JAY- JAY POV
He kissed me again.
And just as he was about to deepen it—
knock knock knock.
We both froze.
"Who is it this time?" Keifer muttered, pulling back, annoyed
"I don't know, let me check—"
"I'll check," he said, already sliding off the bed like he was the man of the house.
I couldn't help smiling.
Idiot.
He opened the door.
It was Grandpa.
I jumped off the bed so fast I almost tripped.
"Keifer, I want to talk to you," Grandpa said, voice calm but carrying that don't‑argue-with-me weight. "Come with me."
Keifer nodded immediately, like a soldier receiving orders.
I moved to follow them, but Grandpa lifted a hand—sharp, stopping me mid‑step.
"Pa—" I started.
"Jay," he said, tone strict enough to freeze the whole hallway, "I want to talk to him alone."
My stomach dropped.
Keifer looked back at me, eyes softening just a little.
"I'll be fine," he said quietly.
I nodded
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
Grandpa walked ahead of me, silent, steady, and terrifying in that calm‑old‑man way.
I followed him
Then he stopped in front of a locked door.
He pulled out a brass key, slid it into the lock, and opened it.
He stepped inside.
I followed.
The door closed behind us with a soft thud that echoed in my chest.
Grandpa reached for the switch and flicked on the lights.
I blinked.
The walls were covered in photos.
Jay as a baby.
Jay in school uniforms.
Jay holding trophies.
Jay asleep on a couch with drool on her cheek.
Jay smiling so wide it hurt to look at.
Every stage of her life was here.
My throat tightened.
Grandpa didn't look at the photos.
He looked at me.
"Keifer," he said quietly, "describe how you see my granddaughter."
"I see her as my queen"I said without hesitation
Grandpa's eyebrow lifted. "And you're her king?"
"I'm willing to give her my throne," I said softly. "As long as she's the one sitting there… I don't need to be king."
Grandpa stared at me.
Just… surprised.
Like he wasn't expecting that answer.
I kept going, because stopping now felt wrong.
"She doesn't need someone to rule over her," I said. "She needs someone who'll stand beside her. Someone who'll fight for her. Someone who'll kneel for her if she ever needs it."
His eyes softened — barely, but enough for me to notice.
"And you think you're that someone?" he asked.
I nodded. "I'm trying to be."
Grandpa leaned back slowly, studying me like he was seeing a different version of me than the one who walked in.
"You'd give up your crown for her?" he asked.
"In a heartbeat," I said. "Because she's the only one I'd ever want to follow."
Grandpa exhaled, long and heavy.
Then he said quietly:
"You talk like a man who already chose his future."
I swallowed. "I did."
"And that future is with her?"
"Yes."
"Keifer," he began quietly, "my grandchild… she lost a lot."
I didn't breathe.
"She lost her parents when she was twelve years old," he said, voice cracking just a little. "And her sister."
My chest tightened.
He kept going.
"Jare and Percy were in the hospital for two weeks. In a coma."
He paused, swallowing hard.
"And Jay… she took care of Jace. A child taking care of another child. While still trying to understand that her parents and her sister were gone."
I felt something twist painfully in my stomach.
Grandpa looked at the photo of Jay at twelve — smiling, but her eyes… they weren't the eyes of a child.
They were older.
Tired.
Trying too hard.
"She didn't cry," Grandpa said softly. "Not once. Not in front of us. She held everything in. She took care of everyone else. She didn't let herself break."
He exhaled shakily.
"That girl," Grandpa said, voice low and rough, "was too stubborn to let us see her as weak."
He stared at one of the photos
"Even I…" he continued, swallowing hard, "I didn't know how to process everything that happened. My own son died. Jasfher… Reycee… Jasmine… they were gone."
His voice cracked on the last name.
I felt my chest tighten.
"But to her," Grandpa whispered, "her whole world died."
He shook his head slowly, eyes never leaving the photo.
"She didn't cry. Maybe she did, but she never showed it. Not once. She held everything in. She took care of Jace. She took care of Jare and Percy when they woke up. She took care of us."
He finally looked at me.
"That's our Jay."
I didn't know what to say.
My throat felt tight, like something was stuck there.
Grandpa kept going, softer now.
"She was twelve, Keifer. Twelve. And she acted like she was thirty. She made sure Jace ate. She sat beside Jare and Percy every day in the hospital. She didn't sleep unless someone forced her."
He rubbed his forehead, eyes glistening just a little.
"She didn't let herself break. Not once. Not in front of us."
He looked at me again — really looked.
"That's why she's stubborn. That's why she's loud. That's why she acts like nothing hurts her."
I swallowed hard. "Because she had to be strong."
"No," Grandpa said quietly. "Because she thought she had no choice."
He leaned back, letting out a long breath.
"She's been carrying pain for years, Keifer. Pain she never talks about. Pain she hides behind jokes and anger and attitude."
He paused.
"And she deserves someone who sees that."
I nodded slowly. "I do."
Grandpa's eyes softened — barely, but enough.
"Good," he said. "Because she'll never ask for help. She'll never say she's hurting. She'll never admit she's scared."
He looked back at the photos.
"But she needs someone who notices anyway."
I took a breath, steady and certain.
"I want to be that person."
Grandpa nodded slowly, like he'd been waiting to hear those words for a long time.
"You're different, Keifer," he said quietly.
I blinked. "Different… how?"
He looked back at the photos on the wall
Then he looked at me again.
"I can see the way her eyes light up when she sees you," he said. "How she smiles with you."
My breath caught.
Grandpa continued, voice softer now, almost gentle.
"That girl… she doesn't smile like that for just anyone. She doesn't trust easily. She doesn't let people close. She pushes, she fights, she hides."
He paused, studying my face.
"But with you? She lets herself be a child again. She laughs. She argues. She gets jealous. She gets flustered. She lets herself feel."
I swallowed hard.
"So, Keifer… she is not just Jay," Grandpa said, eyes drifting back to the photos on the wall. "She is our sunshine. And our warrior."
The way he said it — soft, proud, aching — made something tighten in my chest.
"And I think you also know about Eden," he added, voice dropping.
I nodded. "She's your eldest daughter. But due to some reason… you gave your money to Uncle Jaspher."
I swallowed. "Now Eden wants that money."
Grandpa's eyes narrowed slightly. "Jay told you."
"No, sir," I said honestly. "I did some research. And I found out."
He stared at me for a moment — not suspicious, not angry — just… impressed.
He nodded slowly. "Good. Then you understand."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"Just protect her from Eden."
I didn't hesitate. "With my life."
Grandpa's expression softened — the first real smile I'd seen from him since I met him.
"Good," he murmured.
He stood up, brushing invisible dust off his pants like the conversation had aged him ten years and relieved him at the same time.
Just then, the door opened and Grandma stepped inside.
"You two done?" she asked, looking between us like she already knew the answer.
We both nodded.
"Dinner's ready," she said with a warm smile.
Grandpa walked toward the door, hand on the knob.
But before he stepped out, he paused — not looking back, just speaking into the quiet room.
"And Keifer…" he said.
I straightened instinctively.
"A queen deserves loyalty."
I nodded, voice steady. "She has mine."
Grandpa gave a small grunt — approval, acceptance, maybe even trust — and walked out.