Chapter 80: New York Calling
(Jay Jay's POV)
The house finally went quiet.
After hours of noise…
laughter…
arguing…
and Felix refusing to leave—
Section E was gone.
The door shut.
Silence settled.
I exhaled.
Jay:
"…finally."
Keifer dropped onto the couch beside me.
Keifer:
"They took half my energy with them."
Jay:
"They always do."
Keifer:
"And they'll be back tomorrow."
Jay:
"…don't remind me."
We sat there for a moment.
Peaceful again.
Then—
Something hit me.
Jay:
"Wait."
Keifer looked at me.
Keifer:
"What?"
Jay:
"Results."
Keifer blinked.
Keifer:
"…now?"
Jay:
"Yes, now."
I stood up immediately.
Jay:
"I completely forgot."
Keifer stood up too.
Keifer:
"You forgot Harvard results?"
Jay:
"I had prom!"
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"Excuses."
I grabbed my laptop from the table.
Hands suddenly… not steady.
Jay:
"…okay wait."
Keifer leaned closer.
Keifer:
"You're nervous."
Jay:
"I'm not nervous."
Keifer:
"You're shaking."
Jay:
"I'm not shaking!"
Keifer:
"You're shaking."
I glared at him.
Jay:
"Stop talking."
He raised his hands.
Keifer:
"Okay. I'll shut up."
I opened the laptop.
Logged in.
The screen loaded.
Too slow.
Way too slow.
Jay:
"Why is it so slow—"
Keifer:
"Relax."
Jay:
"I can't relax!"
The page finally opened.
Two emails.
One for me.
One for him.
My heart started racing.
Jay:
"…open yours."
Keifer:
"No, you open yours."
Jay:
"No, you first."
Keifer:
"You first."
Jay:
"Keifer!"
Keifer:
"Jay!"
We both paused.
Then—
Opened them at the same time.
Silence.
A second.
Two.
Three.
Then—
Jay:
"OH MY GOD—"
Keifer:
"No way—"
I stood up so fast I almost dropped the laptop.
Jay:
"WE GOT IN!"
Keifer laughed.
Keifer:
"WE GOT INTO HARVARD!"
I screamed.
Jay:
"NEW YORK!!"
Keifer pulled me into him instantly.
Keifer:
"WE'RE GOING TO NEW YORK!"
Jay:
"WE'RE GOING TO NYC!"
We both laughed.
Like everything just—
clicked.
Jay:
"This is insane—"
Keifer:
"We actually did it."
Jay:
"Harvard…"
Keifer:
"Business program."
I froze slightly.
Jay:
"…business."
Because I knew what that meant.
New York.
My dad.
Mariano Enterprises.
Years.
So many years.
Keifer noticed.
Keifer:
"You're thinking."
Jay:
"…I have to see him."
Keifer nodded.
Keifer:
"You will."
Jay:
"…what if it's awkward?"
Keifer:
"It will be."
Jay:
"…wow thanks."
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"But you'll handle it."
I looked at him.
Jay:
"…I will."
(Keifer's POV)
She already knew what was waiting in New York.
Because she'd been there before.
Not recently.
But enough.
Enough to remember.
Enough to feel something.
Keifer:
"You're going to take your place."
Jay looked at me.
Jay:
"I'm not walking in as CEO."
Keifer:
"Not immediately."
Jay:
"Exactly."
Keifer:
"But eventually."
She didn't deny it.
And that told me everything.
(Jay Jay's POV — Time Skip: New York)
New York felt the same.
Loud.
Fast.
Alive.
But this time—
I wasn't walking in as a stranger.
I was walking back.
Standing in front of Mariano Enterprises again…
didn't feel unfamiliar.
Jay (softly):
"…I've missed this place."
Keifer glanced at me.
Keifer:
"You're different here."
Jay:
"How?"
Keifer:
"More… you."
I smiled slightly.
Jay:
"Let's go."
We walked in.
(Inside — Mariano Enterprises)
Everything was just how I remembered.
Clean.
Sharp.
Efficient.
And then—
"Jay."
I turned.
My dad.
This time—
No shock.
Just… recognition.
Jay:
"Hi."
Dad stepped closer.
Dad:
"You made it."
Jay:
"I did."
No long silence.
No awkward distance.
Just… a calm understanding.
Dad:
"You've grown."
Jay smirked slightly.
Jay:
"Obviously."
He chuckled.
Dad:
"You got into Harvard."
Jay:
"Business."
Dad nodded.
Dad:
"Good."
Then—
He looked around.
Dad:
"You already know this place."
Jay:
"I do."
Dad:
"Then you know…"
He paused.
Dad:
"You deserve your part of it."
I didn't freeze this time.
Because deep down—
I always knew this conversation would happen.
Jay:
"…I'll earn it."
Dad smiled.
Dad:
"I know you will."
Then—
A familiar voice.
"FINALLY."
I turned.
Percy.
Leaning against the wall dramatically.
Like he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.
Percy:
"YOU TOOK LONG ENOUGH."
I smirked instantly.
Jay:
"You're still dramatic."
Percy gasped.
Percy:
"EXCUSE ME? I HAVE EVOLVED."
Jay:
"You got worse."
Percy walked over.
Percy:
"I MISSED YOU."
Jay:
"I know."
And that was the difference.
No awkward introduction.
No confusion.
Because we already knew each other.
Because back then—
When everything got complicated…
When Keifer revealed his plan…
When everything felt too heavy—
I walked away.
And I found Percy.
And somehow—
In all that chaos—
We became… this.
A bond.
Strange.
Dramatic.
But real.
Percy looked at Keifer.
Percy:
"AH."
He narrowed his eyes.
Percy:
"THE BOYFRIEND."
Jay:
"Yes."
Percy circled him.
Percy:
"YOU LOOK LESS INTIMIDATING THAN I EXPECTED."
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"I get that a lot."
Percy:
"DON'T WORRY. I'LL JUDGE YOU PROPERLY LATER."
Jay:
"Percy—"
Percy ignored me.
Percy:
"IF YOU HURT HER—"
Keifer:
"I won't."
Percy paused.
Then nodded.
Percy:
"GOOD ANSWER."
I laughed.
Because nothing changed.
Not him.
Not us.
And honestly?
That made everything feel… lighter.
(Ending)
Standing there—
Between my past…
and my future—
With my dad in front of me.
With Percy beside me.
With Keifer next to me—
It didn't feel overwhelming anymore.
It felt right.
Jay (softly):
"…this is where everything starts."
Keifer glanced at me.
Keifer:
"No."
Jay:
"…what?"
Keifer smirked.
Keifer:
"It already started."
I looked at him.
Then smiled.
Because he was right.
End of Chapter
Chapter Moral / Summary ✦
Not every reunion begins with strangers.
Sometimes, the connection was always there—
just waiting for the right moment to grow stronger.
Jay didn't return to something unfamiliar.
She returned to something unfinished.
With her father, she found direction.
With Percy, she found comfort.
And with Keifer, she found certainty.
The past doesn't always need fixing—
sometimes it just needs continuing.
And when the right people are still there…
It doesn't feel like going back.
It feels like moving forward.