A/N CHECK THE COMMENT SECTION
JAY-JAY POV
Ben barely had time to close my door before I exploded.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" I yelled, slamming my hand against the dashboard. "WHY DID YOU CARRY ME INSIDE THIS FUCKING CAR!"
Ben didn't even flinch.
Just sat there in the driver's seat like he was babysitting a wild animal.
Robin and Mia were in the back, already buckled in like they were watching a live-action telenovela.
Ben finally turned his head toward me, completely calm.
"Because," he said, "you were about to commit murder."
I glared at him so hard I could've set the car on fire.
"I WAS NOT—"
"You threw your phone at his head," Ben said.
"That was a warning shot!"
Robin snorted. "Jay, you aimed for his face."
Mia nodded. "And you missed on purpose."
I crossed my arms, fuming, chest still rising and falling like I'd run a marathon fueled by rage.
Ben reached over and clicked my seatbelt into place.
"Stay," he said again.
I stared at him.
"I am not a dog."
"Then stop acting like a rabid one," he replied.
Robin whispered, "Oh my god, he wants to die."
Mia whispered back, "He really does."
Ben started the engine like nothing had just happened. "Where are we going?"
"Well obviously we need to buy that one a new phone," Mia said, pointing at me like I was a broken appliance.
"Okay, so… the phone shop," Ben said.
I turned to him. "Ben, give me your phone."
He didn't even look at me. "No thanks. I don't want mine to be broken."
I stared at him.
Ben sighed the sigh of a man who knew he'd lost. "Fine."
He handed me his phone like it was a sacrifice to the gods.
I took it and immediately dialed the only number my brain could think of.
Grandpa.
My thumb hovered over the call button for a second.
I hadn't called him in two years.
Not since he sent me to the Philippines.
I swallowed hard.
"Let's hope he didn't change his number," I muttered, pressing call before I could chicken out.
The phone barely rang once before he picked up.
"Hello Ben, what is the problem?" Grandpa's voice came through — calm, stern, like always.
My throat tightened, but I forced the words out.
"The problem is you didn't talk to me for two years," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
There was a pause.
A long one.
Then—
"Jay," he said quietly.
I let out a humorless laugh. "Good. You remember me."
"Princess, why would we forget you?" Grandpa said, voice steady, like he wasn't the reason I disappeared for two years.
My jaw tightened. "How long do I have to stay here for?"
"You know the answer. Until you're 18," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I stared out the window, biting back every curse I wanted to throw at him.
Ben leaned closer to the phone. "Grandpa, things here are getting out of control. And there's also a threat to her in the Philippines."
Grandpa went silent.
A heavy, loaded silence.
Then—
"Fine," he said. "I will send a person."
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my past life.
"Of course you will," I muttered under my breath. "Because that's what you do. Send people. Not yourself."
Mia and Robin exchanged a look in the backseat
Ben glanced at me, worry flickering across his face.
Grandpa cleared his throat on the other end. "You know what, I will make it up to you."
Before I could respond, Robin leaned forward like a kid tattling to a parent. "Grandpa, your princess broke her phone."
I whipped around and glared at him.
He just smiled.
"Well, go now and buy a new phone," Grandpa said immediately. "And I will send some money to your bank account."
Of course he would.
"Ben," Grandpa continued, "I created a new account for her. Help her activate it."
"Sure, Grandpa," Ben said, steady and respectful.
"Bye, princess," Grandpa said softly.
I swallowed, my voice coming out quieter than I expected. "Bye. Tell Grandma I said hi."
"Sure," he said — and then the line went dead.
I stared at the phone for a moment, the silence in the car suddenly heavier than before — like everyone was waiting for me to either cry or explode again.
Instead, I opened the banking app.
"Ben, I'm opening my account on your phone," I said, already typing.
"Sure. Just log out after you're done," he said, eyes on the road like this was a normal Tuesday morning
My new account loaded.
Robin leaned forward between the seats like a nosy aunt. "How much did he send you this time?"
I scrolled.
"He sent me 10 million," I said flatly.
No one reacted.
Like they'd seen this exact scene a hundred times.
Mia blinked slowly. "Jay, I thought every time you get mad your grandpa sends you 30 million."
I nodded, still scrolling. "Yeah, he usually does."
Then—
"Oh. There we go."
I tilted the screen toward myself. "The total is 40 million."
Robin's jaw dropped so hard I heard it click.
Mia slapped her forehead. "Of course. He sent the rest separately. Because why send one ridiculous amount when you can send two."
Ben glanced at me through the rear‑view mirror. "So what are you thinking to do?"
I shrugged like forty million wasn't sitting in my account. "Well, same same — I need to buy myself a phone. And I think some shopping won't hurt, right?" I looked at Mia.
Mia lit up instantly. "Exactly—"
"OH HELL TO THE NO," Ben and Robin said in perfect unison.
I blinked at them. "Excuse me?"
Robin leaned forward, pointing at me like I was a walking hazard sign. "Last time you went to the mall, we stayed there the entire day. The. Entire. Day."
Ben nodded aggressively. "And we were the ones who had to hold all the bags."
Robin threw his hands up. "ALL OF THEM. My arms were shaking like a chihuahua."
"And we had to put them in the car," Ben added. "Like it was a workout routine. Up, down, up, down. I swear I did more reps than at the gym."
I rolled my eyes. "You guys will be fine."
Ben muttered something that sounded like "that's what she said last time" but I ignored him because the car had just stopped.
Right in front of the Apple store.
The big, shiny, expensive Apple store.
Mia clapped her hands. "Perfect. Retail therapy time."
Ben groaned. Robin whispered a prayer.
I stepped out of the car like a woman on a mission.
The moment I walked inside, the employees straightened like they sensed a high‑value customer
I didn't even hesitate.
"I want the iPhone 17," I said, pointing at the display.
The employee blinked. "Which storage—"
"Max."
"And the color—"
"Blue"
"And—"
"And I'll take a MacBook too," I added, already walking toward the laptops. "The newest one."
Robin whispered, "She's gonna buy the whole store."
Ben stood by the entrance like a tired dad who regretted every decision that led him here.
I grabbed a pair of AirPods too. Because why not.
We headed to the cashier.
"Is this all you will have, ma'am?" he asked politely, arms full of my impulsive decisions.
I nodded, and we checked out. The total didn't even make me blink
As soon as we stepped outside, I clapped my hands once. "Now to the mall."
Ben froze. "Jay—"
"Mall. Now," I said, sliding into the passenger seat like a queen giving orders.
Ben stared at me like he was reconsidering his entire friendship contract.
Mia was already buckling her seatbelt. "Let's go, driver."
Robin crossed himself dramatically. "If I die in that mall, tell my mom I loved her."
Ben groaned, started the engine, and muttered, "I should've stayed home today."
I smirked.
We reached the mall, and the moment I stepped out of the car, I froze.
"Oh god, it's crowded," I said, already regretting my life choices.
Ben looked around, unimpressed. "Jay, there are like… maybe three hundred people here."
I stared at him. "THREE. HUNDRED. PEOPLE. Ben, that's a whole population."
Mia snorted. "Jay, that's literally an average weekday mall crowd."
Robin nodded. "Yeah, this is nothing. You should see it on weekends — it hits like two thousand."
I ignored all of them and marched forward like a soldier entering battle.
We headed into the first clothing store.
I glanced at him. "Ben, how are things going?"
He shrugged. "Fine. Same old, same old. Ma and Pa are busy with business, so I'm staying here for now."
I nodded, then turned to Robin.
"Same as him," Robin said, pointing at Ben like they were twins.
Before I could even turn to Mia, she spoke without looking up, holding two tops in her hands.
"Ma and Pa come every month to see me," she said casually, comparing colors like she was choosing between life and death.
I raised an eyebrow. "Every month?"
"Yeah," she said. "They miss me."
Robin scoffed. "Must be nice."
Ben nodded. "Very nice."
I sighed, picking up a random shirt. "Must be nice to have parents who actually show up."
Mia paused, looked at me through the mirror, and softened. "Jay…"
I waved her off. "It's fine. I'm fine. We're shopping."
We drifted through the racks, grabbing pieces Mia shoved at me and a few I hesitantly picked myself.
Stuff I would never wear on a normal day.
Totally out of my comfort zone.
But… maybe new things wouldn't hurt, right?
I held up a top that was definitely more revealing than anything I'd ever worn. "This is… a lot."
Mia grinned like a proud mother. "Exactly. That's why you're trying it."
"NO," Ben and Robin both said at the exact same time
I pretended not to hear a single syllable.
And tossed the top straight into the basket.
We went to the cashier after the whole shopping spree, and the moment I saw the line—
I froze.
There were so many people.
Like the entire population of the mall had decided to check out at the exact same time.
"Oh dear god," Mia whispered, clutching her bags dramatically.
"Here goes one hour of our time," Robin said, already sounding defeated.
I held out my hand. "Give me the cart."
Ben didn't even argue. He just handed it over like he knew I was about to do something questionable.
I pushed the cart forward, scanned the impulse‑buy section, and without hesitation grabbed a pair of sunglasses.
Then a stick.
A literal stick.
Robin blinked. "Jay… why are you buying a stick?"
Mia squinted. "Is that… a walking stick?"
Ben sighed. "Please tell me it's not a hitting stick."
I shrugged, tossing it into the cart. "It's for… purposes."
Then I went straight to the front of the line —
not cutting, not pushing, just… walking.
Almost bumped into a person.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" a boy snapped, stepping back like I'd committed a crime.
I lifted my chin, slid the sunglasses onto my face, and tapped the stick on the floor once.
"Sorry, sir," I said calmly. "I can't see."
The boy froze like someone had hit pause on him.
"I—I'm sorry," he stammered. "Please go and check out first."
He stepped aside immediately, practically bowing.
Mission success.
I smiled sweetly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" he said, nodding so fast his hair moved.
"Thank you so much," I said, tapping the stick once for dramatic effect before gliding to the front of the line.
I checked out, paid, and walked back to where Mia, Ben, and Robin were waiting.
I slipped the sunglasses off, put them back on the rack, and placed the stick exactly where I found it.
Robin stared at me like I'd just committed a federal crime.
"So," I said, raising an eyebrow.
Mia grinned. "It's official — our Jay is back."
I smirked, because yeah… she wasn't wrong.
Ben glanced around nervously. "Let's go before anyone sees us."
I nodded, and without another word, Ben and Robin grabbed the shopping bags — all of them — like two overworked personal assistants who didn't get paid enough for this.
Robin groaned under the weight. "Why does everything you buy weigh like trauma?"
Ben muttered, "Because it is trauma."
Mia looped her arm through mine. "Come on, princess. Let's go home before you cause another scene."
I smirked again, walking ahead
And behind me, I heard Robin whisper to Ben:
"She's back… and we're doomed."
Ben sighed. "Yeah."
I clapped my hands once, already shifting gears. "We need to get our nails done next."
Ben didn't even fight it this time. He just nodded in defeat. "Fine."
Robin adjusted the mountain of bags in his arms. "We'll put these back in the car and come back."
I nodded, satisfied.
Me and Mia walked into the nail shop, the smell of acetone and lavender hitting us instantly. The place was calm, soft music playing, a total contrast to the chaos we'd just caused in the mall.
Mia picked a color sample and twirled it between her fingers. "So… did Jare contact you?"
I shook my head. "No."
I glanced at her. "Did he contact you?"
She shook her head too, eyes dropping to the color wheel. "No. We didn't talk to each other after our breakup."
I nodded slowly.
They used to date.
They were good together — loud, chaotic, stupidly cute.
Then suddenly, they weren't.
I know Mia still loves him. It's in the way her voice softens when his name comes up. In the way she avoids looking at me when she talks about him.
But Jare?
I don't know.
Mia sighed, choosing a deep red polish. "It's whatever. I'm over it."
I raised an eyebrow
I didn't press Mia any further. We got our nails done
when we stepped out, the boys were waiting outside like tired parents picking up their kids from daycare.
"Done? Can we go home now?" Ben asked, sounding like he was seconds away from collapsing.
"Fine," I said. "Drop me at Percy's."
Ben nodded immediately, like he'd been praying for those exact words.
We piled into the car, the boys loading the bags like they were moving furniture instead of clothes. The ride was quiet — the good kind — the kind where everyone's tired but comfortable.
They dropped me off at Percy's house. I grabbed my bags, slung them over my shoulder, and stepped out.
Before I could close the door, Mia leaned forward from the back seat. "Jay, open your Insta and TikTok account again."
I groaned. "Fine."
She gave me a thumbs‑up like a proud manager.
I headed inside