Chapter 58: worst idea. best idea.
Jay's POV
I knew—knew—this was going to spiral the second I saw the lineup of cars outside the café.
It wasn't a lineup.
It was a parade.
Luxury sedans, black SUVs, Felix's very illegal-looking sports car, and whatever the hell Kit was driving that looked like it could survive a war.
Keifer leaned casually against my car like we weren't about to unleash twenty people into one household.
Keifer: "You sure about this?"
Jay: "No."
Keifer: "Confident 'no' or scared 'no'?"
Jay: "Both. Multitasking."
He smiled like that somehow reassured him.
Keifer: "You always do this."
Jay: "Do what?"
Keifer: "Invite chaos, then act surprised when chaos shows up early."
I unlocked the car.
Jay: "Get in."
Keifer: "Passenger seat?"
Jay: "Try it and I'll run you over."
He opened the passenger door anyway.
Keifer: "Worth it."
Behind us, Felix was already yelling.
Felix: "WHY ARE THERE SO MANY CARS."
Rakki: "Because Jay has commitment issues but with people."
Mica: "Someone please make Felix buckle up."
Felix: "I'M A FREE SPIRIT."
Grace, sitting comfortably like the queen she is, sighed.
Grace: "I swear I will name my child after whoever survives this trip."
We finally got moving.
Five minutes in, Keifer noticed my hands on the wheel.
Keifer: "You're… good at this."
Jay: "I passed my test on the first try."
Keifer: "Of course you did."
Jay: "Don't sound surprised."
Keifer: "I'm not surprised. I'm intimidated."
I smirked.
Jay: "You should be."
The group chat exploded.
Felix: jay drives like she means it
Maya: she always does
Edrix: hypothetically I could reroute traffic
Jay: hypothetically don't
Rory: statistically jay is the safest option
Felix: this feels like a threat
Keifer laughed, full and unfiltered.
Keifer: "I like this version of your life."
Jay: "Which one?"
Keifer: "The loud one."
When we pulled up to my house—
Silence.
Actual silence.
Cars slowed. Engines idled.
Someone whistled.
Felix stepped out, craning his neck upward.
Felix: "JAY."
Jay: "Yes?"
Felix: "EXPLAIN."
Maya squinted.
Maya: "You lived here and still trauma-bonded over cafeteria food?"
Jay: "The house doesn't cook."
Rory muttered:
Rory: "This place has trust-fund trauma written all over it."
Blaster just stood there.
Blaster: "I feel like I need permission to breathe."
Keifer didn't say anything.
He just looked at me.
Keifer: "You grew up here."
Jay: "Unfortunately."
Keifer: "No wonder you're terrifying."
Inside?
Worse.
Felix immediately claimed the couch.
Felix: "THIS IS MINE."
Grace: "MOVE BEFORE I SIT."
Felix: "I'M MOVING."
Edrix and Rory sprinted for the Wi-Fi like it was oxygen.
Edrix: "PASSWORD?"
Jay: "You'll figure it out."
Edrix: "…I already did."
Someone turned on music.
Someone spilled juice.
Someone asked if the house had a second kitchen.
Kit wandered in awe.
Kit: "This hallway alone could be a studio apartment."
Mica leaned toward me.
Mica: "You're never allowed to say 'it's small' again."
Keifer came up behind me, arms looping around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder.
Keifer: "Still breathing?"
Jay: "Barely."
Keifer: "Regret?"
Jay: "Ask me after Felix breaks something."
Right on cue—
Felix: "GUYS I FOUND A GAME ROOM."
Chaos erupted.
People ran.
People yelled.
Someone tripped.
I laughed so hard my chest hurt.
Keifer watched me like he was memorizing the moment.
Keifer: "You're happy."
Jay: "Don't make it weird."
Keifer: "Too late."
He kissed my temple, soft, grounding.
Below us, my worlds collided—messy, loud, imperfect.
And somehow… perfect.
Worst idea?
Maybe.
Best idea?
Definitely.