JAY JAY POV
AFTER 1 YEAR
I groaned, leaning back in my chair until my spine popped. The architectural physics textbook in front of me felt like it was written in a language I hadn't mastered yet. One more year, , cramped fingers, and structural load calculations, and I'd finally have that degree in my hand.
"Tired, babe?" Keifer's voice was a low hum near my ear.
He leaned over the back of my chair, his scent—coffee and that clean, woody cologne I loved—instantly cutting through my stress. He pressed a lingering kiss to my cheek, his stubble grazing my skin just enough to make me shiver.
"Tell me why I chose physics again," I muttered, dropping my head into my hands and staring at the diagram of a cantilever beam that looked more like a headache than a building.
Keifer chuckled, his hands moving to my shoulders. He began to knead the tight muscles at the base of my neck, his thumbs finding exactly where the tension was hiding. "Because you said you didn't just want to draw pretty buildings, Jay Jay. You wanted to make sure they actually stayed standing."
"Past Jay Jay was a real overachiever," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning into his touch. "Present Jay Jay wants to throw this book out the window and take a nap for three days."
"Well, Present Keifer thinks you're the smartest person in this city," he murmured, moving his kisses from my cheek to the sensitive spot just below my ear. "But even the smartest architect in training needs a break. You've been staring at that page for two hours."
I turned in my chair, looking up at him. He looked different after a year of business school—sharper, more tired, but also more settled. He was doing incredibly well, already landing a part-time internship at a logistics firm that had no idea about his past as a "fixer."
"How is the marketing report coming?" I asked, reaching up to straighten the collar of his shirt.
"Finished it twenty minutes ago," he said with a smirk. "Which means I'm officially off duty and ready to distract my wife."
He reached down, closing my laptop with one hand while he pulled me up with the other.
"Wait—my notes!" I squeaked.
"Physics isn't going anywhere, Jay," he whispered, hoisting me up so my legs wrapped around his waist. "But I might lose my mind if you look at one more blueprint instead of me."
I laughed, the stress of the bridge diagrams finally melting away. "You're so dramatic."
"I'm a man who loves his wife," he corrected, carrying me toward the bedroom. "Now, are we going to talk about gravity, or are we going to test it?"
"Idiot, let me go! I want to eat something," I said, kicking my legs slightly.
"Sure, eat me," he said with that wicked, shameless grin he only used when we were behind closed doors.
I slapped his chest, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. "Fine, no need for the abuse," Keifer said, finally letting my feet hit the floor with a chuckle.
We headed to the kitchen. My stomach was actually growling from the hours of studying, and despite his teasing, Keifer knew me well enough to realize I needed real fuel. He pulled out some pasta and started boiling water, his movements practiced and calm.
"So, did you and Aries talk yet?" Keifer asked, his back to me as he chopped some garlic.
Aries was the only bridge I had left to my old life.
"Yeah, we talked," I said, leaning against the counter and watching Keifer work. "Apparently, Mom and Dad are asking about me. Saying they miss their daughter and all that shit."
I rolled my eyes. After everything—the forced engagement, the threats, the way they treated me like a piece of property—hearing they "missed" me felt like a bad joke.
Keifer stopped chopping for a second, his posture tensing. He nodded slowly, then turned to look at me, his eyes serious as he leaned against the counter.
"Jay, they're still searching," he said quietly. "Aries might be playing it cool, but you know how your father is. That 'missing you' line is just the bait. They don't miss you; they miss the control they had over you."
I looked down at the ring on my finger. In this city, I was Jay Watson.
"I know," I whispered. "Aries told me they've hired someone new to look for us. Someone who specialized in 'untraceable' people."
Keifer walked over, wiping his hands on a towel before cupping my face. His thumbs brushed over my cheekbones. "Let them hire the whole world, Jay. We're not those scared kids in the park anymore. You're my wife. They'd have to go through me to get to you, and they already know how that ends."
He leaned down, kissing my forehead firmly. "Forget about them for tonight. Let's eat, and then I'm going to make sure you've forgotten every single thing about the Marianos until the only name you remember is mine."
I slapped his chest again, harder this time. "Idiot, did you forget my period came today?"
Keifer froze, his hand midway to the pasta sauce. His eyes widened as the realization hit him, and he let out a sheepish, frustrated groan.
"Right. That," he muttered, dropping his head for a second before looking back at me with a softened expression. "The one thing I can't fight for you."
He didn't pull away, though. Instead, he stepped closer, boxing me in against the counter and leaning down to pelt my lips with dozens of tiny, soft kisses. One on the corner of my mouth, one on the tip of my nose, then back to my lips again and again until I was giggling and trying to push him off.
"I'm still frustrated," he murmured against my skin, "but I can pivot. New plan: I finish the pasta, you get the heating pad, and we watch that movie you been talking about for weeks"
I giggled, my hands resting on his chest as he continued to pepper my face with kisses. He definitely had a weakness for his wife, and I loved every second of it.
"Go on," he urged, giving me one last playful squeeze on the hip. "I'll bring the food to the couch."
I retreated to the bedroom to grab my favorite oversized hoodie—one of Keifer's, naturally—and my heating pad. When I got back to the living room, the apartment was warm and smelled like garlic and basil. Keifer had already dimmed the lights and laid out the thickest fleece blanket we owned.
I curled into the corner of the sofa, and a moment later, he appeared with two steaming bowls of pasta. He sat down and let me lean my back against his chest, tucking the blanket around both of us.
"Okay, Watson," I said, leaning my head back against his shoulder. "You ready for two hours of cinematic history?"
"I'm ready for anything as long as I'm sitting next to you," he murmured, his hand finding mine under the blanket and squeezing.
We spent the night like that—no physics, no stress. Just the low hum of the TV and the steady rhythm of Keifer's heart against my back
As I felt myself starting to drift off later that night, lulled by the warmth and the food, Keifer whispered into my hair.
"One more year, Jay. Then we're really starting our life. No more bookstores, no more hiding. Just the architect and the businessman."
"I like the sound of that," I breathed, closing my eyes.
"Me too," he replied, his grip on me tightening just a little, as if reminding the world that he was never letting go.
NEXT DAY
The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the university's courtyard windows as we sat at our usual table between classes. The heavy atmosphere of the night before had lifted, replaced by the practical, grounded reality of our future.
Keifer leaned over, brushing a stray hair from my face and kissing my forehead. "What is it, Mrs. Watson?" he asked, noticing the way I was chewing my lip while looking at my phone.
"Keifer, we need to save money for your business, and I think we have enough to start slow," I said, turning the screen toward him. I had a spreadsheet open next to our combined savings. After a year of working at the bookstores and living frugally, the numbers were finally looking solid.
Keifer took the phone, his eyes scanning the accounts with the sharp, analytical gaze he'd developed in his business classes. A small, proud smile tugged at his lips. "It's a good start, Jay. More than a start, actually."
"We could look at small office spaces next semester," I suggested excitedly. "I could even help design the layout for my final project."
"Yeah," Keifer said, handing the phone back, but his expression turned slightly more serious. "But we have to save more. You know, just in case. I want a safety net that can't be shaken. If we're going to build an empire that's ours, it has to be bulletproof."
"Yup," I agreed. "Full independence. No more 'just-in-case' burners, no more worrying about the next paycheck."
We sat there for a moment in the comfortable silence of the campus, two students among thousands, looking like any other young couple
I laughed as the bell rang, signaling the end of our break. I stood up, leaning over to give Keifer a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek.
"See you after the final bell, Mr. Watson," I teased.
"Counting the minutes, Jay," he replied with that soft look he only ever gave to me.
I headed to my architecture lecture, my head full of beams and load-bearing walls. By the time I walked out of the building a few hours later, my brain felt like mush. I pulled out my phone as it started buzzing—Mia's name flashed on the screen.
"Hey Mi, how's it going over there?" I asked, adjusting my heavy backpack as I walked toward the gates.
"Good enough, but you know studying for pediatrician isn't exactly easy," Mia sighed on the other end. I could practically hear the sound of highlighters and textbooks in the background.
I chuckled. "You picked it! You've wanted to be a doctor since we were ten."
"Yeah, I know. What about you, future architect?" Mia asked.
"Good enough. We have our first-year finals coming up soon and I think I will be good. I've been preparing forever," I said, looking up as the college gates came into view.
"Yeah, well you better, Mrs. Watson! You're so lucky you only have to do college for two years. Your college actually loves their students," Mia joked, sounding a little envious of my accelerated program.
"I know, right?" I said, spotting a familiar tall figure leaning against the brick pillar by the exit. "Anyways, bye! I'll call you later."
We swapped quick goodbyes, and I tucked my phone away, breaking into a run for the last few feet. I crashed into Keifer, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist and burying my face in his chest. He smelled like the outdoors and the subtle scent of the library.
"Let's go home. I've been craving your noodles since last period," I exhaled, looking up at him with a tired but happy grin.
Keifer chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he tucked me under his arm, draped his jacket over my shoulders, and started leading me toward our apartment.
"Married for a year and still don't know how to cook, Mrs. Watson?" Keifer teased, bumping his shoulder against mine.
I shot him a playful look, leaning into his side as we walked. "Why would I learn to cook when I have my handsome husband who can cook?"
"Flattery will get you an extra serving of spicy oil, but it won't get you out of doing the dishes," he countered, though his smile told me he didn't mind one bit.
We walked home through the bustling streets of Aurelia