--: Author's POV: --
The kitchen was buzzing with the smell of fresh coffee and the loud, cheerful energy of the guys. For a moment, it felt like the old days. Jay Jay sat at the marble counter, watching the boys joke around, a small smile playing on her lips. She felt a sense of belonging she hadn't felt in a long time.
But then, the mood shifted.
Ci-N leaned over the breakfast bar, his playful expression softening as he looked at her. "So, Jay... what kind of nightmare was it anyway? Was it about the old days, or did you just dream that Keifer moved back to London for good?"
The question was meant to be light, but for Jay Jay, it was the sound of a glass wall shattering. The memory of the darkness from her sleep—the cold, suffocating void—rushed back with terrifying clarity.
Suddenly, the cheerful noise of the kitchen became a distorted roar. The atmosphere that had been so warm just a second ago was now unbearable. A lump formed in her throat, thick and heavy, making it impossible to swallow. Her vision blurred at the edges, and the air in the room felt like it had been sucked out.
She felt the burning sting behind her eyes—that hot, prickly sensation of tears she was desperate to hide. She gripped the edge of the marble counter until her knuckles were white, her jaw aching as she locked it tight. She was standing on the edge of a total breakdown, and the pressure of everyone watching her made the first sob crawl up her throat, threatening to burst out in front of them all.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I didn't need to hear her heartbeat to know she was reaching her breaking point. I saw the way her eyes clouded over and the way her shoulders began to tremble. She was fighting so hard to keep that "strong" mask on, but she was emotionally spent.
"That's enough," I snapped, my voice cutting through the laughter like a blade.
I stood up, the stool screeching sharply against the floor. I didn't give Ci-N or anyone else a chance to speak. I know he didn't meant for anything bad to happen. I reached down and pulled Jay Jay toward me, tucking her firmly against my side. She felt so fragile, her whole body vibrating with the effort of not crying.
"We're going out," I told the room, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Nobody follows us. I mean it."
--: Jay Jay's POV: --
The moment the cool Highland air hit my face, the knot in my chest loosened just a fraction. Keifer led me down the stone steps, his hand a constant, grounding weight on my back. He didn't speak, which I was grateful for, as he led me toward the old oak tree at the edge of the estate.
We sat on the stone bench, and for a long time, the only sound was the wind. I stared at my lap, watching my hands shake. I was so tired—the kind of tired that lives in your bones after you've spent months fighting for a happiness you weren't sure you'd ever get back.
"You don't have to hold it in out here, Jay" Keifer murmured. He shifted, pulling me into the space between his knees so I was forced to look at him. "There's nobody here but me."
"I just... I didn't want them to see," I whispered, my voice finally breaking. A single tear escaped, hot and stinging. "I'm happy, Keifer. I am. But the nightmare felt so real. And then everyone was shouting, and I felt like I was going to burst. I feel like if I start crying, I'll never be able to stop."
Keifer didn't say a word. He just leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine, his large hands cupping my face. "Then don't stop," he whispered. "I'll hold you until you're empty."
I let out a sob then—a jagged, ugly sound I'd been choking on for an hour. I buried my face in his chest, clutching his hoodie, and finally let the exhaustion take over. I cried until my eyes burned, until the tension left my shoulders, and slowly... the world started to fade. The rhythm of his heart became a lullaby, and before I knew it, the darkness of sleep pulled me under.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I felt her go limp. Her grip on my hoodie loosened, just a little. And her breathing became slow and shallow. She had cried herself into a state of total exhaustion.
I carefully wrapped my arms around her to keep her warm. I pulled the hood of the sweater over her head, shielding her from the breeze. She looked so peaceful, her face tucked into the crook of my neck.
--: Author's POV: --
While peace settled in the garden, a storm was arriving at the front of the mansion.
The tires of a sleek black car skidded on the gravel. The doors flew open, and Angelo stepped out, his face a mask of cold authority. Following closely behind him was Aries, looking just as sharp and twice as exhausted.
The moment they stepped into the mansion, the air turned to ice. Angelo didn't offer a greeting. His eyes swept over the boys in the hallway.
"Where are they?" Angelo demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
"They're... they're in the garden.." one of the boys stammered.
Angelo didn't wait. He turned on his heel, heading straight for the back doors. Aries went to follow, but he was suddenly intercepted by a blur of movement.
Percy practically threw himself at Aries, clinging to his arm with a dramatic, wide grin. "Oh, my baby! You're finally back! I missed you so much, do you have any idea how boring it's been without you?"
Aries stiffened, trying to peel Percy off his sleeve with a look of pure exasperation. "Fuck off, Percy. I have no mood for your nonsense."
"Ouchh! That hurts soo much". Percy said dramatically clutching his chest.
--: Angelo's POV: --
I marched through the grass, my pulse thrumming with a mixture of jet-lagged irritation and protective fury. I hadn't even been in the house for five minutes before I felt the shift in the atmosphere.
I rounded the corner by the oak tree and stopped dead.
My sister was there. She was curled up on Keifer, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. Even from here, I could see the tear tracks on her cheeks and the way her fingers were still tightly knotted in the fabric of his black hoodie.
The sight of her looking so broken—and the sight of him holding her—made my blood boil.
I stepped into their space, my shadow falling over them. "Give her to me" I hissed.
Keifer didn't stand up. He didn't even flinch. He just looked up at me, his eyes steady and filled with a defiance I hadn't seen since before London. He tightened his grip on Jay Jay, shielding her from the wind and from me.
"She just fell asleep, Boss," Keifer said, his voice a low rumble. "She's exhausted. She had a nightmare, and she's been holding it in all morning. You can be as angry as you want with me later, but let her sleep. I'm not letting you wake her up just to face another storm."
I clenched my jaw so hard I felt the bone ache. I looked at my sister, sleeping so deeply she didn't even hear us.
"You have five seconds to tell me why she was crying, Keifer," I whispered, my voice vibrating with a lethal edge. "And if I don't like the answer, you won't live to see her wake up."
Aries finally reached us, breathless as he forced himself between me and the bench. "Angelo, wait. Look at her. Don't do this now, you're going to scare her--"
"Step aside, Aries," I warned, my hand twitching toward my side.
I was ready to tear Keifer away from her, but then, a small, broken sound came from the girl in his arms.
Jay Jay stirred, her brow furrowing in her sleep. She didn't wake up, but her small hand reached out, clutching Keifer's hoodie even tighter, pulling herself deeper into his chest.
"Don't go..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, thick with the remnants of her tears. "Keifer... please stay. Don't leave me again."
The air left my lungs. I froze, my hand hovering mid-air. The words hit me harder than any physical blow. I looked at her—really looked at her—and saw the way she was seeking shelter in him, the way her breathing only calmed when he whispered something back into her hair. She wasn't crying because of him. She was crying because she was terrified of losing the peace he finally gave her.
Aries put a hand on my shoulder, his voice gentle. "She needs him, kuya. Look at her. It's not our storm to fight anymore."
I stared at them for a long, silent minute. My fury was still there, simmering under the surface, but the sight of my sister finally finding rest in his arms silenced me. I had already given them my blessing—I had agreed to let them be official—but seeing her tear-stained face made every protective instinct I had scream to life. I wanted to blame him, yet I could see that he was the only thing keeping her anchored right now.
"Take her inside," I finally muttered, turning my back so I didn't have to see the way he looked at her. "But if she's crying when she wakes up, Keifer... I won't be this patient a second time."
--: Author's POV: --
Keifer didn't wait for Angelo to change his mind. He shifted his weight, carefully standing up while keeping Jay Jay perfectly balanced in his arms. She didn't wake, only shifting her head to tuck it deeper into the crook of his neck, her breathing finally evening out into the heavy rhythm of true recovery.
Aries stood by, watching with a weary but knowing smile as Keifer carried the girl toward the house. He looked at Angelo's rigid back and sighed, knowing the Boss was fighting a war between his role as a leader and his heart as a brother.
The garden fell silent again, the only sound being the wind in the oak tree, leaving the two men alone in the shadow of the morning.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I bypassed the kitchen entirely, taking the back stairs to avoid the crowd of boys who were undoubtedly waiting to see if I was still alive. Every step I took was measured, making sure I didn't jar her. When I finally reached her room, I nudged the door open with my shoulder and kicked it shut softly behind me.
The room was dim and quiet, smelling like her—vanilla and a hint of the Highland rain. I walked over to the bed and slowly began to lower her onto the soft duvet.
But as I tried to pull away, I felt a sharp tug.
Jay Jay didn't wake up, but her small hands were still knotted tightly into the black fabric of my hoodie. Her knuckles were white, her grip so fierce it was as if her life depended on holding onto me. When I tried to gently pry her fingers loose, she let out a tiny, broken whimper in her sleep, her brow furrowing in distress.
"Shh... I'm here" I whispered, my heart aching.
I realized then that she wasn't going to let go. I didn't have the heart to force her. I sighed, a ghost of a smile touching my lips as I carefully sat on the edge of the mattress, then shifted until I was leaning against the headboard. I adjusted her so she was tucked against my side, her head resting on my chest, her hands still firmly clutched to my hoodie.
"I've got you," I murmured, resting my chin on her head. "I'm not going anywhere, Jay. Not ever again."
--: Author's POV: --
While the upstairs was shrouded in this protective, silent bubble, the atmosphere in Angelo's private study downstairs was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Angelo stood by the window, his back to the room, staring out at the garden where he had just witnessed his sister's vulnerability. Aries sat in the leather armchair across from the desk, looking every bit the exhausted right-hand man, yet his eyes remained sharp.
"She's official with him now, Kuya," Aries said quietly, breaking the heavy silence. "You gave your word. You can't keep acting like he's a threat to her when he's the only one she's reaching for."
Angelo turned around, his face illuminated by the low light of the desk lamp. He looked older in this light—the weight of his responsibility as 'The Boss' clashing with his role as an older brother. "I know I gave the word. And I know he's the one she wants. But did you hear her, Aries? She was begging him to stay. She was terrified."
"She's processing everything," Aries countered, leaning forward. "The nightmare she had... it brought up all the old fears. It wasn't about Keifer hurting her now. Keifer being there when she wakes up is the only thing that will keep her from spiraling."
"He's her weakness. And in our world, weaknesses are dangerous." Angelo said..
"No," Aries corrected firmly, standing up. "He's not her weakness. He's her anchor. If you try to pull them apart now, you won't just be fighting Keifer. You'll be fighting her. And we both know Jay Jay has more of your fire in her than you like to admit."
Angelo went silent, the weight of the words hanging in the air. He looked at the door, then back to Aries. The fury was still there, but it was being tempered by the realization that his sister was no longer a little girl he could lock away in a tower.
"Go tell the boys to stay away from that hallway," Angelo finally commanded, his voice gruff. "If anyone—especially Percy—goes up there and wakes her up, they'll be answering to me."
Aries nodded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I'll deliver the message. And Kuya... she's going to be okay. He won't let her fall."
____________
--: Jay Jay's POV: --
The first thing I felt was the warmth. It was a heavy, steady heat that wrapped around me like a shield.
I slowly opened my eyes, my lashes feeling heavy and stiff from the tears. The room was flooded with the soft, pale light of a Highland morning. For a moment, I didn't move, just listening to the silence of the mansion. Then, I heard it—the slow, rhythmic thrum of a heartbeat against my ear.
I lifted my head slightly and realized I was still tucked into Keifer's side.
He was fast asleep. His head was tilted back against the headboard, his jaw relaxed, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, the tension was gone from his face. He looked younger when he was sleeping, stripped of the "protector" mask he always wore. One of his arms was still draped over me, his hand resting heavily on my waist as if to make sure I couldn't slip away in the night.
I looked down and saw my own hands. I was still clutching the fabric of his black hoodie, my fingers having cramped into the material during the night.
I smiled, a tiny, genuine thing, and reached out to brush a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead. But as I moved, I caught a glimpse of something through the crack of my bedroom door.
A pair of polished black leather boots was standing in the hallway. My heart skipped a beat. Those weren't the sneakers the boys wore. I knew that stance. I knew the way the shadow fell across the floor.
Kuya!!
--: Author's POV: --
Jay Jay stiffened, her breath hitching. The slight change in her breathing was enough to trigger Keifer's instincts.
His eyes snapped open—not with the blurriness of a normal person waking up, but with the sharp, lethal clarity of a soldier. He didn't move his body, but his hand on her waist tightened instinctively. He followed Jay Jay's gaze to the door.
He didn't look surprised. He knew the Boss had been standing there. He had probably felt the presence the moment Angelo stepped into the wing.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I felt her heart racing against my chest. She was terrified that a storm was about to break.
I sat up slowly, bringing her with me, my arm still firmly around her shoulders. I looked toward the door.
Angelo wasn't hidden; he was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink, his eyes dark and unreadable as he stared at the two of us together on the bed.
"Go wash your face, Jay Jay," Angelo said. His voice was gravelly, devoid of the fury from the garden, but still carrying that undeniable weight of command. "The boys are making breakfast. Aries is waiting for you downstairs."
Jay Jay looked at me, her eyes searching mine for a signal. I gave her a small, reassuring nod, my thumb grazing her shoulder. "Go on. I'll be down in a minute."
She hesitated, then slowly let go of my hoodie, her fingers lingering on the fabric before she slid out of bed.
She walked past her brother, pausing for a second as if she wanted to say something, but Angelo just reached out and placed a hand on top of her head—a rare, silent gesture of affection—before ushering her toward the hall.
The moment she was out of earshot, the atmosphere in the room changed. It went from a sanctuary to a cage.
--: Angelo's POV: --
I watched my sister walk away until she disappeared down the stairs.
Only then did I turn my full attention back to the man sitting on the bed.
Keifer stood up, smoothing out his rumpled hoodie. He didn't look cowed. He didn't look like he was going to apologize. He stood there like a man who had already decided he was willing to die for what he had. "I didn't give you permission to sleep in her room, Keifer" I said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me.
"She was begging me not to leave" Keifer replied, his voice steady. "I wasn't going to let her wake up alone after the night she had. You can do anything to me, or you can put a bullet in me—but I'm not apologizing for staying with her."
I stared at him. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to remind him of the rules. But I kept seeing the way she had been clutching his shirt—the way her breathing had finally leveled out only when he held her.
"She's the only thing that matters," I muttered, more to myself than to him. I walked over to the window, looking out at the Highlands. "If you break her again... if she cries because of a choice you make... I won't just send you away. Do you understand me?"
"I've already broken my own heart once by leaving her," Keifer said, his voice dropping to a low, fierce whisper. "I'm not doing it a second time. I'm her anchor now. Whether you like it or not."
I turned back to him and nodded once. A silent acknowledgement between two men who loved the same girl in very different ways.
"Get downstairs," I commanded. "Percy is currently trying to make pancakes. If you don't get there soon, he'll burn the kitchen down, and I'm not in the mood to buy a new house."
.
.
_____________________
Heyy guyss!!
I just wanted to ask that if any of you remember Jay's birthday because from what I remember it is 19/21/Or idk May...But google shows 22 June or something....
Thankyou for reading my book...
I love you ♡(◍•ᴗ•◍)♡