JAY'S POV
I had barely stepped inside the house when a voice stopped me.
"Why are you smiling like a fool?"
I looked up and saw Ate Maya sitting comfortably on the sofa, a wide smirk plastered across her face.
"Huh?"
I quickly walked over and sat beside her. Ate Maya crossed her arms.
"I asked why you're smiling like you just finished an entire buffet by yourself."
Her smirk widened.
"Where have you been?"
I tried to act normal.
"It's just that..."
"Ummm..."
Ate Maya raised an eyebrow.
"Jay Jay."
And there it was. That tone. The one that clearly said: "Don't even think about lying." I immediately looked away.
"It's Keifer."
The moment his name left my mouth, her grin doubled in size.
"I KNEW IT!"
She practically bounced on the sofa.
"Now tell me everything. What happened between you two?"
I couldn't stop the smile creeping onto my face.
"We talked."
"And?"
"We cleared everything up."
Ate Maya stared at me expectantly.
"And?"
I felt my face heat up.
"And..."
"Jay."
"And we..."
I buried my face in my hands.
"...kissed."
For two seconds, there was complete silence.
Then—
"OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I nearly jumped off the sofa.
"ATE!"
"Someone's blushing!"
"Who? Where? I'm not blushing!"
Ate Maya looked at me like I had just said the sky was green.
"Jay Jay."
She grabbed my cheeks dramatically.
"Who exactly are you trying to fool? Your face is literally tomato red."
"ATEEEEEEEEEEE!"
She burst out laughing.
"Don't 'Ate' me. Tell me. Did you forgive him?"
I paused.
The answer came easily.
"Yes."
Then I smiled.
"...but."
Ate Maya immediately narrowed her eyes.
"But?"
My smile turned mischievous.
"I forgave him in my mind. I just didn't tell him."
For a moment, she stared at me.
Then she started laughing.
"You're going to make him suffer, aren't you?"
I shrugged innocently.
"Not too much."
A small laugh escaped me.
"Just a little."
"A little?"
Ate Maya snorted.
"Jay, that poor man is already suffering."
"Good."
"He made me cry."
"Now it's his turn."
Ate Maya shook her head.
"Your choice." Then she pointed a warning finger at me. "But don't make my future brother-in-law suffer too much, okay?"
I instantly felt my face burn.
"ATE!"
I practically screamed.
"We're not married yet !"
She looked completely unbothered. A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Keyword: Yet."
My jaw dropped.
"I hate you."
She immediately grinned.
"No, you don't. You love me."
I groaned dramatically.
"Unfortunately."
That earned another round of laughter from her. And before I knew it, I was laughing too.
For the first time in what felt like forever...Everything felt light. Normal. Happy. We talked for a little longer before I finally headed upstairs.
The moment I entered my room, I threw myself onto the bed. Face first. Then I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. A huge smile spread across my face.
I was happy.
No.
I was really happy.
No.
I was ridiculously, unbelievably, insanely happy.
Everything was finally back to normal. Keifer was back. Not physically. Not just because he returned. But because he was finally back in my life. And that made all the difference.
A soft smile appeared on my lips.
Yes.
I had forgiven him. Completely. The only problem? He didn't know that yet. And honestly? I wasn't planning on telling him anytime soon.
He made me suffer for forty-five whole days.
Forty-five days of crying.
Forty-five days of heartbreak.
Forty-five days of missing him.
So what made him think he was getting forgiven on Day One? Absolutely not. He was going to work for it.
Just a little. A tiny bit.
Okay...
Maybe more than a little.
The thought made me giggle into my pillow. After spending several more minutes smiling like an idiot and rolling around my bed, exhaustion finally caught up with me. My eyes slowly drifted shut.
And for the first time in a very long time...I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
The next two weeks were complete chaos.
And honestly?
I had nobody to blame but myself. Because while I had planned to make Keifer suffer... He had apparently decided to embrace the suffering. It had been two weeks since our conversation at the beach.
Two whole weeks.
And this man simply refused to give up.
Every morning there were flowers.
Every afternoon there were chocolates.
Every evening there was either ice cream, milk tea, snacks, or some random food he thought I'd like.
Not to mention the fact that he was constantly lurking around me like a lost puppy. Seriously. Sometimes I'd turn around and he'd just be there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Following.
Like a golden retriever who had committed a crime and was desperately trying to earn forgiveness.
Of course, I didn't make it easy for him. I rejected every bouquet. Ignored most of his attempts. Answered him with cold stares. Sometimes I even walked away mid-conversation. And yet...He never stopped trying.
The only exception was food.
What? I'm not a monster. I like food. Rejecting food feels illegal. So occasionally...Very occasionally...I accepted the snacks. Only the snacks. Nothing else.
Still, despite everything, Keifer never complained. Not once. He simply kept trying. Kept apologizing. Kept proving himself. Kept showing me that he was serious. And honestly...I loved him for it. More than I wanted to admit.
A small smile appeared on my face.
I had already forgiven him a long time ago. The only reason I hadn't told him was because I wanted him to suffer a little. Okay. Maybe more than a little. But now?
I think he'd suffered enough.
There was no reason left to keep dragging this out. He had apologized. He had explained everything. He had proven himself. And most importantly...He had never stopped choosing me.
So, I was finally to forgive him properly.
But before that...
I had to survive Percy. Apparently, my annoying brother had decided he needed company for shopping. And somehow that company became me. Against my will. As usual.
I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
3:45 PM.
Percy wouldn't be here until 4:30 PM, which meant I still had some time to kill. So I grabbed my phone from the bed and unlocked it. A grin immediately spread across my face when I opened the one place where peace never existed.
📱 SECTION E 🔥🤡
And, as expected...
There were already 127 unread messages.
"What the hell..."
I muttered.
I had been gone for barely an hour. How did they even manage that? With a sigh, I opened the chat. And instantly regretted it.
📱 SECTION E 🔥
Rory: Guys.
Rory: Emergency meeting.
David: Here we go again.
Yuri: What did you do?
Rory: Nothing.
Rory: Yet.
Edrix: That's not reassuring.
Rory: Since it's already the weekend...
Rory: We should go somewhere.
Drew: Finally.
Calix: I'm in.
Mayo: Same.
Denzel: Anywhere but Rory's house.
Rory: Why is everyone disrespecting my house?
Eren: Because your room is a biological hazard.
Rory: Fake news.
Kit: So where are we going?
Rory: I don't know.
Yuri: Great planning.
Kit: Peak leadership.
Blaster: We should just spin Rory around and follow whichever direction he falls.
Mayo: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Keifer: Can we focus?
Rory: Damn.
Rory: Someone woke up serious today.
David: He's been serious for weeks.
Yuri: Wonder why.
Mayo: I wonder who that could be related to.
Keifer: Rory.
Keifer: Yuri.
Keifer: Mayo.
Mayo: 😇
Edrix: Anyway.
Edrix: Jay Jay are you coming ?
Rory: Obviously.
David: @Jay
David: Are you free today?
A few seconds later.
Jay: Nope.
Rory: WHAT?
Yuri: Betrayal.
Edrix: Excuse me?
David: Why?
Jay: I already have plans.
The chat immediately became active.
Rory: WITH WHO?
Jay: Percy.
Felix: ...
Felix: EXCUSE ME?
Jay: What?
Felix: HE ASKED YOU?
Jay: Yes?
Felix: HE DIDN'T ASK ME.
Rory: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
David: Bro got left behind.
Mayo: Not the favorite sibling.
Felix: WE HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME.
Yuri: Apparently that's not enough.
Felix: I'M TELLING LOLA.
Jay: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Keifer: What plans?
The chat instantly went silent.
Rory: THERE HE IS.
David: Took him long enough.
Yuri: Bro was waiting.
Mayo: He was reading every message.
Keifer: I literally asked a question.
Rory: A jealous question.
Keifer: Not jealous.
Everyone: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Jay: Shopping.
Keifer: Just you and Percy?
Rory: BRO.
Drew: BROOOOO.
Calix: HE'S DOING IT AGAIN.
Mayo: INVESTIGATION MODE.
Jay: Keifer.
Keifer: What?
Jay: Percy is my brother.
Keifer: I know.
Rory: THAT MAKES IT WORSE.
David: He knows and he's still asking.
Mayo: 💀💀💀💀💀
Felix: Meanwhile I'm still stuck on the fact Percy didn't invite me.
Yuri: Let it go.
Felix: NEVER.
Felix: I'M HIS BROTHER.
Jay: I'll ask him to buy you ice cream.
Felix: Tell him I forgive him.
Rory: So easy.
Keifer: What time are you leaving?
Jay: Around 5.
Keifer: Okay.
Rory: Okay?
David: THAT'S IT?
Yuri: NO INTERROGATION?
Keifer: She's going with Percy.
Rory: Character development.
Mayo: I'm proud.
Keifer: Don't be.
Mayo: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Edrix: Anyway.
Edrix: Back to the original topic.
Rory: Right.
David: So where are we going?
Rory: I still don't know.
Everyone: 💀💀💀💀💀
They'll probably keep arguing for another hour. With that thought, I closed the group chat and tossed my phone onto the bed. There was no point trying to keep up with them anyway.
By the time I finished reading one argument, they'd already started three more. So I got ready instead.
A few minutes later, my phone chimed.
📩 FROM: Percy
MESSAGE:I'm outside, baby sis.
I immediately grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
When I stepped outside, I saw Percy leaning against his car while fixing his hair using the side mirror.
Typical.
The moment he noticed me, a huge grin spread across his face.
"Baby sis! You're finally here."
He dramatically placed a hand over his chest.
"I thought my handsome face was going to die waiting for you."
I rolled my eyes.
"Shut up, Percy. I only took two minutes."
"Still. Way too long."
I stared at him.
"Are you seriously going to argue about this? I turned around. "Because I can go back inside."
"NO!"
Percy immediately grabbed my arm.
"I'm kidding. Come on, let's go."
I smirked.
"Good decision."
A few minutes later, we were on our way to the mall. The entire drive consisted of Percy talking about himself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Honestly, I deserved compensation for listening to him.
When we finally arrived, the mall was packed. People were everywhere. Families. Couples. Groups of friends. Children running around. The usual weekend chaos. Not that I cared.
Percy immediately dragged me toward the clothing section. And that's when I realized...I had made a terrible mistake. A horrible mistake. A catastrophic mistake.
Because Percy was the pickiest shopper I had ever met.
"What about this one?"
"No."
"This?"
"No."
"How about this?"
"Absolutely not."
I rubbed my temples.
We had been standing there for almost forty minutes.
FORTY.
MINUTES.
And this man still hadn't chosen a single shirt.
"Percy."
"Hmm?"
"How are you more difficult than a bride choosing a wedding dress?"
He gasped. Actually gasped.
"Because fashion is important."
I stared at him.
"You're impossible."
"And yet you love me."
"Unfortunately."
Percy grinned proudly. I, however, had reached my limit. So while he continued searching for the "perfect" outfit for his "perfect face," I quietly escaped.
Best decision of the day.
A few minutes later, I found myself standing in front of an ice cream stand. I glanced at the menu while deciding what flavor I wanted. Chocolate? Cookies and cream? Strawberry? The struggle was real.
I was just about to place my order when a familiar voice called out behind me.
"Jay Jay? Is that you?"