JAY'S POV —
The next morning felt… normal.
Which was strange.
After a night like that, I half-expected the universe to glitch or my alarm to explode or my phone to combust from unresolved tension.
Instead—
My alarm went off on time.
The sky was annoyingly blue.
My heart was still doing that soft, stupid flutter.
I groaned into my pillow and reached for my phone.
One new message.
Keifer.
Keifer:
Good morning.
That was it.
Two words.
No emoji.
No teasing.
And somehow, it completely ruined me.
I smiled into my pillow like an idiot.
Me:
Morning.
Three seconds passed.
Then—
Keifer:
Did you sleep well?
I stared at the screen.
Did I sleep well?
After replaying his voice, his hands, the way he stopped because he wanted to?
Absolutely not.
Me:
Like a baby 😇
A lie. A bold one.
His reply came almost instantly.
Keifer:
Liar.
Heat rushed to my face.
I sat up, heart racing like he could see me through the screen.
Me:
Excuse me??
Keifer:
You smiled when you typed that.
I actually gasped.
"How do you know that," I muttered aloud.
Me:
You're creepy.
Keifer:
You like it.
I bit my lip.
Hate that he was right.
I got ready for school in a haze—uniform on, hair tied, brain absolutely useless. Percy was already awake, scrolling on his phone at the counter, coffee in hand.
He glanced at me once.
Then again.
Then squinted.
"You're smiling," he said.
"I am not."
"You are," he insisted. "And it's the same smile from last night."
I grabbed my bag. "Drink your coffee."
He laughed. "That boy is dangerous."
I didn't argue.
---
School passed like a blur.
Classes. Notes. Teachers talking while my phone buzzed quietly in my pocket every now and then.
Nothing obvious.
Nothing risky.
Just—
Keifer:
You look focused today.
I froze mid-note.
Me:
How would you know?
Keifer:
You bite your pen when you pretend to pay attention.
I glanced up instinctively.
He wasn't even looking at me.
Unfair.
Me:
Stop watching me.
Keifer:
Can't.
My cheeks burned.
By lunch, I was a mess of stolen glances and secret smiles. No one noticed—except maybe Felix, who squinted at me like I'd replaced my personality overnight.
After the final bell, we went our separate ways like usual.
No touching.
No obvious looks.
Just that quiet awareness humming between us.
I went straight home.
---
The condo was quieter than usual.
Percy was in his room, probably on a call, probably being dramatic.
I dropped my bag and leaned against the door for a moment, exhaling.
Then I remembered.
Dinner.
Fernandez house.
My chest tightened.
I changed out of my uniform slowly, choosing something appropriate—nothing soft, nothing sharp. Neutral. Safe.
Percy emerged from his room already dressed, jacket on, hair styled, confidence firmly back in place.
"You ready?" he asked.
I nodded. "As I'll ever be."
He studied me for a second longer, then softened. "You okay?"
"I will be," I said honestly.
He nodded, satisfied. "Let's go remind them who you are."
I grabbed my bag.
Locked the door.
And stepped forward—into family, into history, into whatever tonight was going to bring.
Somehow—
With Keifer's texts still warm in my pocket—
I felt a little braver.
The Fernandez house hadn't changed.
Same warm lights. Same faint smell of polished wood and something always simmering in the kitchen. Same feeling of history pressing in from every corner.
The door opened before we could knock twice.
"Tita Gema," Percy said immediately, smile smooth and respectful.
She lit up. "Percy!"
She pulled him into a tight hug, hands patting his back like she was making sure he was real. "You've gotten taller," she scolded automatically.
"Impossible," he replied easily. "I've always been perfect."
She laughed, swatting his arm—then turned to me.
"Jay," she said softly.
Her hug was gentler. Warmer. Familiar in a way that made my throat tighten.
"Hi, Tita," I murmured.
She pulled back, cupping my face briefly. "You're too thin."
Percy snorted. "She runs for fun."
"I do not—"
"She does," he interrupted. "Terrifying."
Tita Gema shook her head fondly and ushered us inside.
Then footsteps.
Angelo appeared first.
Still the same. Broad shoulders. Calm expression. That careful way of looking at people like he was always measuring distance.
Behind him—Aries.
"Percy," Aries greeted, pulling him into a quick, brotherly hug. "Good to see you, man."
"Likewise," Percy replied, grip firm. Respectful. Neutral.
Angelo's eyes shifted.
To me.
He took a step forward. "Jay—"
I stepped back.
It wasn't dramatic.
Just instinct.
The air changed.
Angelo stopped.
Something flickered across his face—surprise, maybe guilt—but he masked it quickly.
"Oh," he said quietly. "Hey."
"Hi," I replied, just as quietly.
Nothing else.
No hug.
No smile.
Just distance.
Percy noticed.
Of course he did.
But he said nothing.
Dinner was… civil.
Tita Gema fussed over the food, insisting Percy eat more. He answered politely, thanked her properly, complimented everything like he'd been raised to survive rooms like this.
Angelo tried to speak to him.
Casual questions. Neutral tone.
"How's New York?"
"Still training?"
"Staying long?"
Percy answered—but never directly to Angelo.
Always to Tita Gema.
Or Aries.
Or the table itself.
Short. Polite. Closed.
Angelo noticed.
So did I.
Aries tried to keep things light, cracking jokes, filling silences—but there was something heavy sitting between the three of them.
And it had my name written all over it.
When dinner ended, Tita Gema stood, clapping her hands softly. "I'll go check on dessert ."
She smiled at us all before disappearing up the stairs.
The moment she was gone—
The room shifted.
Percy leaned back in his chair slowly, folding his arms.
Angelo straightened.
Aries glanced between them once, then cleared his throat. "I'll… uh—go check something in the kitchen."
And just like that—
It was only them.
The silence stretched.
Percy broke it first.
"You don't get to talk to her like nothing happened," he said calmly.
Angelo exhaled. "I wasn't—"
"You were," Percy cut in. Still calm. Still polite. "You knew exactly what you were doing."
Angelo's jaw tightened. "That wasn't my intention."
"That's worse," Percy replied. "Intentions don't matter when the damage is done."
I sat frozen.
Heart pounding.
Angelo looked at me then—not pleading, not defensive.
Just… honest.
"I never meant to hurt you," he said quietly.
I didn't answer.
Percy leaned forward. "You don't get forgiveness because you didn't mean it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
Angelo nodded once. "I understand."
And for the first time since we arrived—
I believed him.
But belief didn't erase hurt.
And some distances?
They weren't meant to be crossed again so easily.
Dessert was served like nothing had cracked open at the table.
Tita Gema returned with a smile, a tray of neatly plated sweets, her voice warm as she asked us to stay the night—said it had been too long, said the house felt fuller with us in it.
Percy smiled apologetically.
I shook my head gently.
"We really can't, Tita," Percy said. "Next time,promise."
She didn't push. Just hugged us again—longer this time—like she already knew something was slipping through her fingers.
The drive back was quiet.
Not awkward.
Just… heavy.
Percy didn't ask questions. Didn't lecture. Didn't analyze.
He just drove.
And that meant more than anything.
---
Morning came too quickly.
The city felt normal again—cars, noise, the familiar hum of routine. I stepped out of the building alone, bag slung over my shoulder, mind already drifting toward school, toward Keifer, toward pretending life was simple.
That's when the car pulled up.
Black. Polished. Expensive in a way that didn't need to announce itself.
It stopped directly in front of me.
The window slid down.
Two men inside.
Suits. Clean-cut. Not threatening—worse. Professional.
"Jasper Jean Mariano?" the man in the passenger seat asked.
My stomach dropped.
"Yes," I said carefully. "Who are you?"
The driver stepped out, opening the back door politely.
"We're here on behalf of the Watson family," he said. "You're being requested."
Requested.
Not invited.
Not asked.
Summoned.
My fingers tightened around my bag strap. "I wasn't informed."
The man met my eyes evenly. "They assumed you'd come."
I glanced back at the building.
At the door Percy had walked out of barely an hour ago.
At the life I'd just stepped into.
"And if I say no?" I asked.
The man smiled.
It didn't reach his eyes.
"Then this conversation would become… inconvenient."
My pulse thudded in my ears.
I exhaled slowly.
I got into the car.
The door closed softly behind me.
Too softly.
I texted my location to Damian to be prepared for worst ..
As we pulled away from the curb, the city blurred past the window—and for the first time in a long while, fear crept in.
Not loud.
Not panicked.
Quiet.
Calculated.
The kind that settles in your bones and tells you—
Something big is about to change.
And you're not the one in control anymore...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
✨ HAPPY NEW YEAR READERSSS..✨
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT YEAR AHEAD AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ALL MY BOOKS TILL THIS TIME IT REALLY MEANS A LOT.....
I LOVEE YAAA ALLLL💗💗💗
~nsaw