Jay-Jay's POV
I stood there for a second, watching Yuri's retreating back as he chased after Akari.
Honestly, I was stunned. Since when did Yuri become such a... pookie? He was practically tripping over his own feet for a girl.
I wonder... did he act like this with Ella? Or Freya? If things had gone differently and I actually stayed his fiancée for a long time, would he be chasing me down the hallway like a lost puppy too? Ugh, whatever. My brain is getting weird.
I shook the thoughts out of my head and looked around the parking lot. Keifer was leaning against his car, deep in a serious-looking conversation with Edrix. I didn't want to bother them, so I started walking toward my usual ride—Aries.
But before I could even reach the door, Aries stepped out, looking suspiciously well-groomed and smelling like he'd bathed in cologne.
"Don't even think about it, Jay," he said, holding up a hand. "I'm going with Ella today. I can't drop you off."
My jaw dropped. "What? How am I supposed to go home? Are you seriously abandoning your one and only sister because of a girlfriend? Is this the 'Horoscope of Betrayal' today?"
"Oh God, stop being so dramatic," Aries groaned, rolling his eyes as he checked his reflection in the car window.
"Just ask your own boyfriend to take you. He's standing right over there with a car and nothing to do."
"What boyfriend?!" I shrieked, my face heating up instantly.
"Are you really Aries? My protective, annoying brother? Did a secret society replace you with a version that actually likes Keifer?"
"Ugh, stop it. You have a boyfriend for a reason—use him! Just... don't do anything ridiculous on the way home.
Keep it PG."
I was still in a state of absolute shock. My own brother was basically hand-delivering me to the 'King of Snakes.'
"Bye! I'm going!" Aries shouted, already backing the car out. "Go straight home with him! Don't wander off!"
And just like that, he zoomed away, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the parking lot with my backpack and a very confused heart.
I stood there, blinking at the empty space where Aries' car used to be. The smell of his exhaust fumes felt like a personal insult to our childhood.
"Did he... did he just 'sell' me for a date?" I whispered to the pavement. "My own flesh and blood just traded my safety for a girl named Ella? This has to be an eclipse or some bad alignment of the stars. Where is the guy who used to threaten to shave Keifer's head if he looked at me too long?"
I turned around slowly, my eyes landing on the sleek car parked a few yards away. Keifer was still there, leaning against the hood while talking to Edrix. He looked like he'd stepped out of a luxury watch commercial—all sharp jawline and effortless "King" energy.
But the second he saw me standing alone with my backpack, his entire face changed. The "Cool King" mask slipped, and his eyes lit up like a kid who just found out Christmas came early.
"Jay?" he called out, his voice sounding way more excited than he probably intended. He didn't even wait for me to walk over; he started moving toward me, a huge, genuine grin spreading across his face. "What happened? Did the 'Horoscope' forget his luggage?"
I dragged my feet, my face burning. "He's... he's temporarily insane. He ditched me for Ella. I'm basically an orphan now."
Keifer stopped in front of me, his eyes dancing with pure joy. He didn't look smug—he looked like he'd just won the lottery. "He ditched you? For real?"
"Yes! Don't look so happy about it!" I snapped, hugging my bag to my chest.
"I'm not happy," he lied, though he was practically radiating sunshine. He leaned down, his face dangerously close to mine, his voice dropping into that low, flirtatious hum. "I'm just... a very concerned citizen who happens to have a very comfortable passenger seat. What a coincidence, right?"
Edrix, watching from the car, let out a loud snort. "Keifer, your 'concerned citizen' face looks suspiciously like a cat that just found a bowl of cream. Just take her home already."
Keifer ignored him, his focus entirely on me. He reached out and grabbed the strap of my backpack, gently tugging me toward his car. "Come on, Wifey. Since your brother is a traitor, I guess you're stuck with the person who actually wants you around."
He opened the door for me with a flourish, looking so energized he could have run a marathon. As I climbed in, I caught him checking his reflection in the window and fixing his hair, looking all proud of himself.
"I can see you, you know!" I yelled from inside.
"See what?" he asked, hopping into the driver's seat and starting the engine with a roar. He glanced at me, his eyes bright and full of life. "I'm just excited to have a 'mosquito' in my car. I've always wanted a pet that bites."
"KEIFER!"
He just laughed, the sound loud and victorious, as he pulled out of the parking lot like he was driving us straight into the sunset.
The car was parked in the driveway of my house, the engine humming quietly like a purring cat. The napkins were cleared, my forehead only tingled a little, and the atmosphere was so thick with "almost" moments that I felt like I was breathing in pure sugar.
Keifer turned off the ignition. The silence was sudden and heavy. He turned in his seat, his arm draping over the steering wheel, watching me with those eyes—those dark, molten eyes that said he wasn't ready for this ride to end.
"We're here," he whispered, his voice like velvet. "Unfortunately."
I looked at him, and for once, the clumsiness faded. A spark of mischief—the kind only a girl from Section E could possess—flickered in my chest. He wanted a romantic exit? Fine. But I was going to make him work for it.
"Yeah," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride, 'Concerned Citizen'."
I reached for the door handle, but Keifer was faster. His hand shot out, catching my wrist and pulling me back toward the center of the car.
"That's it?" he asked, his brow arching. "Just a 'thanks'?"
I looked at his hand on my wrist, then up at his face. I leaned in close—so close I could see the golden flecks in his eyes—and whispered, "What else did you want, Keifer? A tip?"
He choked on a breath, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Jay... don't play with me right now."
I leaned back, a playful smirk on my face. "I'm not playing. I'm leaving." I made a show of trying to open the door, but he leaned across the console, his chest practically pressing against my arm, pinning me in.
"You're not going anywhere," he growled, his voice dropping into that dangerously attractive territory.
"Oh? Is this a kidnapping?" I teased, my heart drumming a frantic rhythm. I reached out and started fiddling with his collar, straightening it, then messing it up again. I leaned in, my lips inches from his ear. "You look so tense, King. Maybe you should take a nap."
I could hear his teeth grind. "Jay-Jay... I am warning you..."
I pulled back, laughing softly, and started to climb out of the car. I was halfway out when I "accidentally" tripped over my own backpack strap—classic me—and tumbled backward. But instead of hitting the pavement, I landed right against his chest as he lunged to catch me.
He was breathing hard, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, holding me against him. The joke was over. The air was gone.
"Got you," he rasped.
I looked up at him, my playful mood finally melting into something deeper, something warmer. I reached up, my fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Fine," I whispered, my voice trembling just a little. "You win."
I didn't wait for him this time. I pulled him down and pressed my lips to his.
It wasn't like the "mosquito bite" from earlier. This was slow, deep, and tasted like every unspoken word we'd ever had. It was the kind of kiss that made the world outside the car windows disappear—no Section E, no annoying brothers, no exams. Just the heat of him and the way he tightened his grip on me like he was afraid I'd turn into smoke.
When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathless. Keifer leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes closed, a dazed, beautiful smile on his face.
"Okay," he panted, his voice a total wreck. "Now you can go. Before I actually do kidnap you."
I giggled, my face a brilliant red, and finally scrambled out of the car. I tripped one last time on the curb—because of course I did—but I managed to wave at him before running to my front door.
"See you tomorrow, Snake!" I yelled.
Keifer just sat in the driver's seat, dazed, touching his lips with his fingers. He looked like he'd just been hit by a truck made of roses.