JAY JAY POV
I woke up to the persistent buzzing of my phone. Half-asleep, I squinted at the screen and saw Aries' name flashing. A video call. At this hour?
I swiped to answer.
"JAY JAY!" Aries' voice boomed through the speaker, loud enough to wake the dead. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"
I gave the camera a small, tired, but completely innocent smile. I hadn't told him yet. My brother—the person I tell absolutely everything to—was the last to know that I'd been disowned and had officially become a Watson.
"Papa called me at three in the morning screaming that he kicked you out," Aries continued, his face twisted in a mix of panic and disbelief. "And then Aunt Hazel called and told me you got married? Tell me she's joking, Jay."
I just nodded, my heart feeling light for the first time in years. "It's true, Aries."
"Jay..." Aries' voice softened, his protective brother instincts kicking in. "Are you okay? Do you have anywhere to stay? Do you need money?"
"Don't worry about me, Aries. We're fine now," I said softly.
Just then, I felt a heavy arm slide around my waist. Keifer, still dead to the world, pulled me back against his chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
"Go back to sleep, Wifey," he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "It's only six o'clock. School doesn't start until eight."
Aries froze. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of us basically cuddling on the screen. There was a beat of deadly silence before he roared:
"MARK KEIFER WATSON!"
Keifer bolted upright like a lightning bolt had hit him. "Yes!" he snapped out, sitting at attention like he was answering morning roll call.
I burst out laughing, the sound echoing in the small room. Keifer rubbed his eyes, finally realizing he wasn't being hunted by my father, but by my very protective older brother through a phone screen.
"Jay Jay, give him the phone. Right now," Aries commanded, his face turning a dangerous shade of red.
I stifled my giggles and handed the phone over to Keifer. "Good luck, husband," I whispered, blowing him a kiss before falling back against the pillows to watch the drama unfold.
Keifer took the phone with a shaky hand, looking like he'd rather face a firing squad than my brother's glare. He cleared his throat, trying to find his "tough guy" basketball captain voice, but it came out a bit raspy from sleep.
"Hey, Aries," Keifer muttered.
"Don't 'Hey, Aries' me!" Aries shouted. "You married my sister? In a chapel? At midnight? Without even a phone call to me? I leave for college for a few months and the world falls apart!"
"It wasn't a snap decision, man," Keifer said, sitting up straighter and putting a protective hand on my leg under the covers. "Her parents were going to force her to marry Yuri. I couldn't let that happen. I love her."
Aries went quiet for a second, his expression shifting from pure rage to that 'big brother' concern. "I know you do, Watson. If I didn't think you did, I'd be driving down there right now to bury you in the backyard. But Keifer... she's never lived without a maid, a credit card, or a full fridge. Are you ready for this? Because if you fail her, I don't care if we've been friends for years—I'll take you out."
AN- YES KEIFER AND AIRES ARE FRIENDS
Keifer looked down at me, his eyes softening. "I'm working double shifts at the garage and the diner. I'll do whatever it takes. She's a Watson now. We take care of our own."
Aries sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. Look, I'm sending Jay some money. Don't argue with me, it's from my personal account, not the old man's. Use it for rent or whatever."
"Aries, you don't have to—" I tried to chime in, leaning into the frame.
"Shut up, Jay Jay. It's a wedding gift," Aries snapped, though he was smiling a little now. "And Keifer? You better be at school by eight. Don't let her skip just because you're 'celebrating.' I'm still the older brother."
"Yes, sir," Keifer said, actually sounding relieved.
"I'll see you guys this weekend. I'm coming down to check on you. Goodbye, Watsons," Aries said, making a face at the name before hanging up.
The room went quiet again. Keifer dropped the phone onto the nightstand and let out a huge breath, collapsing back onto the mattress.
"Your brother is terrifying," he breathed.
"You handled it well, Mr. Watson," I teased, crawling over to rest my chin on his chest. "Now, did I hear you say something about school? Because I'm pretty sure I have a math test I haven't studied for."
Keifer groaned, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Forget the math test. I just realized we have to walk into that school together today. Everyone is going to know by lunch."
"Let them know," I said, kissing his jaw. "I want them to see my new ring anyway."
"Keifer, I'm going to get a job, too," I told him firmly.
"No," he shot back instantly.
"Please, please, please?" I begged, leaning closer.
"Jay, no. It's hard work, and you need to focus on your education. I'll handle the money for now."
I didn't take no for an answer. I moved to sit on his lap, looking him right in the eye. "Please, hubby," I whispered, trailing kisses along his jawline. "Let me learn what it's like to have responsibilities. I want to do this with you."
Keifer let out a frustrated groan, his head falling back against the pillow as I moved my kisses to his neck. "Jay…"
"Please?" I murmured against his skin.
"Fine," he finally relented, his hands gripping my waist. "But you're working exactly where I work. I'm not letting you go somewhere else."
I pulled back, nodding happily at my victory.
"There's an open spot at the diner," Keifer added. "I'll talk to the owner; he's a really nice guy. I'm sure he'll give you a chance."
I beamed at him, sealing the deal with a lingering kiss on his lips. My life as a socialite was officially over, and my life as a working woman—and Mrs. Watson—was just beginning.
When we walked through the front doors of the school, hand-in-hand, it felt like the entire hallway went silent for a split second before the whispering started.
"Wow! Look who decided to show up—the newlyweds!" Mia teased, running up to us with a massive grin on her face.
"So, how was the first night as a married couple, Keif?" Dave added, nudging Keifer's shoulder with a suggestive smirk.
Keifer just rolled his eyes, but he didn't let go of my hand. I scanned the crowd and my eyes landed on Yuri. He was leaning against the lockers, glaring at Keifer with a look of pure venom. He stepped forward, blocking our path.
"Wow, Jay. Nice job. You really chose him over me?" Yuri spat, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "I guess you're just dying to experience poverty or something. You have no idea what you just threw away."
I felt Keifer's grip tighten on my hand as he stepped slightly in front of me, but Ben beat him to the punch.
"Fuck off, Yuri," Ben snapped, stepping into Yuri's space. "They're not in poverty, so quit being such a drama queen. You're just pissed she chose someone with a soul over a hollowed-out trust fund like you."
Yuri looked like he wanted to swing, but he backed down when he saw Dave and Ben standing firmly behind us.
"You'll regret this, Jay," Yuri muttered, looking at me one last time. "When you're tired of playing house in a dump, don't come crawling back."
"I won't," I said, lifting my chin and making sure the light caught the gold band on my finger. "I've never been happier to be a Watson."
Keifer looked down at me, a proud smile finally breaking through his hard exterior. We walked past Yuri without another word, leaving the whispers behind us. We had a long day of school and an even longer shift at the diner ahead of us, but for the first time, I wasn't afraid of the future. I was finally living it.
After school, we headed straight to the diner where Keifer worked.
"Good evening, Mr. Hall," Keifer greeted, tossing both of our backpacks onto a spare chair.
"Evening, Keifer," the man replied, his eyes drifting over to me. "Is this the wife I heard about?"
I nodded with a confident smile. "Good evening. Keifer has told me so much about you," I said, reaching out to shake his hand.
"I hope it was all good things," Mr. Hall said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, definitely. He told me you're a kind and amazing soul to work for," I lied smoothly.
Mr. Hall let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, come on, Keifer, you didn't have to go that far! Anyway, show her what she needs to do and let's get to work."
As soon as he walked away, Keifer leaned in and whispered, "I never said any of that to you."
"I know," I whispered back with a wink. "But you have to butter them up a bit. See? I got the job." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, feeling proud of my first official business move.
The work was actually pretty straightforward: make sure the customers got exactly what they asked for. I handled the orders, writing everything down on my little notepad, and Keifer was the muscle, weaving through the tables to deliver the heavy trays. We worked like a well-oiled machine, catching each other's eyes across the crowded diner whenever things got hectic.
By the time our shift ended, my feet were throbbing with a dull ache I'd never felt before. The "glamour" of working had definitely worn off about four hours in.
When we finally made it back to the apartment, I practically collapsed onto the small couch, letting out a long, dramatic groan of relief.
Keifer laughed softly, looking just as tired but much more used to it. He sat down right next to me, gently grabbing my legs and pulling them across his lap. My eyes widened in surprise as he started to massage my sore arches.
"You did good today, Mrs. Watson," he said, his thumbs pressing into the exact spots that hurt the most. "The diner isn't exactly the Mariano ballroom, but you survived your first shift."
"I think my feet might actually fall off," I mumbled, leaning my head back and closing my eyes as the tension began to melt away. "Is this what you do every day? School and then... this?"
"Every day," he said quietly. "But it's worth it. Especially now."
I opened one eye to look at him. He was focused on my feet, his expression soft and serious. I realized then that while I was just starting to learn about "responsibility," he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for a long time.
I sat up slightly, reaching out to ruffle his messy hair. "Promise me one thing, Keifer."
"What's that?"
"Don't let me get lazy. If I complain about my feet tomorrow, tell me to suck it up."
He chuckled, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to my knee. "Deal. But for tonight, just relax. You earned it."
We stumbled toward the bed, the small room quiet and cool.
As soon as our heads hit the pillows, Keifer pulled me close, and I tucked myself into the familiar space against his chest. We didn't need any more words or grand promises; the exhaustion was a testament to the new life we were building together. We fell into a deep sleep just like that, our limbs tangled together, finally at peace.