JAY JAY POV
The tall glass buildings of Aurelia City loomed over us, glowing with millions of lights like a forest of neon. It was overwhelming and beautiful all at once. By the time we made it through the lobby of our new building and the elevator dinged on our floor, my legs were shaking from exhaustion.
Keifer slid the key into the lock and pushed the door open, stepping aside to let me in first.
I gasped as I walked inside. The apartment was incredible. Large floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the city, making the living room feel like it was floating in the sky. The floors were a dark, polished wood, and the kitchen had sleek, modern counters that shone under the recessed lighting. It was worlds away from our cramped, drafty place back home—and even further from the cold, sterile mansion I grew up in.
"Keifer... it's beautiful," I whispered, walking toward the window to see the lights of the city below us. "It's better than the one we had. Much better."
Keifer dropped our heavy bags by the door and walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder, looking out at the view with me.
"I told you I'd find us a place where you could breathe," he said, his voice low and vibrating against my back.
I leaned my head back against him, feeling the warmth of his body. For the first time in weeks, the tight knot of anxiety in my chest fully unraveled
"It feels like a real home," I murmured, turning around in his arms to look at him. "Our home."
Keifer smiled, his eyes reflecting the city lights outside. "It is. Tomorrow we'll find a way to make it ours—get some plants, maybe some of those weird pillows you like. But tonight..." He trailed off, looking at the large, comfortable-looking bed visible through the open bedroom door. "Tonight, we sleep without looking over our shoulders."
He swept me off my feet effortlessly, and I let out a startled squeak of laughter as he carried me toward the bedroom. As he laid me down on the fresh, cool linens, a wave of clarity washed over me.
My parents were right—I wasn't their daughter anymore. I was something so much better. I was free, I was a graduate, and I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Keifer hovered over me, propping himself up on his elbows as his gaze locked onto mine. A mischievous glint danced in his dark eyes.
"Should we put it to the test?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive rumble.
I looked up at him, momentarily confused. "Put what to the test?"
"Two things," Keifer said, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. "One, if this bed can actually handle us. And two... if the neighbors can really hear you scream."
My breath hitched, and I felt a flush of heat creep up my neck.
I reached up, swatting him playfully on the arm even as my heart began to pound against my ribs.
"Keifer! You said the walls were soundproof!"
"Well, there's only one way to know for sure if the landlord was lying," he murmured, leaning down until his lips were just a breath away from mine.
His hands slid down to my waist, his touch firm and possessive. "I think we owe it to ourselves to be very, or should I say, thorough with our investigation."
I laughed, a soft, breathless sound, and tangled my fingers in the thick hair at the nape of his neck.
He didn't wait another second.
He crashed his lips against mine, and I kissed him back with everything I had—every ounce of the bottled-up rage I felt toward my parents and every spark of the desperate love I had for this man. The kiss was deep, hungry, and heavy with the realization that no one was coming to pull us apart.
Keifer's hands weren't gentle; they were possessive.
One hand stayed tangled in my hair, tilting my head back to gain better access, while the other slid firmly under my shirt, his warm palm searing against my lower back.
I arched into him, a small moan escaping my throat as he nipped at my bottom lip before dragging his tongue across it.
The heat between us was immediate and stifling.
He moved his mouth to the sensitive hollow of my throat, sucking a mark into my skin that I knew would be a purple reminder of who I belonged to by morning.
I buckled beneath him, my legs wrapping around his waist to pull him as close as humanly possible.
His weight was a comfort, a solid anchor after a day of feeling like I was drifting.
His breath was ragged against my ear as his hand wandered higher, his thumb grazing the underside of my breast, making my entire body shiver with a sharp, electric need.
"Jay Jay," he growled against my skin, his voice a raw, gravelly mess.
We were both a tangled wreck of limbs and heated skin, the friction between us reaching a fever pitch. But as I reached for the hem of his shirt, my movements felt heavy. My brain felt like it was encased in cotton. I watched his eyes flutter, the intense fire in them struggling against the sheer weight of exhaustion.
The adrenaline that had been fueling us since the park suddenly buckled.
He let out a heavy sigh, collapsing his forehead against the crook of my neck, his chest heaving against mine. For a moment, we just stayed like that—tangled, flushed, and breathing the same air.
"Turns out," Keifer panted, his voice vibrating against my skin, "as much as I want to break this bed… I think my legs are actually made of lead."
I let out a weak, tired giggle, the tension breaking into a soft, cozy fatigue. "I was just thinking the same thing. I don't think I can even keep my eyes open to see what you're doing."
Keifer chuckled, the sound deep and weary. He kissed the spot he had just marked on my neck one last time—gentle now—and rolled onto his side, pulling me along with him so my back was pressed against his chest. He draped a heavy arm over my waist, pulling me into the "spoon" position, and tucked the duvet around us both.
"Round two tomorrow," he murmured, his voice already thick with sleep. "I'm going to make you forget you ever had a last name that wasn't mine."
"I already forgot," I whispered, lacing my fingers with his.
Secure in our high-rise fortress, with the spicy heat of our make-out session still simmering under my skin, I fell into the deepest sleep I'd had in years.