ROOM 7
Chapter Three: The Little Brothers
---
The thing about having a rival was that Jay had prepared for everything.
She had prepared for late-night study wars. She had prepared for academic sabotage. She had prepared for Keifer to steal her notes, hide her textbooks, and sign her up for spam newsletters.
She had not prepared for Keigan and Keiran Watson.
---
Part One: The Text
Saturday morning. 8:47 AM. Jay was the only one awake.
She sat at the common table with her laptop and a cup of coffee — black, no sugar, exactly how Keifer had made it for her yesterday. She hadn't asked him to make it again. He just had. It was waiting for her when she woke up.
She was still figuring out how she felt about that.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: hi ate jay this is keigan
Jay blinked. She didn't have Keigan's number. She didn't have any of the Watsons' numbers. That would be crossing a line.
Unknown Number: i got your number from my mom
Unknown Number: hope thats ok
Unknown Number: anyway me and keiran are visiting kuya today
Unknown Number: keiran wants to know if youll be there
Unknown Number: he said and i quote "ate jay is pretty and nice and she smells like flowers"
Unknown Number: i told him thats weird
Unknown Number: he said "youre weird"
Unknown Number: hes 7 so i cant argue with him
Jay stared at her phone.
Keiran thought she smelled like flowers. Keiran was seven. Keiran was Keifer's brother, which meant he was the enemy by association.
But he was also seven.
And he thought she was pretty and nice.
Jay: Tell Keiran I'll be here.
Keigan: HE SAYS YAY
Keigan: HE ALSO SAYS CAN HE BRUCE A HAT
Keigan: BRING BRUCE A HAT
Keigan: sorry my phone is fighting me
Jay: Bruce doesn't need a hat.
Keigan: keiran says bruce needs a hat
Keigan: so bruce is getting a hat
Jay set down her phone and looked across the room at Keifer's bed. He was still asleep, Bruce tucked under his arm, face soft and young and annoyingly peaceful.
She wondered if he knew his brothers were coming.
She wondered if he knew she'd just agreed to see them.
She wondered why her heart was beating faster at the thought of a seven-year-old.
---
Part Two: The Arrival
Keigan and Keiran arrived at 10:00 AM exactly.
Jay heard them before she saw them — Keiran's high-pitched laughter echoing down the hallway, Keigan's voice shouting "slow down, you little goblin," and then the door to Room 7 burst open.
Keiran stood in the doorway, breathing hard, eyes wide. He was small for seven, with messy brown hair and Keifer's exact smile. In his hands, he held a tiny pink hat.
"ATE JAY!"
He launched himself across the room.
Jay barely had time to stand before he crashed into her legs, wrapping his arms around her waist like she was a tree in a hurricane.
"Hello, Keiran," she said, patting his head awkwardly.
"I missed you!"
"You saw me three weeks ago."
"That's FOREVER."
Behind him, Keigan walked in with a duffel bag and an air of exhausted older brother energy. He was eighteen, wild-haired, and wearing a shirt that said "I'm not arguing, I'm explaining why I'm right."
"Hey, Ate Jay." He nodded at her. "Thanks for not murdering my brother yet."
"It's only been a week."
"Give it time."
From across the room, Keifer sat up in bed, blinking sleepily. "What's all the noise—"
"KUYA!"
Keiran detached from Jay and launched himself at Keifer, who caught him mid-air and spun him around. Bruce the shark went flying. Keiran screamed with laughter.
"You're here!" Keifer said, hugging his brother tight. "You're actually here!"
"Mom said we could stay the whole weekend!"
"The WHOLE weekend?"
"AND we're going to the mall AND we're getting pizza AND we're watching movies AND—"
"And breathing," Keigan interrupted. "Don't forget breathing."
Keiran ignored him. He was already climbing onto Keifer's bed, grabbing Bruce, and putting the tiny pink hat on the shark's head.
"Bruce has a hat now," he announced.
"Bruce looks very distinguished," Keifer said seriously.
"I know. I picked it myself."
Keigan dropped the duffel bag and looked around Room 7. His eyes landed on Jay. "So. This is the famous Room 7."
"It's a room," Jay said.
"With twelve beds."
"Twelve beds, one bathroom, zero privacy."
"Sounds like hell."
"It is."
"And yet you're still here."
Jay tilted her head. "Are you always this observant?"
"I'm eighteen. I'm supposed to be annoying."
"You're doing a great job."
Keigan grinned. It was Keifer's grin — the same one, the one that made everyone forgive him instantly. "I like you, Ate Jay. You're mean."
"I'm not mean. I'm honest."
"Same thing."
"That's what your brother says."
"My brother is an idiot."
"I know."
They looked at each other. Something passed between them — understanding, maybe. Or just the shared knowledge that Keifer Watson was impossible.
"Keigan," Keifer called from his bed. "Stop bothering my roommate."
"I'm not bothering her. I'm bonding with her."
"Bond elsewhere."
"There's no elsewhere. This room is tiny."
"It's a converted ballroom."
"Same thing."
Keifer threw a pillow at him. Keigan caught it — of course he caught it — and threw it back.
Keiran tugged Jay's sleeve. "Ate Jay."
She looked down. "Yes?"
"Can you read me a story?"
"Now?"
"Please? Kuya reads boring. He does the voices wrong."
"I do NOT do the voices wrong—"
"You do Bruce's voice wrong. Bruce is supposed to sound like a pirate."
"Bruce is a SHARK. Sharks don't have accents."
"Bruce has an ACCENT."
Keiran looked up at Jay with huge eyes. "Please, Ate Jay? You do the voices right. I remember."
Jay's heart melted. She hated that it melted. She was supposed to be the ice queen, the cold and calculating Mariano heiress who didn't have time for seven-year-olds with puppy eyes.
But Keiran was looking at her like she hung the moon.
"Fine," she said. "One story."
Keiran grabbed her hand and dragged her to Keifer's bed. She sat down on the edge — Keifer's bed, she was sitting on Keifer's bed — and Keiran climbed into her lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Keifer handed her a book. "The Little Prince. It's his favorite."
"I know. I gave it to him."
Keifer's eyebrows went up. "You gave him that?"
"For his birthday. Two years ago."
"You came to his birthday party?"
"I was invited."
"By who?"
"Your mother."
Keifer stared at her. "My mother invited you to Keiran's birthday party?"
"We have a lot of mutual friends."
"Mutual friends? You and my mom?"
"She's a lovely woman."
"She's a Watson."
"So? Your dad asks about my business plans. Your mom sends me birthday gifts. Your little brother thinks I hung the moon." Jay looked down at Keiran, who was already flipping through the book. "Maybe the feud is older than us. Maybe our parents hate each other in the boardroom. But that doesn't mean I have to hate a seven-year-old."
Keifer was quiet for a long moment.
Then he said, softly: "You really are something else, Mariano."
"Read!" Keiran demanded.
Jay opened the book.
She did the voices right.
Keifer watched her the whole time.
---
Part Three: The Mall
At noon, Keigan announced they were going to the mall.
"The mall?" Keifer said. "Why the mall?"
"Because Keiran wants a new shark."
"Keiran has seventeen sharks."
"Keiran wants eighteen sharks."
"He doesn't need eighteen sharks."
"He wants eighteen sharks. There's a difference."
Keifer looked at Jay. "Do you want to come?"
"No."
"She said yes," Keigan announced.
"I said no."
"She said yes in her heart."
"My heart said no."
"Your heart is a liar."
Keiran tugged her sleeve. "Please, Ate Jay? I'll buy you ice cream."
"You don't have money."
"I have Kuya's money."
Keifer sighed. "She's not coming, Keiran."
"She IS coming." Keiran grabbed Jay's hand and started pulling. "She's coming and she's sitting next to me and she's holding my hand and we're getting ice cream and she's going to have FUN."
"I don't have fun," Jay said.
"Everyone has fun."
"I'm not everyone."
"Then you'll have extra fun to make up for it."
Jay looked at Keifer. Keifer shrugged helplessly.
"She's very persistent," Jay said.
"He's seven. He has no concept of boundaries."
"I'll come. But only because he asked nicely."
Keiran cheered. Keigan pumped his fist. Keifer looked like he didn't know what to do with his face.
"You're coming," Keifer said slowly.
"Apparently."
"To the mall. With my brothers."
"Don't make it weird."
"I'm not making it weird. You're making it weird by agreeing."
"I'm making it weird by being nice?"
"You're never nice!"
"I'm nice to Keiran."
"You're nice to everyone except me!"
"That's because everyone except you deserves it."
Keigan watched them argue with a smile on his face. "You two are exhausting."
"We're not we're anything," Jay said.
"We're enemies," Keifer said.
"Best enemies," Keigan corrected. "Enemies with tension."
"There's no tension—"
"There's SO much tension—"
"KEIGAN."
"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."
Keiran tugged Jay's hand. "Ate Jay, what's tension?"
Jay glared at Keifer. Keifer glared at Keigan. Keigan grinned like the chaos demon he was.
"Nothing," Jay said. "Let's go get ice cream."
---
The mall was crowded.
Keiran held Jay's hand the entire time. He swung their arms back and forth and pointed at everything and asked a million questions and Jay answered every single one.
"Why is the sky blue?"
"Light scattering."
"Why do fish sleep with their eyes open?"
"Because they don't have eyelids."
"Why is Kuya so annoying?"
"Genetics."
Keifer, walking on Keiran's other side, made an offended noise. "Hey."
"You walked into that," Keigan said.
"I didn't walk into anything. She's brainwashing my brother."
"I'm educating him. There's a difference."
"You're TURNING him against me."
"I'm STATING FACTS."
Keiran looked up at Keifer. "Kuya, are you annoying?"
"NO."
"Your face is red."
"It's HOT in here."
"The mall has air conditioning."
"KEIRAN."
Keiran giggled and squeezed Jay's hand. She squeezed back.
Keigan fell into step beside her. "You're good with him."
"He's easy."
"He's a demon wrapped in a seven-year-old's body."
"He's sweet."
"He's selectively sweet. He bit me yesterday."
"What did you do?"
"...I ate the last chicken nugget."
"So you deserved it."
"I was HUNGRY."
"Then you deserved it."
Keigan laughed. It was Keifer's laugh — bright and loud and impossible to ignore. "You're definitely a Mariano."
"Is that an insult?"
"It's an observation."
Jay looked at him. "Your family and my family have been fighting for three generations. Your dad tried to bankrupt my dad. My dad tried to bankrupt your dad. We're not supposed to be standing here, at the mall, buying ice cream."
"And yet."
"And yet."
Keigan shrugged. "I don't care about the feud. Neither does Keiran. Neither do my parents, honestly. The only people who still care are the old men in boardrooms."
"Your father is an old man in a boardroom."
"My father also cried at Inside Out. He's not the villain you think he is."
Jay was quiet for a moment. Then: "I don't think your father is a villain."
"You don't?"
"I think he's a businessman. Like my father. They do what they have to do."
"And my mom?"
"Your mom is lovely."
"And me?"
"You're... tolerable."
"And Kuya?"
Jay's steps slowed. "What about him?"
"You hate him?"
"I don't—" She stopped. Started again. "He's annoying."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only answer I have."
Keigan looked at her for a long moment. Then he smiled — softer this time, less chaotic.
"You know," he said, "for someone so smart, you're really stupid."
"Excuse me?"
"He's been in love with you for years. Everyone knows. Everyone except you."
Jay's heart stopped.
"No," she said.
"Yes."
"He's not—"
"He is. And honestly? I think you're in love with him too. You're just too stubborn to admit it."
"I'm not in love with him."
"Then why are you here? At the mall? With his brothers? Holding his brother's hand?"
"Because Keiran asked nicely."
"Keiran asks everyone nicely. You're the only one who says yes."
Jay opened her mouth. Closed it.
Keigan patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Ate Jay. Denial is the first stage."
"Of what?"
"Of falling in love with a Watson."
He walked ahead to catch up with Keifer, leaving Jay standing in the middle of the mall with her heart pounding and her mind spinning.
Keiran tugged her hand. "Ate Jay? Are you okay?"
She looked down at him. He had Keifer's eyes. Keifer's smile. Keifer's everything.
"I'm fine," she said.
"You look confused."
"I'm always confused."
"Oh." He considered this. "Do you still want ice cream?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Let's go."
He pulled her forward.
She followed.
---
Part Four: The Ice Cream Incident
They sat at a table in the food court.
Keiran had chocolate ice cream all over his face. Keigan had a smoothie that he kept trying to steal from Keifer. Keifer had a coffee and an expression that said he was exhausted but happy.
Jay had vanilla. She always had vanilla. It was safe. Predictable. Everything she wanted her life to be.
"So," Keifer said, "are you having fun?"
"No."
"Your ice cream is almost gone."
"Vanilla is efficient."
"Vanilla is boring."
"Vanilla is classic."
"Vanilla is what you order when you're afraid of trying new things."
Jay looked at him. "Are we still talking about ice cream?"
Keifer's eyes met hers. "Are we?"
The moment stretched.
Keiran, oblivious, reached over and stole a spoonful of Jay's ice cream. "Ate Jay, your ice cream is boring."
"Thank you, Keiran."
"You're welcome."
Keigan snorted. Keifer laughed. Jay looked away first.
But her heart was still pounding.
---
Part Five: The Shark Store
The shark store was exactly what it sounded like.
A store. Full of sharks. Stuffed sharks, shark pillows, shark blankets, shark hats, shark socks, shark everything.
Keiran ran inside like he was coming home.
"BRUCE NEEDS A FRIEND!"
"Bruce has seventeen friends," Keifer called after him.
"BRUCE NEEDS EIGHTEEN!"
"He really doesn't."
"HE REALLY DOES!"
Keigan sighed. "This is why I don't have kids."
"You're eighteen," Jay said.
"Exactly. I'm too young for this energy."
Keifer wandered over to a display of shark slippers. "These are ridiculous."
"Everything in here is ridiculous."
"I want them."
"Of course you do."
He looked at her. "You want them too."
"I don't want anything."
"Everyone wants something, Mariano."
"Not me."
"Liar."
He held up the slippers. They were bright blue with shark fins on the top and little teeth on the toes. "Try them on."
"No."
"Try them on."
"I said no."
"Keiran!" Keifer called. "Ate Jay won't try on the shark slippers!"
Keiran appeared instantly, clutching a giant stuffed hammerhead. "Ate Jay. Try on the slippers."
"I don't—"
"PLEASE."
She looked at Keiran. Looked at the slippers. Looked at Keifer's smug face.
"Fine."
She sat down and put on the slippers.
They were fuzzy. Warm. Ridiculous.
Keiran cheered. Keigan took a picture. Keifer grinned like he'd won the lottery.
"You look ridiculous," Keifer said.
"So do you."
"I'm not wearing them."
"You will be."
"I will not—"
Jay grabbed the other pair and threw them at him. He caught them — of course he caught them — but before he could protest, Keiran was already pushing him toward a chair.
"Kuya. Sit."
"I don't want to—"
"SIT."
Keifer sat.
Keiran put the slippers on his feet.
"There," Keiran said. "Now you match."
Keifer looked at his feet. Looked at Jay's feet. Looked at his brother.
"I hate all of you," he said.
"No you don't," said Keiran, Keigan, and Jay in perfect unison.
Keifer buried his face in his hands.
Jay smiled.
She didn't mean to. It just happened.
Keigan caught it on camera.
---
Part Six: The Drive Home
Keiran fell asleep in the car.
He was curled up in the back seat, head on Jay's lap, clutching his new hammerhead shark. His breathing was soft and even. His face was peaceful.
Jay looked down at him and felt something shift in her chest.
"He does that," Keifer said from the passenger seat. Keigan was driving. "Falls asleep anywhere. It's a talent."
"He's a good kid."
"He's the best." Keifer paused. "You're good with him."
"I'm okay with him."
"You're more than okay. He never falls asleep on anyone. He doesn't trust easily."
Jay looked down at Keiran. His hand was curled around her sleeve. Even in sleep, he was holding on.
"He trusts you," Keifer said softly. "And he's a terrible judge of character, so that's saying something."
"You just called your brother a terrible judge of character."
"I call everyone a terrible judge of character. It's my love language."
Jay rolled her eyes. But she didn't stop running her fingers through Keiran's hair.
Keifer watched her.
"You're staring," she said without looking up.
"I'm observing."
"Same thing."
"I'm being scientific."
"You're being creepy."
"Same thing."
Jay looked up. Keifer was smiling — soft, private, the smile he only wore when he thought she wasn't looking.
"What?" she said.
"Nothing."
"You're looking at me like—"
"Like what?"
She stopped. Shook her head. "Never mind."
"Like I'm seeing you for the first time?" he offered. "Like I'm realizing something I should have known years ago? Like maybe—"
"Keifer."
"Yeah?"
"Stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop making me feel things."
The car went quiet.
Keigan's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. His expression said I told you so.
Keifer's expression said I'm not sorry.
Jay's expression said I'm in trouble.
---
Part Seven: The Goodnight
Back at the dorm, Keiran woke up long enough to hug Jay goodbye.
"Goodnight, Ate Jay."
"Goodnight, Keiran."
"Will you be here tomorrow?"
"I'll be here."
"Promise?"
Jay hesitated. She didn't make promises. Promises were binding. Promises could be broken.
But Keiran was looking at her with Keifer's eyes.
"Promise," she said.
Keiran smiled and let Keigan carry him to the guest room down the hall.
Keifer stood in the doorway of Room 7, watching her.
"You didn't have to promise him that."
"I know."
"But you did."
"I know."
"Why?"
Jay looked at him. The hallway lights made shadows on his face. He looked younger in the dark. Softer.
"Because he's seven," she said. "And because someone should keep their promises to him."
Keifer was quiet for a long moment.
Then he said: "You're not the ice queen everyone thinks you are."
"I'm exactly who everyone thinks I am."
"No. You're not." He stepped closer. "You're warm. You're soft. You read bedtime stories and do the voices right. You let a seven-year-old fall asleep in your lap. You bought shark slippers even though you hate fun."
"I don't hate fun."
"You hate everything."
"I don't hate everything."
"What don't you hate?"
Jay opened her mouth. Closed it.
The word you was on the tip of her tongue.
She didn't say it.
But Keifer saw it anyway.
His smile was slow and warm and dangerous. "Goodnight, Jay."
"Goodnight, Keifer."
She walked to her bed. He walked to his.
They didn't look at each other.
But neither of them slept.
---
Part Eight: The Photo
The next morning, Jay woke up to a text from an unknown number.
Unknown Number: hey ate jay its keigan
Unknown Number: i took this yesterday
Unknown Number: [image attached]
Unknown Number: thought you might want it
Jay opened the photo.
It was her and Keifer, sitting on the floor of the shark store, wearing matching shark slippers. Keiran was between them, holding his new hammerhead, grinning at the camera.
But Jay wasn't looking at Keiran.
She was looking at herself — at the smile on her face, the lightness in her eyes, the way she was leaning toward Keifer like he was gravity.
She didn't recognize herself.
Jay: Delete this.
Keigan: no
Jay: Please.
Keigan: no
Jay: I'll pay you.
Keigan: you cant pay me enough
Keigan: this is going in the family group chat
Keigan: mom is going to frame it
Jay: I hate you.
Keigan: no you dont
Keigan: youre just not ready to admit you love us yet
Jay: I don't love you.
Keigan: you love keiran
Keigan: and you love my brother
Keigan: and honestly? you kind of love me too
Keigan: im very lovable
Jay: I'm blocking you.
Keigan: no youre not
Keigan: youre going to save this photo
Keigan: and youre going to look at it when youre sad
Keigan: and youre going to remember that even ice queens deserve to be happy
Jay stared at her phone.
Then she saved the photo.
Then she looked across the room at Keifer, who was still asleep, Bruce tucked under his arm, face soft and peaceful.
She saved the photo.
She didn't delete it.
She didn't block Keigan.
And when Keifer woke up and smiled at her — sleepy and warm and impossibly fond — she smiled back.
Just a little.
Just enough.
---
End of Chapter Three