Jare (POV)
Jay stayed in her room.
She didn't come out.
The house felt off because of it.
I leaned against the wall, running a hand through my hair before saying quietly,
"Jay remembers everything, Cole… Kuya."
The words settled heavily between us.
That night, everyone gathered at the table—Angelo, Kuya, and all of us.
We tried.
Tried to talk.
Tried to act normal.
Tried to pretend nothing had changed.
But it didn't work.
Not even a little.
Because we all knew—
Nothing was normal anymore.
And Kiefer wasn't here.
He was in Australia.
A business trip.
Bad timing.
Or maybe the worst timing possible.
"What are we going to do?" Cole asked finally, breaking the silence.
I exhaled slowly, staring at the table.
"Nothing…" I muttered. "I don't know what to do."
No one argued.
Because we all knew the truth—
Jay wasn't ready.
Not to face Aries.
Not to face any of it.
My jaw tightened slightly as one thought crossed my mind.
There was only one person who could bring her smile back.
And he wasn't here.
The only person who could break that spell… was him.
Clyden.
"My little hurricane… your number one kuya is here!" Clyden's voice echoed as he walked in, already grinning—
Then he saw us.
The mood.
The silence.
Everything shifted.
"What happened?" he asked.
His expression changed instantly.
Clyden (POV)
Today, I was supposed to surprise Jay.
I even had something important to tell her.
But the moment I stepped inside—
"My little hurricane… your number one kuya is here!" I called out, already grinning.
Then I saw them.
No one smiled.
The air felt… wrong.
Heavy.
My grin faded instantly.
"What happened?" I asked, scanning their faces.
Jare spoke first.
"Jay remembers her past."
A small pause.
I exhaled quietly.
"So… you all know now," I said.
Because I already did.
Cole's head snapped toward me.
"You knew?" he asked.
I nodded.
"She said she'd tell you all eventually… so I didn't say anything," I replied.
Angelo's expression hardened. "You lied to us."
I shook my head slightly. "No. Technically, I didn't lie… that was Jay's choice."
Before anyone could argue further, I turned and headed upstairs.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
When I reached her room and pushed the door open—
She was asleep.
Too still.
Too quiet.
Her face was pale, her body looking smaller than I remembered… fragile in a way that didn't sit right with me.
I stepped closer, my chest tightening.
She Alredy remembered everything.
Then why…
Why did she look more broken now than before?
I lifted her carefully and carried her downstairs.
She didn't wake.
She just leaned into my chest, silent… trusting… asleep.
My arms tightened slightly around her.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice low. "Why is she like this?"
Cole exhaled.
"She found out everything was a lie… about C-In, about his Section E friends. And now she's scared Kiefer will push her away again… tell her it was all a lie."
My jaw clenched.
"I knew it…" I muttered, glancing down at Jay in my arms. "Everything always comes back to Kiefer."
A pause.
Then I looked up at them.
"I'll talk to her," I said firmly. "But after that… she needs space."
They all nodded.
No one argued.
Cole (POV)
When Clyden said he'd take Jay, none of us stopped him.
Because we all knew—
Other than Kiefer…
She only ever truly opened up to him.
So we let them go.
The house felt even quieter after that.
Heavier.
By evening—
Kiefer walked in.
No hesitation. No warning.
Just straight through the door like he already knew where he belonged.
"Jay… I'm here," he said.
That was it.
Like nothing else mattered.
I stepped forward, stopping him.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
His eyes flicked to me—calm, unwavering.
"For my wife," he answered without pause. "Why else would I be here?"
Silence pressed in.
Then Percy spoke.
"Kiefer… Jay remembers her past."
Everything stilled.
Kiefer didn't react.
No shock.
No confusion.
Just…
Silence.
And somehow—
That was worse.
"Did you know?" I asked.
He nodded.
"How could I not?" he said quietly. "For three months… I've been with her every second. Twenty-four hours a day."
Jare frowned. "Then why didn't you ask her?"
Kiefer exhaled, his gaze dropping for a second before returning to us.
"How could I… when she's trying so hard to hide it?" he said. "I wanted her to tell me herself. If I said it first… it would've hurt her more."
Silence.
Heavy.
Angelo stepped forward, his voice firm.
"Go bring my niece back… the way she was."
A beat.
"With her smile."
I held Kiefer's gaze.
"Prove to us," I said, my voice steady, "that you'll never leave her."
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then—
He turned.
But before he reached the door, he stopped.
Slowly… he looked back.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
The question was quiet—
but it carried everything.
Jare scoffed, his voice edged with anger.
"How could she be?"
The hurt in him was obvious.
Percy stepped in, calmer—but firmer.
"I think you need to explain things to her, Kiefer," he said. "Do you really think she's okay?"
Silence stretched.
Kiefer didn't argue.
Didn't defend himself.
His jaw tightened slightly as he looked down for a brief second.
"I knew…" he said quietly.
A pause.
Then, softer—
"I knew one day I'd have to face this."
ISLAND
Jay-Jay (POV)
When I woke up… I was in a bed that felt familiar.
The room.
The air.
The quiet.
It took me a second—then I turned my head slightly, taking everything in.
The island.
Did Clyden Kuya bring me here?
A soft breath left me.
It felt… nostalgic.
The first time I came here, I was a stranger.
Now—
It felt like home.
Not my only home.
But another one I had quietly grown into, returning to it year after year without realizing how much it meant to me.
I pushed the blanket aside and slowly got out of bed, my body still a little weak but lighter than before.
After freshening up, I made my way downstairs.
The scent of breakfast greeted me first.
Warm. Familiar.
Grounding.
Kuya was already in the kitchen, cooking like nothing in the world had changed.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching him.
Then, softly—
"Good morning, Kuya," I said.
"Oh—you're awake. Good morning, my little hurricane," he said, lifting me slightly and pressing a kiss to my forehead.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked.
"I'm okay," I said.
He didn't believe me.
"Jay—"
I cut him off before he could continue.
"I'm starving, Kuya," I said, rubbing my stomach like it was the most important problem in the world.
A small pause—
Then he sighed but played along.
"Here," he said, placing a plate in front of me. "Your favorite. Pancakes—with extra sweetness and honey syrup."
I didn't wait.
I took a big bite.
"Mmm…" I hummed, eyes lighting up as I gave him a thumbs-up. "It's so good."
That made him smile.
I avoided it every time Kuya tried to bring it up.
Any serious topic.
Any question that went too deep.
I always had a way out.
"I need rest…"
"I forgot…"
"Later…"
Anything—just to change the subject.
And he let me.
Maybe because he knew.
Or maybe because he was waiting.
Now—
I was sitting alone on the beach.
The waves moved quietly in front of me, brushing against the shore like nothing in the world had ever been broken.
The wind was soft.
Calm.
Peaceful.
But inside me—
Nothing felt quiet.
I pulled my knees closer, staring at the horizon.
Avoiding him was easy.
Avoiding everything else… wasn't.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Then—
He sat beside me, close enough that I could feel his presence without looking. His hand rested lightly against my back.
"Jay… you're someone who can feel other people's pain. Not everyone can do that."
A soft pause.
"Some may think it's useless… but it's not."
His voice lowered.
"It's what makes the people around you feel understood… feel cared for… feel less alone."
A breath.
"So it's okay to be like this."
Gentle. Certain.
"It's okay to be you."
Another pause—
quieter this time.
"You're not wrong for feeling this way."
His voice softened.
"I'm not saying you're wrong to feel like this… but you don't have to carry it alone."
A small breath.
"You can lean on me too."
His hand rested a little more firmly against my back.
"That's why I want to know everything about you… your pain, your past… all of it."
A pause.
"You gave me a family I never thought I'd have."
Then, softer—
"So let me be someone you can lean on too. I want you to happy"
"So,Tell me"
A beat.
"How long are you going to keep avoiding me… and Kiefer?"
My chest tightened instantly.
I clenched my fingers slightly.
"Kuya…" I said quietly, my voice strained.
"Do you have to say his name?"
"What are you afraid of, Jay?" Clyden Kuya asked quietly. "I don't understand."
I stayed silent.
"You love him," he continued. "And he loves you. You chose him—despite everything. You fought everyone just to marry him."
His voice softened, but it didn't lose its weight.
"And now… everything is finally okay. You have a life together. A family. A blessing."
A pause.
"And now you want to throw it all away because of fear?"
My fingers tightened around my knees.
"Can't you see it?" he said. "He loves you."
His words didn't rush.
They settled.
"I know he made mistakes. I know he hurt you. That's the past."
Another pause.
"But you can't run from the present because of something you can't change."
I lowered my gaze.
"Give him a chance," he said more gently. "Not because I'm asking you to…"
A small breath.
"But because I've seen you with him."
His voice softened even more.
"I've seen how happy you were."
Silence wrapped around us.
Then—
"You promised us something when you married him," he added.
My breath caught.
"That even if it hurts…"
A beat.
"…you wouldn't leave him."
It was the first time I had seen Clyden Kuya talk to me like that.
Not teasing.
Not soft.
But real.
"Jay... i want to marry someone" he said softly
I froze.
Kuya?
Marriage?
He was the one person who always avoided that topic.
"Who?" I asked, still trying to process it.
"Sandra," he replied. "You saw her… at my birthday party."
My eyes widened slightly.
"You're serious?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"Are you scared?" I asked softly.
He looked at me.
And this time he didn't hide it.
"Yes," he admitted. "I'm scared… to love someone again."
His gaze drifted toward the beach.
"After losing someone… I didn't think I could do it again."
Silence settled between us.
"But loving someone is scary…" i said.
Then he spoke again—
His voice was quiet.
But heavy.
" yes,It's like gambling… you put everything in, and you don't know if you'll win or lose."
I watched him carefully.
"If you win… you get the person you want."
His fingers tightened slightly in his lap.
"But if you lose…"
A pause.
"It takes everything with you."
He turned to me then.
And for the first time—
There was no hesitation in his eyes.
Silence settled between us.
Then—
He looked at me.
"But for her…"
His voice softened.
"It's worth it."
A small breath left him.
"I'm willing to gamble everything."
Something inside my chest shifted.
"Did you propose?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"No."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"When I realized it… I came here to tell you."
His eyes flicked toward me.
"But you…"
I let out a quiet breath.
"She must be someone really special," I said softly. "Because you deserve love too, Kuya."
A pause.
Then I looked at my hands.
"I think… I understand now."
He didn't interrupt.
"I already gambled everything once," I continued quietly. "With Kiefer."
My chest tightened—but this time, it didn't hurt the same way.
"And even after everything… I still want him."
I lifted my gaze.
"So maybe…"
A small, steady breath.
"I can do it again."
For him.
For us.
Kuya smiled.
"That's my sister," he said, patting my head gently.
I huffed lightly.
"So when are you introducing her to me?"
He scratched the back of his neck.
"Soon… after I propose."
I blinked.
"Wait—what?"
A pause.
"…I don't know if she'll accept me," he added.
My eyes narrowed.
"…Why?"
He hesitated.
"…Because I rejected her."
I stared at him.
"Once?"
"…Thrice."
I shot up instantly.
"WHAT?! Thrice?!"
He winced slightly.
"It's not like I loved her back then," he defended. "How could I accept someone who suddenly proposed to me?"
I crossed my arms.
"You rejected her Thrice… and now you want to marry her?"
A beat.
Then I pointed at him.
"You better pray she still likes you."
He sighed.
"…I know."
But there was something different in his eyes now.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Something steady.
Something decided.
It was the first time I saw Clyden Kuya like that.
Not teasing.
Not avoiding.
But… real.
Like someone who had finally fallen in love.
And for the first time—
I didn't just hear it.
I saw it.
A quiet smile touched my lips.
Now…
I wanted to meet her.
The woman who made my Kuya—
the one who never believed in love—
fall this deeply.
Morning came slowly.
Soft.
Warm.
And when I opened my eyes—
I wasn't alone.
Warmth.
Familiar.
Safe.
For a second, I didn't move.
I just stayed there… feeling it.
Breathing it in.
Then reality settled in.
I blinked.
And realized—
I was in Kiefer's arms.
My breath stilled.
Carefully, I looked around.
Kuya .
He must had already left the island.
And somehow…
He left me here.
With him.
With Kiefer.
His arms were wrapped around me gently, like I was something fragile—something he didn't want to lose again.
Like if he held me too tight…
I might disappear.
My fingers curled slightly against his shirt.
And then—
His voice.
Low.
Soft.
Careful.
"Jay…"