The night after their chaotic "secret" date, Jay was sprawled on her bed scrolling through her phone while Keifer sat on his, pretending to read but mostly stealing glances at her. The dorm was quiet — the kind of peaceful silence that only came after a day full of laughter and embarrassment.
Jay had just begun to drift toward sleep when both their phones buzzed at the same time.
Ding. Ding.
They exchanged confused looks. "You got it too?" Keifer asked, grabbing his phone.
Jay frowned, opening the message. It was from The Mariano-Watson Empire Headquarters. Her pulse jumped instantly.
Subject: Congratulations!
You have both been selected for the prestigious joint internship under the Mariano & Watson Enterprises Program. You will be representing your respective families in the global corporate training initiative. Be ready to depart in three days.
Jay sat upright. "No way. The Mariano-Watson internship? That's— that's the biggest one this year!"
Keifer whistled, leaning back. "Guess the universe decided to put the heirs together again." He shot her a teasing grin. "Looks like you're stuck with me, partner."
Jay glared, though she couldn't hide her excitement. "It's not like I had a choice."
He smirked. "Admit it — you're happy you don't have to go without me."
"Happy isn't the word," she said, shaking her head, already opening her closet. "I need to start packing. We're leaving in three days."
Keifer chuckled and stood, walking to his side of the room. "You're so dramatic. It's just an internship."
"Just?" She turned toward him, arms crossed. "This internship decides who gets the final position in both family companies after graduation. It's everything."
He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, Miss Serious. Don't bite my head off."
Jay huffed, pulling out her suitcase. "You'll thank me when we're not running around last minute."
Keifer grinned and started gathering his clothes — though his version of packing was basically tossing random shirts into a duffel bag.
After a few minutes, Jay noticed and groaned. "That's not packing. That's chaos."
He shrugged. "It's called efficiency."
"Efficiency would mean folding, you barbarian."
He grinned. "You can fold them for me if you want. You know, girlfriend privileges."
Jay threw a pillow at him. "In your dreams, Watson."
He laughed and dodged it easily, continuing to mess with her as she neatly folded her clothes into her suitcase.
Every few minutes, he found a new way to distract her — pretending to "test" how heavy her suitcase was, accidentally taking her charger, or standing in the way whenever she tried to walk past.
"Keifer, move."
"Nope."
"Keifer."
"What?"
"Move!"
He smirked. "Make me."
Jay gave him an exasperated look before pushing him aside. He stumbled back with an exaggerated laugh. "Wow, violent much?"
"Keep talking and you'll find out what violent really means," she muttered, stuffing another pile of clothes into her bag.
As she bent to zip up her suitcase, Keifer — with his usual playful streak — flicked the back of her hair and then lightly smacked her side with a grin.
Jay immediately stood up, eyes blazing. "Keifer Watson!"
He burst out laughing, holding up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay! I couldn't resist — you were being so serious!"
"Do that again, and you'll be sleeping outside," she warned, though there was a tiny smile threatening to escape.
"Worth it," he teased, ducking as she threw another pillow his way.
For a moment, their laughter filled the dorm — that familiar, chaotic energy that only they had.
When things finally calmed down, Jay sat on her bed, glancing at her packed suitcase. "I still can't believe we're doing this."
Keifer looked at her from across the room, his tone softening. "Hey. We'll crush it. Like we always do."
Jay met his eyes, a mix of nervousness and warmth spreading through her. "You better not mess this up for me."
He grinned. "I could say the same to you."
Then, quieter, he added, "We've got this, Jay. You and me."
She smiled slightly, leaning back on her bed. "You and me."
Outside, the city lights glowed through the window, and for the first time in a long while, Jay felt ready — not just for the internship, but for whatever came next with Keifer by her side.