keifer's POV
It was almost ten by the time we arrived at jay's house everyone had left only me and Jay were in the car " bye" she said her voice no louder than a whisper. " bye , I love you till scientists find the end of the universe," I said softly
" can you come with me?"
" Sure I need to talk to Angelo anyways," I said
Jay's perspective:
we headed inside I still had Keifer's jacket draped on my shoulders
"Jay, I was so worried where have you been " tita said as she rushed to hug me as she smiled at Keifer " were you two on a date "
" no tita" Keifer said politely
" is Angelo here ? "
" yes, why?" Tita said curiously
" I will tell you later I need to tell you both something important " Keifer said his voice sharp and calm
" okay " tita replied
" jay go upstairs and freshen up " Keifer said with a smile on his face
I went upstairs and took a shower and changed into comfortable clothes I could hear Aries, tita , Angelo and Keifer chatting seriously but I couldn't quite understand what they were saying.
I cracked my door open a little and held my breath. Their voices drifted up the stairs in broken pieces.
"Are you sure this is the right time?" That was Angelo. Calm, but strained in a way I rarely heard.
Tita sighed. "She's been through so much already."
The floorboard outside my room creaked. I flinched back, heart racing, half expecting someone to burst in. Nobody did. The murmur from downstairs continued, quieter now.
I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed Keifer's jacket from my bed, pressed it to my chest for a second, then headed downstairs.
All four of them sat in the living room like they were in some kind of meeting. The TV was off. The only sound was the ticking clock on the wall. Aries looked up first, eyes wide, then quickly away.
"Jay," Tita said, standing. "I thought you were resting."
"I was," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But you're all down here acting like a war is , so… what's going on?"
"You're all freaking me out," I said, trying to sound annoyed instead of scared. "Just tell me what's going on."
Tita glanced at Keifer, then back at Jay, her eyes soft but serious.
"Anak, we've been talking because we want you to be safe," she began carefully. "For now… you're going to stay with Keifer .Their place is more secure, and we all think it will keep you safer since the kidnapping have gotten worse ."
Jay's stomach dropped. "Stay with… Keifer?" she repeated. "Like, actually live there?"
Angelo leaned forward, folding his hands. "You've been through real trauma, Jay, and it's starting to affect everything—your sleep, your moods, even how you handle seeing blood."
"That fear you have now, it's a lot like what Keigan went through," he added. "A psychiatrist helped him understand what was happening in his brain and taught him how to handle it so the fear stopped controlling his life, and we want the same for you."
Jay's fingers tightened around Keifer's jacket.I muttered. "So you all think I'm crazy now?"
Tita stepped closer but didn't touch me yet. "No, anak. We think you're hurt, not crazy," she said softly. "Seeing a psychiatrist is like seeing a doctor for your mind after everything it's had to go through ."
"You'll still see us, you'll still come home, and you get a say in this," she added. "But we're not going to ignore your pain just because you keep smiling through it."
Keifer stood up slowly. "You told me I was your safe place," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "Living with me for a while, talking to someone who actually knows how to help… that's us choosing you, Jay— I'm not giving up on you"