifer swatted Ci-N's pointing hand down, rolling his eyes so hard it looked painful.
"First of all, Ci-N, she's my mother. Second of all, everyone go to bed before I personally throw you out of the mansion myself."
"See? Look at him! He's abusing his power already!"
Felix shouted from the back, waving his arms around and making the rest of Section E cheer and boo in agreement.
"If you idiots don't go to sleep now, Sophia is going to scream at us at 6:00 AM to start getting ready anyway,"
Aries joked, playfully nudging Percy in the ribs.
"Hey! I heard that, Aries!" Sophia yelled from halfway up the stairs, pointing a sharp finger at him.
"And for the record, it will be 5:30 AM sharp!"
A collective, agonizing groan echoed through the entire grand hall, with Denzel, Mayo, and Kit pretending to faint onto the nearest couches.
"Okay, fine! We'll sleep!" Cheska surrendered, throwing her hands in the air dramatically.
"But only under one condition!"
"And what's that?" Jay asked, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at how hilariously dramatic every single one of them was being.
"Tomorrow, the fun does not stop. Non-stop chaos from the exact moment we wake up until the entire wedding weekend ends!"
Rakki shouted, pumping her fist in the air like a rebel leader.
"Deal!" the whole crowd yelled back in perfect, deafening unison.
The massive group finally started moving toward the grand staircase, still shouting, teasing, throwing playful shoves, and acting like a bunch of rowdy high school kids on a field trip.
"Don't lock your doors, Keifer! We might come in for a midnight snack!"
Calix yelled over his shoulder, giving a cheeky wink.
"Touch my door and you'll find out exactly why they call me the King,"
Keifer threatened back, though the massive, relaxed smirk on his handsome face showed he wasn't actually mad at all.
With the threat issued, Keifer naturally turned around, reaching out to grab Jay's hand.
He fully intended to pull her along to his room so they could finally escape the madness and get some quiet peace together.
But before his fingers could even touch hers, Mrs. Watson smoothly stepped in between them.
With a practiced motherly move, she swatted his hand away and pulling a surprised Jay over to her side.
"Ah-ah-ah, where do you think you're taking her, young man?"
Mrs. Watson asked, raising a strict eyebrow at her son.
Keifer blinked, looking completely offended and utterly betrayed. "To my room? Mom, she's my wife."
"She will be your wife and will be back to you after marriage," Mrs. Watson corrected with a firm, unyielding smile, wrapping an arm protectively around Jay's shoulders.
"But until then, the bride stays with the girls. Traditional rules, Keifer. No sleeping in the same room the night before the ceremonies end."
"What?! Mom, we are literally already legally married by signatures!" Keifer protested loudly, throwing his hands up in the air in utter disbelief.
"Doesn't matter!" Sophia shouted triumphantly from the middle of the staircase, a massive, evil grin plastered on her face.
"The Boss has spoken! Jay is ours tonight! No boys allowed!"
"Fine! Then I'll sleep with you, Dad!" Ci-N screamed suddenly.
Before Keifer could even react, Ci-N took a flying leap and jumped right onto him, wrapping his long legs around Keifer's waist and his arms tightly around his neck.
The sudden impact sent Keifer stumbling back.
He tried to shout in anger, swatting furiously at the younger boy to get him off, but Ci-N was stubborn.
He clung to Keifer's torso like a literal, oversized koala bear, burying his face in Keifer's shoulder.
"Get the hell off me, Ci-N! I'm going to choke you!" Keifer roared, shaking his body side to side, but Ci-N only gripped tighter, whining loudly.
The sight was so ridiculous that the entire hall exploded into a fresh wave of hysterics.
Now, even Jay was laughing hard, clutching her stomach as she watched her usually stoic, terrifying husband struggle fruitlessly against a human koala.
But the peace didn't last.
Suddenly, Percy saw what was happening and started shouting at the top of his lungs, storming down the stairs.
"Hey! You shorty! Stay away from my baby! Only I can sleep with him except my sister!"
Ci-N's head snapped up, and he slid down from Keifer's body, screaming back as he marched right into Percy's face.
"I'm not a shorty!"
"You are a shorty!" Percy yelled back, puffing out his chest.
"No, I'm not!"
"You are!"
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
"I'm not!"
"You are, you are, shorty, shorty, shorty!"
Percy chanted mockingly, dancing on his tiptoes.
Ci-N's face turned bright red with frustration.
He threw his hands in the air and yelled, "Then what are you?!
Uncircumcised?!"
The entire room went completely silent for a millisecond before exploding into an absolute, deafening uproar of laughter.
Edrix and David were practically crying, while Felix had to hold onto a wall just to stay upright.
Aries was laughing so hard no sound was coming out of his mouth.
"What did you just call me?!"
Percy shrieked, totally offended.
Seeing the absolute breakdown of order, the rest of Section E decided to make it ten times worse.
"Group sleepover in the King's room!" Drew shouted.
"Yeah! Let's all cling!" Eman yelled, laughing as he rushed forward.
Before Keifer could even take a breath, Drew, Eman, and Calix lunged forward, throwing their arms around Keifer's waist.
Then Denzel and Kit jumped onto his back.
Even Blaster and Rakki joined in, grabbing his arms.
Within seconds, Keifer was completely buried under a mountain of heavy, laughing, shouting boys who were all aggressively trying to cuddle him.
"Get off me! All of you, get the f-" Keifer's voice was drowned out as Rory, Eren, Josh, and David joined the pile, intentionally suffocating him with brotherly love.
"Mom! Save me!" Ci-N was still yelling in the background, trying to push Percy away, while Percy kept trying to pull the boys off Keifer, shouting,
"Get away from my brother-in-law!
He is pure!"
Jay was leaning against Mrs. Watson, tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard.
She had never seen Keifer look so completely powerless and deeply traumatized in her entire life.
At the very end, pushed to his absolute limit by the suffocating chaos and the terrifying realization that twenty grown men were ready to sleep in his bed before his own wife could, Keifer let out a terrifying, guttural scream.
With a sudden burst of pure adrenaline, he forcefully threw Denzel and Kit off his back, shoved Drew and Calix away, and broke free from the human knot.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Keifer screamed, his eyes wild.
Without looking back, he took off sprinting down the hallway like a man running for his absolute life.
"Get him! Don't let the groom escape!" Felix roared, leading the charge.
"We want a bedtime story, Dad!" Ci-N screamed, his voice cracking as he ran.
"Open your heart and your door to us, Keifer!"
Calix shouted dramatically, laughing as they all bolted down the corridor.
The boys instantly gave chase, a thundering herd of footsteps slamming against the floorboards.
They were throwing out wild, incoherent shouts, chanting his name like crazy sports fans.
But Keifer was driven by pure desperation.
He sprinted into his bedroom, grabbed the heavy wooden handle, and slammed the door shut with a resounding BANG!
But because the crowd was chasing him so closely and recklessly, half of them didn't have time to stop.
THUD! CRASH! OUCH!
Ci-N, Percy, Drew, and Felix practically got slammed right along into the outside of the door, their faces and bodies flattening against the solid wood in a hilarious pile-up.
"My nose! My handsome face is ruined!" Percy wailed from the bottom of the heap, holding his face.
"Get your elbow out of my ribs, Felix!" Ci-N yelled, his voice muffled against the door panel.
The rest of the crowd who managed to stop in time-David, Aries, Edrix, and the guys-stopped right behind them, completely losing it.
They pointed at the squished pile of boys and burst out laughing so hard they were gasping for air.
Up the hallway, Jay and the girls were bent double, their laughter echoing loudly through the entire second floor.
Inside the room, Keifer quickly threw the heavy lock into place.
He leaned his back against the door, chest heaving as he panted heavily, listening to the muffled groans, banging fists, and endless laughter of his friends outside.
He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, wondering how on earth he was going to survive the next two days before he could finally get his wife back.
**
Inside his locked bedroom, Keifer finally let out a heavy breath and collapsed onto the massive, empty bed.
He was still breathing hard from sprinting down the hallway, the distant sound of the guys laughing and yelling now just a muffled echo through the thick wooden door.
He closed his eyes, desperately trying to turn off his brain and get some sleep.
But the second he did, all he could see was Jay-her eyes crinkling, her shoulders shaking, and that beautiful, bright laugh that had filled the grand hall just minutes ago.
Out of habit, Keifer reached his arm out to the other side of the mattress, his fingers searching for her warmth.
Nothing.
His hand just brushed against the cold, smooth sheets.
The sudden emptiness hit him right in the chest, making him miss her even more.
It was actually starting to annoy him.
"Ughhhh!"
Keifer groaned out loud, sitting straight up in the dark.
He dragged his hands down his face, completely frustrated by how restless he was.
Realizing sleep wasn't happening, he ripped the covers off, grabbed a towel, and headed into the bathroom.
He took a quick shower, letting the water wash away the exhaustion of the day and cool down his racing thoughts.
After drying off, he threw on some sweatpants and flopped back onto the bed.
Just close your eyes and sleep, he told himself.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
With a sharp, irritated sigh, Keifer sat up yet again.
He rested his elbows on his knees, staring at the empty space beside him in the dim moonlight.
The house was finally quiet, but his mind was louder than ever.
"Call me greedy, needy, or whatever you want," he whispered into the empty room, his voice low, rough, and completely honest.
"But I want you. I want you very much."
On the other side of the grand hallway, the girls' suite was dark and quiet.
Sophia had already completely crashed out, snoring softly under a mountain of blankets, totally wiped from a day of planning and shouting.
But Jay was wide awake.
She lay on her side, her eyes wide open as she stared at the wall near her bed.
She was biting her lower lip, her heart doing gymnastics inside her chest.
I'm getting married.
We're getting married.
The words just kept repeating in her mind on a loop, not letting her sleep.
It felt completely surreal.
After everything they had been through, tomorrow was the day they would stand in front of everyone and seal their future.
The sheer excitement and weight of it kept her eyelids heavy but wide open.
Jay rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.
She took a deep breath, but the comfort of the room didn't stop the sudden, overwhelming longing that crept up on her.
She missed his touch.
She missed the steady, grounding weight of his arm around her waist.
Closing her eyes, Keifer's handsome face immediately flashed before her eyes, bringing a soft smile to her lips.
"Call me greedy, or even needy," Jay whispered softly into the quiet room.
"But I'm missing you already."
Buzz... buzz...
The sudden vibration of Jay's phone on the nightstand startled her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
But the late-night reality vanished the second she picked it up and saw the caller ID.
"Keifer..." his name slipped out of her mouth in a quiet breath.
A small smile crept onto her face before she could stop it, growing even wider as she swiped the screen and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello," she whispered into the quiet room.
"I miss you," was the very first thing he said, his voice deep and rough over the line.
The bluntness of it made a wave of heat rush to her cheeks.
She pressed the phone closer, her voice failing her for a second.
"Hmm..." she just hummed.
"What do you mean, hmm? Tell me you miss me too."
Jay bit the inside of her cheek, a quiet laugh bubbling up in her chest.
She twisted a corner of the blanket around her finger.
"Hmm..." she hummed again.
"Jay... baby, please."
"Hmm," she repeated, burying her face in the pillow to muffle the giggles she was fighting so hard to suppress.
A heavy sigh came through the speaker.
"Oh, so you're not going to say it?
Fine. It's okay, I'm coming over there to hear it myself,"
he threatened, his voice shifting into that low, commanding tone she knew all too well.
That instantly made her bolt upright in bed.
Her eyes widened as she looked toward the door, whispering frantically,
"No, no, no! Please don't come! Soph is sleeping right here!"
"Then say you miss me."
"Umm..."
"No umm. Say it."
Jay bit her lower lip, a helpless smile taking over her face.
"Jay, you can bite your lip later-heck, I can even help you with that-just say it right now,"
he said without a shred of hesitation, his shamelessness making her blush furiously in the dark.
"Jay... say it, or I'm walking across the hall."
"No, no, okay!" she gave in, looking down at her lap with a soft smile.
"I miss you."
On the other end of the line, Keifer let out a slow exhale, a satisfied smile evident in his breath.
"Jay, I love you," he said softly, the words slipping out naturally, making her heart skip a beat and her blush deepen all over again.
When she didn't answer right away, he prompted, "Jay."
"Hmm?"
"Reply."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, huh? I said I love you. I need a reply."
"Ah... umm..."
"Jay, Jay. I need an answer."
"Why?" she teased, her playful side kicking in.
"What do you mean, why?"
"It's my wish if I want to reply or not," she whispered, a quiet smirk mirroring his.
"Oh, so that's how it is?" Keifer chuckled, the low sound vibrating through the phone.
"Then it's fine. I'll just come over to take my reply in person. But remember, if I have to come over there, I'm charging interest too."
Her face went completely crimson.
"Nooo..." she whispered.
"What do you mean, no? Where's that fierce woman gone?"
"Keiferrrr!" she groaned softly, hiding her burning face in her free hand.
"What? Reply?"
She took a small, quiet breath, her heart pounding against her ribs.
"Umm... I love..."
But before she could even finish the sentence, a sleepy, groaning voice cut through the darkness of the room.
"Jay? Are you mumbling in your sleep?"
It was Sophia.
Jay froze completely, her heart leaping into her throat.
Panicking, she instantly cut the call, practically threw the phone across the room, and scrambled to pull the blanket up.
She turned her head slowly, only to see Sophia looking right at her with half-open, suspicious eyes.
"I asked what you were doing.
Were you talking to Keifer?"
Sophia asked, her voice dropping into a dangerously sharp tone.
"Me? Talking to Keifer? Nah! Absolutely not!"
Jay instantly replied, her voice squeaking a little too high.
"Then?"
"Then?"
"What were you doing then?"
Sophia pressed, sitting up a bit.
"Me? No... umm..." Jay frantically looked around the dark room, her brain scrambling for any logical excuse.
"I... I was praying.
Yeah.
I was praying."
"Praying? At this hour?"
How to tell you I was actually praying for my life right now?
Jay muttered under her breath.
"Huh?" Sophia blinked, not catching the whisper.
"Yeah, yeah... God doesn't sleep, you know.
Just getting a head start on tomorrow," Jay stammered, offering a weak, guilty smile.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, staring at her for a long three seconds before she finally flopped back onto her pillows.
"Okay.
Goodnight.
Sleep fast."
"Yeah, yeah, yes. Goodnight," Jay said, pressing her lips together in relief.
The second Sophia turned her back, Jay's head started darting everywhere, her eyes scanning the dark room.
Where in the hell did I throw it?
she thought, desperately looking around the floor and the desk.
"Are you still praying?" Sophia's muffled voice came from under her blanket.
"No, no! I'm sleeping!"
Having no other option, Jay quickly slid down under the covers.
But before she could even close her eyes, she heard it.
Buzz... buzz... It was a faint, muffled vibration cutting through the quiet room.
"Oh god," Jay whispered under her blanket, closing her eyes in sheer terror.
She slowly peeked out from under the covers and turned her head to look at Sophia.
She waited, holding her breath, until she heard a soft, steady snore.
She's asleep.
Thank god,
Jay whispered, letting out a massive exhale.
Very softly, Jay stepped out of bed, her hair a complete mess from all the tossing and turning.
Standing on the cold floor, she looked around the dark room with a pout.
Now I'm totally regretting throwing my baby away.
She started to tiptoe across the room, following the faint, annoying vibration sound.
Every five seconds, she stopped dead in her tracks, snapping her head back to make sure Sophia hadn't moved an inch.
She checked under the vanity chair, behind the nightstand, and near the curtains, but she couldn't find it anywhere.
And the worst part? The buzzing wasn't ready to stop either.
Keifer was completely relentless.
Ugh! I seriously feel like killing you, Keifer, Jay thought, rolling her eyes. But then again, who would I marry?
Just as she was about to give up and dive back into bed, she noticed a faint, pulsing blue glow coming from... the dustbin.
Ugh. Seriously?
She glanced back at Sophia one more time, then tiptoed toward the corner of the room.
She reached into the small bin, pulled the phone out, and stared at the bright screen.
"Keifer is still calling?
Unbelievable,"
she muttered to herself, shaking her head at his stubbornness.
"Are you sleepwalking now?"
Jay's soul practically left her body as Sophia's clear, awake voice rang out from the bed.
She instantly threw her phone, but this time, she shoved it straight down the front of her silk pajama shirt to hide it.
She turned around slowly, forcing a sleek, completely innocent smile onto her face.
"No! Soph, I... I was..."
"I was?" Sophia repeated, sitting up in bed and crossing her arms.
"I was..." Jay's eyes darted around frantically until they landed on the door right beside her.
"Yes! I was going to the washroom."
Sophia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, of course!" Jay defended quickly, trying to look as natural as possible. "What, can't I use the washroom?"
Sophia raised her brow one last time, then finally flopped back down onto her pillows. "Ok go, but don't take too long."
"Yes," Jay gave a sheepish smile, which instantly vanished the moment Sophia turned her back on the bed.
Jay just turned to open the bathroom door when...
"Don't even think of eloping. Not even to your husband."
Jay's breath hitched. It was again Sophia.
Jay turned around slowly, only to see Sophia staring directly at her.
"Of course, of course! Why would I elope?" Jay stammered quickly.
"Good." Sophia again flopped onto her bed, wrapping the blanket around herself.
Jay let out a massive exhale, quickly slipped inside the washroom, and shut the door behind her.
The second she was safe inside, her phone went buzz.
The phone was buzzing against her skin again.
Oh god.
She quickly pulled it out of her silk shirt and answered.
"Keifer!"
"Why did you cut the call? You didn't even reply," Keifer's deep voice came through the speaker.
"Keiferrrr..." she groaned loudly under her breath.
"What?" he asked, feeling a bit afraid at his wife's warning tone.
"Soph was awake! She almost killed me!" she whisper-yelled into the phone, clutching her forehead.
"Oh. Okay, but now reply?"
Jay blinked in disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"
"Yes."
"No!"
"What do you mean, no?"
"I'm not replying!"
"Why?"
"Because... because... I'm angry!" Jay huffed.
"Oh... my wife is angry," he said in a deeply flirtatious tone, a chuckle evident in his voice.
"Does she want some bribe?"
Jay felt a sudden wave of heat crawl up her neck and face.
Before she could say anything, Keifer spoke up again.
"Okay, don't reply. I'm coming over."
"Ugh, no!"
"Ugh, yes," he said, laughing softly.
"You are evil!"
"Your evil," he corrected smoothly.
"Just reply to me, Jay. I love you."
Jay bit her lip as hard as she could, but she couldn't stop the massive smile from breaking across her face.
"Umm... I love you too," she whispered softly.
"Okay, now come out of the room. I'm waiting."
"Whattttttttttt?" Jay instantly pressed her palm against her mouth to stifle her scream of pure shock.
"Yes, fast."
"Why? I even replied?!" Jay wisper yell but then regret, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Doesn't matter. Just come out before I come over there and carry you out myself."
"Keiferrrr," she sulked, stamping her foot silently on the bath mat.
"Come. Fast."
And with that, he cut the call, leaving Jay staring at her phone in absolute, panicked disbelief.
"Aaaaaaa!" she screamed internally, clutching her head.
"He's insane, completely insaneeeeeeee!" she whisper-yelled, staring at her blank phone screen in absolute disbelief.
She took a deep, shaky breath, patted her cheeks to calm herself down, and muttered,
"Okay, Jay. You can do this. Just don't get caught by Sophia."
She carefully unlocked the washroom door and peeked out.
The bedroom was completely pitch black, and the only sound was Sophia's deep, rhythmic breathing.
Sophia was officially dead to the world again.
Slipping out of the bathroom, Jay tiptoed across the floor like a thief.
She didn't dare open the wardrobe to grab a jacket because the hangers would click, so she just smoothed down her silk pajama shirt, took a silent breath, and slowly turned the brass doorknob of the bedroom door.
Creeeeak.
Jay froze, her foot hovering in the air.
She slowly snapped her head back toward Sophia.
Sophia just snorted, hugged her pillow tighter, and turned over.
Jay let out a silent sigh of relief, slipped through the small crack of the door, and gently clicked it shut behind her.
She tiptoed out into the grand hallway.
She took a few cautious steps forward, looking right then left into the dim lighting.
The hallway was completely quiet and empty.
Was he just joking? she wondered, frowning slightly.
She was just thinking that when a strong, heavy arm suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, completely lifting her off her feet and pulling her back into a dark corner.
Her breath hitched instantly. Her heart completely skipped a beat, and her eyes went wide open in pure terror.
She only calmed down when his face came into the faint light of the hallway sconce.
"Keiferrrrr!" she whisper-yelled, smacking his chest as hard as she could without making a sound.
"Ow!" he laughed softly, the low rumble vibrating against her body as he easily caught her hands.
"Are you insane?! First you call me, then you tell me to say I miss you, then you tell me to say I love you! Are you crazy? Do you even know how I managed to even say all that? And then, how the hell did I manage to come hereeee and then you kidnapped meeee?" she said it all in one frantic, desperate breath, her chest heaving.
"I love you too."
He just replied with that, completely ignoring her entire rant as he leaned down and rested his forehead gently against hers.
The blunt, sudden words made her face turn bright red in an instant.
"Calm down, wifey. Calm down," he murmured softly, a tender smile breaking across his lips.
He closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss right against her forehead.
The warmth of his lips made Jay involuntarily close her eyes, her hands tightening on his shirt as she bit her lower lip to stop herself from melting completely.
Keifer opened his dark eyes, looking down at her face in the dim light.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, a dangerous, playful smirk suddenly taking over his face.
"You want my help?"
"Huh?" she breathed out, her mind completely blank.
"In biting your lips."
She smacked his chest again, her face burning, but he just laughed softly, his strong arms wrapping around her completely, pulling her so close there wasn't a single inch of space left between them.
He rested his forehead against hers for a second before leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose.
The warmth of his body completely melted away her panic.
Jay let out a soft breath and wrapped her arms around his waist too, holding onto him tightly in the quiet corner.
"I missed you," he murmured, his voice deep and rough against her hair.
"I missed you too," she replied softly, leaning up slightly to press a gentle kiss against his sharp jawline.
"I miss you more," he said, a breathtaking smile breaking across his handsome face as he leaned down and kissed the very corner of her mouth, making her heart do backflips.
He pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes locking onto hers.
"Can I get a proper one?"
Jay felt completely exposed under his intense gaze, her face turning a deep shade of crimson.
"Keiferrrr..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"What? Can't I even get a proper kiss from my future wife?" he whispered back playfully, leaning in to softly kiss her flushed cheek instead.
She let out a quiet giggle, hiding her face against his chest for a split second.
"You're saying that like you actually ask permission every single time you kiss me."
A triumphant smirk took over his lips.
"It means I can get one."
She nodded, a beautiful, helpless smile gracing her lips.
Keifer slowly leaned in, his gaze dropping to her mouth, and Jay's eyelids fluttered shut as she tilted her head up.
Both of them were smiling, their lips just a millimeter apart, completely ready to melt into each other.
Thwack!
The sudden, sharp sound of someone loudly breaking something cut through the dead silence of the hallway.
Jay's eyes flew open.
In pure panic, she instantly pushed Keifer away with all her strength, sending him stumbling back a step.
Keifer let out a heavy, deeply frustrated sigh, as his romantic mood was brutally shattered.
They both snapped their heads toward the source of the noise.
Standing just a few feet away in the shadows of the hallway was a massive, huddled crowd.
As the hallway light hit them, Jay's jaw dropped in absolute horror.
It was the entire squad.
the whole of Section E along with Sophia, Aries, Cheska, Percy, Freya, and Rakki-was jammed together like a pack of sardines.
Half of them, including Sophia and Percy, were standing with their arms tightly crossed, looking like strict parents who had just caught their teenagers sneaking out.
The other half looked like they were sitting back watching a juicy drama on Netflix, grinning from ear to ear, practically waiting for the pop-corn to arrive.
Right in the middle of the cluster, Felix and Ci-N were frantically rubbing their elbows, faces twisted in pain.
The whole loud disaster had happened because they had blindly slammed straight into each other while trying to get a better view, knocking a priceless hallway vase right off its pedestal.
"Oh, sorry Dad!" Ci-N said, offering a completely sheepish smile while still rubbing his sore elbow, totally ignoring the shattered porcelain at his feet.
Keifer's eyes narrowed into a deadly, murderous glare that could have pierced right through steel. If looks could kill, Ci-N would have been buried right there in the hallway.
Sophia stepped forward out of the crowd, breaking the awkward silence.
She looked at the two of them, tapped her foot against the marble floor, and raised a single eyebrow.
"Jay, Keifer... are you both done?" she asked bluntly.
At her remark, the rest of the squad instantly had to cover their mouths, desperately pressing down their laughter.
Felix snorted, and Aries had to bite his own knuckle to keep from roaring out loud.
"Soph..." Jay began, her face burning a bright, fiery red as she tried to explain.
But Sophia completely cut her off.
"Save it. Come with me," she commanded, stepping right into their space, grabbing Jay firmly by the wrist, and gently but resolutely pulling her away from Keifer.
Seeing his bride being hauled away, Keifer instinctively stepped forward, his hand reaching out to grab Jay back.
"Hey, wait-"
"BOYSSS!" Sophia commanded, her voice ringing out like a drill sergeant.
On her cue, the whole Section E squad, along with Percy and Aries, moved as a single, coordinated unit.
They swarmed forward in a massive blur, completely surrounding Keifer in a tight human circle.
Before he could even launch a punch or drop his terrifying alpha aura on them, they grabbed him by his arms, his waist, and his legs, completely lifting his heavy frame off the ground.
"LEAVE MEEEEEE!"
**
The next morning, the Watson mansion didn't just wake up-it practically exploded.
The whole place looked less like a luxury estate and more like a crowded zoo on a free-admission day. Doors were slamming, feet were pounding down the hallways, and voices echoed from the gardens all the way up to the stairs.
Upstairs in the bridal suite, it was total chaos.
More than half of the girls had barricaded themselves inside to help Jay get ready, turning the room into a fortress of hairspray and makeup brushes.
Sophia was pacing around with a clipboard, acting like a drill sergeant.
"Mica, I said the nude lipstick, not the bright pink one! We are going for an elegant bride look, not a birthday party clown!"
Sophia yelled, waving her pen in the air.
"I'm trying, Sophia! But Jay keeps laughing and ruining her eyeliner every time someone screams downstairs!"
Mica yelled back, holding a makeup brush like a weapon.
Jay was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, her stomach aching because she was already laughing so much at the madness outside her door, while Freya and Cheska tried their best to pin her hair up.
"Girls, please, calm down. The ceremony isn't for another three hours," Jay pleaded, gasping for air between giggles.
"Exactly! Only three hours!"
Grace yelled, running out of the bathroom with a heavy clothing steamer.
"Do you know how long it takes to steam this gown?! If anyone gets a single wrinkle on this fabric, I will personally throw them off the balcony!"
Meanwhile, on the exact opposite side of the mansion, the boys' wing was experiencing its own disaster.
Keifer was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking completely done with life before the day had even started.
David, Aries, and Edrix were surrounding him, trying to force his arms into his formal suit jacket.
"Hold still, Keifer! Your collar is crooked!" David ordered, tugging at the expensive fabric.
"If you pull that tie any tighter, David, you won't have a groom tomorrow because I'll be dead,"
Keifer growled, his jaw clenched.
Suddenly, Felix burst into the room, holding two completely different leather shoes.
"Emergency! Big emergency! Who stole Keifer's left shoe?
I found two right ones!
Ci-N, did you eat it?!"
From the bathroom, Ci-N walked out with thick white shaving cream covering the bottom half of his face like a giant Santa beard.
"Why does everyone automatically blame me?!
I didn't touch his shoe!
I was busy styling my hair!
Dad, do I look handsome?
Dad, look at my beard!"
"Get out of my face, Ci-N," Keifer snapped, swatting the younger boy away before he could get shaving cream on the suit.
"Percy! Help! Dad is being mean to me on his engagement day!" Ci-N yelled.
Percy, who was completely absorbed in fixing his own hair in the mirror, didn't even turn around.
"Don't bother me, shorty. I am making sure my handsome face recovered from getting slammed into that door last night. It's a miracle I don't have a permanent bruise."
Ci-N pouted, wiping a bit of cream from his nose.
"Hmph! Fine. Hey, since it's a party, we should have a cotton candy machine in the garden!
Dad, can we get cotton candy? Please? I want the blue flavor!"
"No," Keifer snapped.
"We are not having a cotton candy machine at a formal engagement."
"You're no fun!" Ci-N huffed. He exchanged a mischievous look with Felix.
"You know what? I'm going to ask someone who actually loves me."
Before anyone could stop them, Ci-N and Felix sprinted out of the room and marched straight down the hallway toward the bridal suite.
Ignoring the "No Boys Allowed" rule, they threw the doors open and walked right into Jay's room.
"Mom! Mommmmm!" Ci-N wailed dramatically, running straight toward Jay.
"Hey! Get out! Security breach!" Sophia shrieked, throwing a hair roller at Felix's head.
But Ci-N didn't care.
He dropped to his knees right beside Jay's chair, looking up at her with his face still covered in shaving cream.
"Mom, tell Dad to give us cotton candy! He's being a mean husband already!"
Felix nodded in agreement, leaning against the vanity.
"Yeah, Mom, he's totally
micromanaging the shoe situation too. We need backup."
At the ridiculous sight of them, Jay completely lost it.
She burst into uncontrollable laughter, bending double in her chair and clutching her stomach.
Tears sprouted in her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, her shoulders shaking so hard that Mica had to completely pull the makeup brush away to avoid poking her.
Wiping her eyes and still laughing hysterically, Jay reached out with a tissue and swatted a stray blob of shaving cream off Ci-N's forehead.
"Go back and get dressed, Ci-N!" Jay choked out, her voice cracking from laughing so hard.
"I'll make sure you get your cotton candy later, I promise!"
"Yes! Mom is the best!"
Ci-N cheered, jumping up and blowing a kiss to the room before Felix dragged him back out into the hallway.
"You're spoiling them, Jay," Cheska giggled, though she was laughing too as she went back to adjusting Jay's jewelry.
While the bride and groom were being tortured by their styling teams, the rest of Section E and the college squad were downstairs causing absolute chaos on the main floor.
The grand living room and dining area were a battlefield of floral arrangements, catering boxes, and screaming people.
"Move that flower vase to the left! No, the other left!
Are you blind?!"
Calix screamed at a servant, before realizing he was pointing his finger at a solid marble pillar.
"Wait, never mind, leave it there! It looks artsy!"
In the kitchen, a massive shouting match was happening over the pre-ceremony breakfast buffet.
"Hey! Drop that chicken nugget, Denzel!"
Kit screamed, hitting Denzel's hand with a rolled-up magazine.
"Those are for the high-profile guests after the ring exchange!"
"I'm starving, man! I've been carrying heavy tables since 6:00 AM!"
Denzel whined, dodging the magazine and shoving the entire nugget into his mouth anyway.
"If the catering runs out before the Watson relatives arrive, Uncle Watson is going to make us wash the dishes for the next five years!"
Mayo yelled, guarding the main food tables with a giant silver serving spoon.
Outside in the garden, Eman and Rory were trying to hang a massive 'Congratulations JayFer' banner, but they were failing miserably.
"Pull it tighter, Rory! It's sagging in the middle!" Eman shouted from the top of a shaky ladder.
"I am pulling! Eren is the one letting go on his side!" Rory yelled back.
"I'm not letting go on purpose!
A giant bee just flew right past my ear!"
Eren screamed from the other side, swatting the air wildly with both hands and nearly knocking the entire ladder over.
Down on the patio, Mr. and Mrs. Watson were standing near the grand glass doors, watching the utter madness unfold.
Mr. Watson was sipping his black coffee calmly, entirely amused, while Mrs. Watson was gently rubbing her temples, though her face carried a massive smile.
"Are you completely sure we shouldn't call professional security, dear?"
Mr. Watson joked softly, watching Josh and Blaster sprint past the living room windows at full speed, chasing a runaway balloon.
"No," Mrs. Watson laughed, shaking her head affectionately as she leaned into her husband's side.
"This is exactly what a Watson family celebration is supposed to feel like. Pure, beautiful chaos."
___________________________________
Hey buddies I know I was planning to write the whole night out, engagement, bachelors party but...
It's getting too long and I was getting impatient.
7000+ are completed and I seriously don't have strength to write more in just one chapter
But yeah u can give answer in comments
If u want me to include all the functions ( bachelors party, night out, engagement) in just one chapter.....but it will take more time to write also my laziness might supress me under it.
Or
Part by part but more regular updates?