JAY-JAY POV
Ben nodded, his expression serious. "We'll help you practice. Tennis, singing, whatever it takes. Section B stands with you."
I sighed, shaking my head, but a small smile tugged at my lips.
They won't let me escape this, will they?
The bell rang, sharp and final, cutting through our determination.
Lunch was over.
Chairs scraped back, trays were gathered, and the room shifted back into routine.
But the air wasn't the same—it carried a quiet resolve, a promise unspoken.
Section E started to come back one by one, their voices filling the room like a storm returning.
Keifer leaned close, his breath brushing my ear. "Remember—today at the park, six o'clock. I'll wait for you."
"Gago, I won't come," I snapped, shoving him back.
He only smirked, pointing at me with that teasing smile. "We'll see."
He went back to his seat.
When I sat down, Ben leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing important," I said quickly, brushing it off.
He nodded, but his expression told me he wasn't convinced.
His jaw tightened, and he glanced toward Keifer, who was lounging in his chair like he owned the room.
I rolled my eyes at Keifer.
Stupid. Gago. Asshole. Motherf—
Every cuss word in the dictionary belonged to that idiot.
Sir Alvin came to our class this time.
"Hello, everyone. As I know, I don't teach Section B, but due to Section B and Section E mixing together, some teachers from both Sections will be teaching you guys. And luckily, I'm one of them," Sir Alvin explained.
We all nodded politely.
"Okay, let's take attendance," Sir Alvin said, pulling out his pen.
He went through Section E quickly—he knew their names by heart.
But when it came to Section B, he slowed down, stumbling a little, unfamiliar with the list.
Finally, he reached mine. "Miss Mariano."
"Present," I said.
Sir Alvin smiled faintly. "Long time, huh? It was probably last month since I last called your name in Section E." His tone carried a hint of regret.
I could feel Section E's sadness ripple through the room.
I nodded softly. "Yeah, sir. It's been a long time."
"Okay, let's start the class," Sir Alvin said. "Math." He turned to the board, already scribbling. "Today we're doing Calculus."
The chalk squeaked against the board as he wrote out a long problem.
Section E and Section B groaned in unison, dragging out their notebooks like it was the end of the world.
I tried to focus on the work, staring at the numbers Sir Alvin had scribbled across the board.
Calculus.
Limits.
Derivatives.
My pen hovered uselessly above the page.
But my mind kept drifting back to Keifer.
"In the park at six o'clock."
His words echoed like a curse I couldn't shake.
I pressed my lips together, tapping my pen against the notebook.
Why does that idiot get under my skin so easily?
Across the room, Keifer was leaning back in his chair, spinning his pen lazily, eyes flicking toward me every few seconds.
Each glance felt like a reminder, like he was daring me not to show up.
Focus, Jay-Jay.
But I couldn't.
The numbers on the board had blurred, the formulas twisting into nonsense—until Ben's voice pulled me back.
"Jay," he said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"What?" I asked, blinking.
"Sir called your name twice. You haven't answered yet."
I looked up, realizing every eye in the room was on me. My stomach twisted.
"Sorry, Sir," I said quickly, standing up.
"It's okay," Sir Alvin replied kindly. "Can you please tell me the points of relative minima and maxima of the equation y = -x² - 3x² - 1?" He pointed at the board.
I swallowed, forcing myself to focus. "Sir, the minima is (-2, -5) and the maxima is (0, -1)."
Sir Alvin's brows lifted.
"Correct, Miss Mariano." His voice carried a note of genuine surprise, clearly impressed.
I sat in my seat again, exhaling slowly.
Thank God I remembered how to do it.
I went near him, lowering my voice. "Thanks… if it wasn't for you, then I would've embarrassed myself."
"You're welcome," he said, smiling, with that calm confidence in his eyes.
I stared at him for a second longer than I meant to.
I'm really grateful for him.
He's helped me in so many fights, stood by me when things got messy, and even taught me things I didn't think I'd ever learn.
"Stop staring, I know I'm beautiful," he said, flashing that smug grin.
I hit his shoulder hard. "Gago."
He laughed, rubbing the spot dramatically. "Ow! See? Violence is how you show affection."
"Mr. Clay, are you okay?" Sir Alvin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Keifer's grin faded as his eyes locked on me.
I could feel them burning through my back, heavy and unrelenting.
When I turned, he was already halfway out of his seat, jaw tight, like he was about to say something—or maybe cause trouble.
But I don't know what happened—he sat in his seat again, eyes sad.
And suddenly, the whole room felt heavier.
I don't know why… but when he was sad, I felt it too.
I want to hate him. I really do.
He's stupid, gago, an asshole, every curse word fits him perfectly.
But deep down… I really love him.
The class continued until the bell rang. Everyone rushed out, but I just sat in my chair, frozen.
"Jay, are you okay?" Ben asked, his voice low, worried.
I nodded quickly.
"Then why are you not moving out of your seat?" Mia pressed, tilting her head.
"I'll come… I have some work to do," I said, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
"Okay, don't work too much," Olivia reminded gently
"Bye, Pres! You have practice tomorrow, don't forget that," Caleb called out as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
I nodded again, watching them leave one by one.
The room grew quieter, emptier, but my chest felt heavier.
Keifer hadn't said a word.
He just sat there.
I didn't say anything either.
I just sat there, frozen.
But the words he once threw at me came rushing back, sharp and cruel:
"I used you and the whole Section E knows it."
"I never loved you—it was all a game for me."
"You were a bet."
I didn't even realize when the tears started falling again.
The room blurred, voices fading into static.
My chest tightened, the ache spreading like fire.
Why do I still care?
Why does it hurt so much when I swore I'd hate him?
I got up from my seat, ready to escape before he saw me crying.
But Keifer moved faster—he stopped me and closed the door with a sharp click.
"Keifer, let me go," I said, reaching for the handle.
Instead, he pinned me against the door, his arm firm, his eyes locked on mine.
"Keifer, let me go!" I repeated, struggling, my voice breaking.
His jaw tightened. "No. Not until you listen."
I shoved at his chest, anger mixing with the ache in my throat. "Why? So you can hurt me again? So you can remind me I was just a bet?"
"You don't understand… I had to do it," Keifer said, his voice rough, his eyes red like he hadn't slept in days.
I froze, my hands still pressed against the door.
Had to?
The words twisted in my chest, heavier than the ones he'd thrown at me before.
"Had to?" I repeated, my voice trembling. "Keifer, you broke me. You made me believe I was nothing but a bet. How could you have to do that?"
His jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "Because if I didn't… You would've been dragged into something worse. I thought pushing you away would protect you."
"I'm not interested in your games again, Keifer," I snapped, my voice shaking. "Which idiot would break the person they love so much?"
My chest tightened, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Well, that goes for me too—if you really ever loved me as you said."
The silence between us was suffocating.
His eyes widened, red and desperate, like my words had cut deeper than any shove or insult ever could.
Keifer's voice trembled, his eyes red. "I did love you. I still do. I had to because all my relatives and enemies wanted to hurt you."
I froze. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"When I was in the process of getting my inheritance, all the Watsons wanted you," he said, his words spilling fast, desperate. "They knew you were my weakness. They wanted to use you so they could stop me, Jay."
My chest tightened, anger and disbelief colliding. "So you decided to break my heart?"
He nodded, his jaw trembling. "I know if I told you the real reason, you would meddle. You'd throw yourself into danger for me. I had to do it… but please believe me, I loved you. You were never a plan for me—you were my whole life."
"Do you even realize what you did to me?" My voice cracked, sharp and broken. "You made me believe I was nothing. You made me hate myself. And now you're telling me it was all to protect me?"
Keifer's hand hovered near mine, trembling. "I'd rather you hate me than see you hurt. I thought losing your trust was better than losing you forever."
"Sorry, Jay," he whispered, taking my hands into his.
I wanted to pull away. Every part of me screamed to shove him back, to remind him of the pain he caused.
But I didn't.
My fingers trembled in his grip, my heart pounding too loud in my chest.
His hands were warm, steady, almost desperate—like he was afraid if he let go, I'd vanish.
"Keifer…" I breathed, my voice breaking. "You don't get to just say sorry and expect everything to be fine."
His eyes met mine, red and raw. "I don't expect it to be fine. I just… I need you to know I never stopped loving you. Even when I was stupid enough to hurt you."
Tears burned my eyes again.
Why does he sound so sincere now?
Why does it feel real when I swore I'd never believe him again?
I shook my head, whispering, "You broke me, Keifer."
He squeezed my hands tighter, his voice trembling. "Then let me be the one to fix you. Please… don't walk away from me."
"I need time, Keifer," I said finally, my voice trembling but firm.
His grip on my hands tightened just a little, his eyes desperate. "Then I will be there," he whispered. "I will do everything to earn your forgiveness."
The sincerity in his voice made my chest ache. His usual arrogance was gone—no smirk, no teasing, just raw honesty.
I looked away, blinking back tears. Time… that's all I can give him right now. Because if I let myself believe too quickly, I'll break all over again.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," I muttered, trying to sound strong even as my voice cracked.
"I won't," he said, his tone steady, almost pleading. "I'll prove it. No more games, Jay. Just me… and you."
The silence between us stretched, heavy and suffocating, but for the first time, it didn't feel hopeless.
I pulled my hands back slowly, not out of anger, but because I needed space to breathe. "We'll see, Keifer. We'll see."
His eyes softened, and he nodded. "Then I'll wait. However long it takes."
I opened the door, and Keifer was following me.
"You know," he drawled, with that infuriating grin, "just because you wanted time doesn't mean I can't talk to you."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Besides… you look way too cute when you're trying to ignore me."
I glared at him, but my cheeks betrayed me, heating up.
Keifer smirked, eyes glinting. "Come on, Jay. Admit it—you'd miss me if I stayed quiet."
"Gago," I muttered, hitting his arm lightly.
"You know you've been using a lot of profanities lately," he said, smirking, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"So?" I asked, feigning indifference, even though I knew exactly what he was hinting at. Don't show it, Jay. Don't.
Keifer leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear, voice dropping into that playful tone that always made my heart race.
"You know what I'm talking about, Jay… tell me when I can collect all my kisses."
My eyes widened, heat rushing to my cheeks. "Gago," I muttered, shoving at his chest, but he only smirked wider.
"See? Even your insults sound sweet when you say them," he teased, tilting his head. "I'll wait as long as you want… but don't think I'll stop reminding you."
I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips. Why does he always know how to twist my walls into knots?
"Remember today at 6 o'clock," he said, his voice low but steady.
"Why?" I asked, crossing my arms. "You said you wanted to explain, and you did. Then why meet at the park?"
Keifer smirked, leaning just close enough to make my heart race. "Because, Jay… I want to see you."
"Asshole," I muttered, shoving him lightly.
He only grinned wider, like he enjoyed every second of it. "I'll be waiting for you," he said, voice low and annoyingly smooth.
I rolled my eyes and walked away, refusing to look back.
But the second I stepped outside, I felt the smile tugging at my lips.
I reached my car, opened the door, and let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
Asshole.
But my stupid heart was still beating way too fast.
I sat in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel, cheeks warm.
Why does he have this effect on me? Why do I let him?
I shook my head, but the smile stayed.
"Asshole," I whispered again—this time softer, almost fond.
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💙🔥 Author's Note 🔥💙
Comment on how the chapter was 🤭✨
I know I didn't update for 2 days — blame my school 😭📚
Like seriously, who puts exams right before a 2‑week break…?
Only my school would do that 💀
I had tests the whole week, but I still managed to post 2 chapters this week for you guys, so I hope you liked them 💙💬
Alsooo, I kinda wanna write another book 👀✨
We've got 2 weeks of winter break coming up, so I might actually have time to write more 😭💙
Not promising anything yet, but the idea is definitely in my brain rn 🤭📚