— JAY POV —
After the whole "temporary blindness" incident, we eventually went back inside because apparently almost dying from sand exhaustion made me hungry again.
Which honestly?
Rude.
Lunch somehow turned into another chaotic disaster.
Keifer kept stealing food from my plate while claiming "sharing is caring."
Then I threatened to stab him with a fork.
Then he fed me mango slices just to annoy me.
Then somehow we argued for ten whole minutes about whether pineapples belonged on pizza.
And honestly?
It felt normal.
Comfortable.
Like before everything got ruined.
After lunch though…
the sleepiness hit me like a truck.
I was laying dramatically across the couch half asleep while Keifer laughed softly at me.
"You look dead."
"I am dead."
"You ate enough for three people."
"I needed emotional recovery."
"Mhm."
I glared weakly at him before standing up slowly.
"I'm going upstairs."
"To sleep?"
"No. To professionally pass away."
He laughed quietly while watching me drag myself upstairs dramatically.
Honestly?
The bed looked heavenly.
I barely even managed pulling the blanket over myself before immediately falling asleep.
When I woke up again…
the room was darker.
Orange evening light filled the room softly through the windows.
For a second I looked around sleepily in confusion.
Then I realized—
warm arms were wrapped tightly around my waist again.
Keifer.
I blinked slowly before turning slightly toward him.
He was asleep beside me, holding me close like it was the most natural thing in the world.
His face looked peaceful again.
Relaxed.
And honestly?
I hated how much I liked seeing him like this.
My eyes softened slightly while staring at him.
This idiot.
Even in sleep he refused letting me go.
Then suddenly—
his grip tightened slightly and he buried his face deeper into my shoulder sleepily.
I froze instantly.
"…Keifer."
"Mhm."
"You're crushing me."
"No."
"You literally are."
"No evidence."
I rolled my eyes while he finally opened one eye lazily.
"Evening," he mumbled.
"You sleep like a koala."
"You smell nice."
"…That's not related."
"It is to me."
My face heated up immediately.
Idiot.
A little later we ended up walking along the beach because apparently Keifer believed "sunset walks fix emotional trauma."
Which honestly sounded fake.
But unfortunately the sunset was beautiful.
The sky looked orange and pink while the waves moved softly near our feet.
We walked side by side quietly for a while.
Then suddenly—
Keifer spotted a huge rock near the shore.
"Oh."
I immediately narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"No."
"Yes."
"Keifer."
"I'm climbing it."
"You're literally a grown man."
"Exactly."
Before I could stop him, this idiot already started climbing the rock proudly.
I stared at him in disbelief while he kept going higher.
"Oh my god."
Then from the top he spread his arms dramatically.
"LOOK AT ME."
"You look unemployed!"
"I LOOK MAJESTIC."
"You look stupid!"
He gasped dramatically from above.
"Rude."
Then suddenly—
his foot slipped.
Everything happened too fast.
"KEIFER—"
He lost balance and fell badly onto the sand near the rocks.
My heart literally stopped.
"OH MY GOD."
I immediately ran toward him in panic.
"KEIFER?!"
He wasn't moving.
My chest tightened painfully.
No no no no—
I dropped beside him quickly and grabbed his face anxiously.
"Keifer wake up!"
Nothing.
There were small scratches on his hand and leg from the rocks.
My breathing started shaking immediately.
"Oh my god…"
Then suddenly I remembered something from first aid training.
CPR.
Right.
I quickly checked his breathing anxiously.
It felt shallow.
Or maybe I was panicking too hard to think properly.
"Okay okay okay…"
I leaned down quickly and started CPR desperately.
"Please wake up you idiot—"
Then after a moment I leaned down for rescue breaths—
but suddenly—
his lips MOVED.
Wait.
My eyes narrowed instantly.
Because instead of unconscious behavior—
THIS MAN WAS KISSING BACK.
Silence.
I slowly pulled away.
Keifer's lips twitched slightly like he was trying not to smile.
My jaw dropped.
"…You."
His eyes slowly opened innocently.
"Oh wow," he whispered dramatically. "Jay…you saved me."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You brought me back to life."
I softly smacked his chest immediately.
"SHUT UP ASSHOLE."
He burst out laughing while I glared at him furiously.
"What are you? Sleeping Beauty?" I snapped dramatically. "Woken up by true love's kiss?! Stop acting!"
"I saw the opportunity."
"I THOUGHT YOU DIED."
"A little dramatic."
"I WILL ACTUALLY KILL YOU MYSELF."
He laughed harder while trying sitting up slightly.
Then he winced quietly.
Immediately my anger disappeared a little.
"…Wait."
I grabbed his arm carefully.
The scratches on his hand and leg looked worse up close now.
"Idiot," I muttered softly. "You're actually injured."
"Barely."
"You need treatment."
"It's just scratches."
"And your brain clearly got damaged too."
He grinned slightly.
"Already happened when I fell for you."
I rolled my eyes aggressively to hide my face heating up again.
"Get up."
He raised an eyebrow teasingly.
"You'll carry me?"
"In your dreams."
I still helped him stand carefully though.
And despite all the chaos…
his hand never left mine while we slowly walked back toward the villa together under the sunset sky.
—
By the time we reached the villa, I was still aggressively glaring at Keifer.
Meanwhile this psychopath looked proud of himself.
"You almost gave me a heart attack," I complained while opening the villa door dramatically.
"But you kissed me back to life."
"I was performing CPR!"
"Still romantic."
"You are actually mentally ill."
He laughed quietly while following me inside with slightly messy wet sand still stuck everywhere.
I immediately pointed at him accusingly.
"Okay first of all—you need a bath."
He blinked.
"…That sounded aggressive."
"You have sand all over you," I continued dramatically. "And your wounds need clean water. Go take a bath."
Then suddenly that idiot smirked lazily.
"You wanna join?"
My soul nearly left my body.
"WHAT?!"
Keifer looked deeply entertained by my reaction already.
"I'm injured," he sighed dramatically while holding his arm like some dying soldier. "I need help."
"You have TWO scratches."
"I could collapse any second."
"I should let you."
"At least help me bathe then."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You're not that injured," I deadpanned. "Take a bath yourself."
"Ouch."
"And tell me where the first aid kit is."
He sighed dramatically like life betrayed him.
"Cabinet near the kitchen."
"Good."
I pointed threateningly at him again.
"You take a bath first. I'm bringing the first aid kit."
"Yes ma'am."
"And don't die while showering."
"No promises."
"KEIFER."
He laughed while walking upstairs lazily.
Meanwhile I went looking for the first aid kit while muttering threats to myself.
Honestly?
This man exhausted me spiritually.
After finally finding the kit, cotton, antiseptic, bandages and everything else, I walked upstairs toward our room.
OUR room.
Not just his anymore.
Because apparently this island turned us into some weird married couple simulation.
The moment I opened the bedroom door though—
I froze.
Keifer had just stepped out of the bathroom.
And unfortunately…
he looked devastating.
Only a white towel hung low around his waist while droplets of water slowly moved down his skin.
His wet hair fell messily over his forehead and his shoulders still glistened slightly from the shower.
And god.
His physique was genuinely unfair.
Broad shoulders.
Defined chest.
Sharp waist.
Visible abs.
Veins slightly visible along his arms.
Like some luxury perfume advertisement designed specifically to ruin my mental peace.
My eyes widened slightly before immediately looking away.
Oh my god.
Why was he built like THAT.
Then unfortunately—
I heard him laugh softly.
"You're staring."
"I WAS NOT."
"Mhm."
I kept my eyes aggressively fixed on the first aid kit.
"Go wear something!"
"Why?" he asked innocently. "You already saw me."
"NOT WILLINGLY."
"Your eyes said otherwise."
"KEIFER."
He walked closer slowly and honestly?
That made everything worse.
Because now he smelled fresh too.
This man was a public safety hazard.
"You're blushing again," he teased softly.
"It's hot."
"I just came out of cold water."
"That's your personal problem."
He laughed quietly before finally grabbing clothes from the closet.
"Fine. Since my wife is shy."
"I WILL THROW YOU OFF THE BALCONY."
"That sounds loving."
A few minutes later, he finally sat beside me wearing loose black pants and a t-shirt while I opened the first aid kit dramatically.
"Give me your hand."
He stretched his injured hand toward me lazily.
I started cleaning the scratches carefully with cotton and antiseptic.
The second it stung, he hissed quietly.
"Ow."
"Good."
"You enjoy my suffering."
"A lot actually."
He watched me quietly for a moment while I focused on cleaning the wounds properly.
Then suddenly—
"You'd look pretty doing this forever."
I paused.
"…What?"
"Taking care of me."
I immediately narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Don't flirt while injured."
"I'm serious."
"You're annoying."
"You'd make a cute wife."
I pressed the cotton slightly harder against his scratch immediately.
"OW—"
I smiled sweetly.
"Careful, Waston," I warned innocently. "Your wound is in my hands."
He stared at me for a second.
Then suddenly smiled softly.
"…My heart too."
My entire brain stopped functioning.
For one whole second I just stared at him blankly while my face heated up violently.
Oh my god.
This man was dangerous.
I quickly looked away pretending to focus on the bandage.
"Stop talking nonsense."
"It's not nonsense."
"You're emotionally unstable."
"Only for you."
I aggressively finished wrapping the bandage while trying to ignore my own heartbeat.
Then I stood up dramatically before he could say anything worse.
"You need rest."
He looked up at me lazily.
"And where are you going?"
"I'll cook dinner."
His eyebrows lifted immediately.
"…Are you sure?"
I placed a hand over my chest proudly.
"Yes. I can cook."
"That sentence sounded uncertain."
"It wasn't."
He looked deeply unconvinced.
"There are frozen snacks in the freezer," he explained carefully like he didn't trust my survival skills. "Just fry them. And there's frozen fish too—defrost it in water first."
I nodded seriously.
"Okay."
Then I pointed at him threateningly again.
"And YOU stay here and rest."
He raised both hands dramatically.
"As my wife says."
I grabbed the nearest pillow immediately.
"JAY—WAIT—"
Too late.
The pillow already hit his face while his laughter filled the entire room again.
— JAY POV —
After throwing the pillow at Keifer's face like a responsible adult, I proudly walked downstairs toward the kitchen.
Honestly?
How hard could cooking possibly be?
People exaggerated too much.
I reached the kitchen dramatically and placed both hands on the counter confidently.
"Okay Jay," I muttered to myself. "You are a strong independent woman."
Silence.
"…Who can definitely cook."
Maybe.
Probably.
Hopefully.
I opened the freezer and immediately found the frozen snacks Keifer mentioned.
"Easy."
I proudly took them out along with the frozen fish before placing everything on the counter.
See?
Domestic queen behavior.
Keifer was about to be SO impressed.
I grabbed a pan dramatically and poured oil into it before turning the gas stove on.
The soft flame appeared underneath while I hummed proudly to myself.
Then suddenly I remembered—
THE FISH.
"Oh right."
I quickly turned toward the sink and opened the water.
Then I dipped the frozen fish into the water carefully to defrost it while leaning slightly against the counter.
And unfortunately…
my stupid brain started thinking about Keifer again.
That idiot.
The way he smiled while teasing me.
The way he carried me earlier after the sand incident.
The way he looked at me sometimes like I was genuinely the most important thing in his life.
And then—
"My heart too."
My face instantly heated up again.
"Oh my god," I muttered dramatically to myself. "Why does he say things like that so casually?"
I stared down at the water absentmindedly while my thoughts kept wandering.
He bought me an island.
AN ISLAND.
Who even does that?!
And the way he said I was sunshine in his life…
Idiot.
Stupid emotional idiot.
A tiny smile appeared on my face without permission.
Then suddenly another memory appeared—
him standing shirtless in only a towel.
My brain malfunctioned immediately.
NO.
Absolutely not.
I aggressively splashed water on my own face lightly.
"Control yourself Jay Mariano."
But honestly?
Seeing him happy today made something warm settle inside my chest.
For the first time in so long…
he looked peaceful.
Not stressed.
Not angry.
Not broken.
Just…Keifer.
And somehow that made me happy too.
Then suddenly—
something smelled weird.
My nose scrunched slightly.
"…Wait."
A second later—
SMOKE.
My eyes widened instantly.
"Oh my GOD."
I turned around quickly—
and froze in horror.
THE ENTIRE STOVE WAS ON FIRE.
The oil in the pan had burst into huge flames spreading upward dangerously.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
I panicked immediately.
My heart started pounding violently while the fire crackled loudly.
"Oh my god oh my god—"
Without thinking properly, I grabbed water from the sink and splashed it toward the pan.
BIG mistake.
The fire exploded even larger instantly.
I screamed.
"KEIFER?!"
My breathing started shaking while I stumbled backward in panic.
The flames looked terrifying now.
"I'M GOING TO DIE."
The smoke made my eyes water immediately.
I genuinely started panicking.
This was it.
I survived kidnappings, emotional trauma, betrayal and Section E only to die making frozen snacks.
Then suddenly—
"JAY!"
Keifer rushed into the kitchen immediately.
The second he saw the fire, his expression changed instantly.
"Move back!"
I quickly stumbled away while he grabbed the fire extinguisher from nearby and stopped the flames quickly.
Within moments—
the fire finally died down.
Silence.
Only my breathing remained shaky.
My hands were trembling badly now from fear.
Keifer immediately turned toward me.
"Jay?"
I blinked rapidly trying not to cry from the adrenaline.
"I almost died," I whispered dramatically.
His expression softened immediately.
Then without hesitation he walked toward me quickly and pulled me into his arms.
"You're okay," he murmured softly while holding the back of my head carefully. "You're okay baby."
The second he hugged me—
I broke.
"I thought the kitchen exploded," I muttered shakily against his chest.
He held me tighter instantly.
"You're safe."
"I hate cooking."
A small laugh escaped him softly.
"Yeah I noticed."
"I almost became fried fish with the fish."
That made him laugh quietly again despite the situation.
But then he gently pulled back slightly to look at me properly.
And immediately his expression changed again.
"You're shaking."
I looked down.
Oh.
My hands actually were trembling badly.
The panic finally hit fully now.
Keifer's face softened painfully seeing that.
"Oh sweetheart…"
Before I could react, he carefully lifted me into his arms like I weighed nothing.
I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck automatically.
"I'm sorry," I muttered weakly. "I almost burned your island."
"Our island."
My chest tightened slightly at those words.
Then he carried me toward the living room couch and sat down while still holding me close against him.
Like calming a scared child.
"It's okay," he whispered softly while brushing my hair back gently. "Nothing happened to you. That's all I care about."
I buried my face against his chest quietly while trying calming my breathing.
Honestly?
Hearing his heartbeat made me feel safer somehow.
"I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid."
"I literally started a fire making frozen snacks."
"You got distracted."
"…By you."
That made him smile softly immediately.
"Oh?"
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
His hand moved slowly through my hair comfortingly while he kept holding me against him.
"You know," he murmured softly near my forehead, "for someone this chaotic…"
I looked up slightly.
"…You still somehow became the softest thing in my life."
My heart physically melted a little.
Then he kissed the top of my head gently before whispering,
"And next time, sunshine…we cook together."
------------------------
Guys are the chapters not interesting or something? Pls let me know if it's like that. From the last 3-4 chapters there are barely any comments on it. I only ask you for the comments because it motivates me to write. So guyss pls support me just drop your review or what you want in next chapters. It will mean alot.❤️
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