Disclaimer : I don't know what's wrong with my writing style, it's getting horrible day by day. I tried to read some of this story's previous chapters and I realised.....it's getting horrible day by dayyyyyyy and my imagination just..... don't ask.
Again to understand this chapter u need high quality imagination.
Btw I'm not rechargeless anymore but still I'll not be updating too much regular as my parents are getting too much sensitive towards my screen time and studies and all, I don't know why so sudden but.... yeah.
Also forgive me for not replying to any of your comments in previous a/n and all as u know....I was rechargeless and later busy in writing this.
The bickering between the siblings was reaching a fever pitch, completely ignoring the fact that Jay was still sitting there like a paralyzed statue.
"I'm going to call Mom!" Sophia yelled, throwing her hands up in exasperation before marching back toward the house.
"Call whomever you want! I'm not letting my girlfriend go!"
Keifer shouted back, his chest puffed out with victory.
But Jay was no longer the paralyzed spectator.
Her eyes, which had been wide with overwhelmed shock, suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar sports car entering the Watson gates.
It was her ticket out.
The shift in her energy was instantaneous.
The soft, quiet girl vanished, replaced by someone with a calculated, mischievous glint in her eye.
Slowly, her hands moved from her lap.
She reached out, her fingers curling firmly into the lapels of Keifer's jacket.
Keifer's taunting laugh died in his throat.
He froze, his head snapping toward her, his breath hitching as he found her face inches from his.
Jay didn't hesitate.
She surged upward, bracing one knee on the edge of his seat for support, looming over him in the cramped space of the driver's side.
"Jay...?" Keifer whispered, his voice cracking, losing all its previous bravado.
Jay didn't say a word.
She held his gaze, her eyes narrowing as she deliberately bit her lower lip, her gaze dropping to his lips with a focus so intense it made Keifer visibly gulp.
Her hand released his collar, sliding upward to the nape of his neck.
Her fingertips traced a slow, agonizing line over his sensitive skin, sending a violent shiver through his entire frame.
The tension in the car became heavy, electric, and suffocatingly close.
Keifer's hands, which usually knew exactly what to do, were paralyzed, digging hard into the leather of his seat until his knuckles turned white.
He was completely at her mercy, his heart hammering against his ribs like a drum.
Jay leaned in until their noses brushed, the scent of her skin making his head spin.
She moved her hand from the back of his neck into his silky hair, her fingers tangling in the strands with a soft, firm tug.
Keifer was gone.
His eyes began to flutter shut, his head tilting back against the headrest, his breathing coming in ragged, shallow hitches.
He was completely vulnerable, his defenses melted away by the heat of her proximity.
He waited, his lips parted slightly, expecting-craving-the feel of her against him.
But Jay's lips didn't meet his.
Instead, a sharp, triumphant smirk played on her mouth.
While Keifer was lost in the haze of her touch, her left hand moved with silent, lethal precision.
She reached past his shoulder, her fingers finding the lock.
Click.
The sound was sharp, breaking the spell.
Before Keifer's brain could even register the noise, Jay had already unlatched the door and thrown it open.
Jay bolted away, her laughter echoing through the driveway.
Behind her, Keifer sat in the driver's seat, completely paralyzed.
He watched her retreating figure through the windshield, but his body refused to move.
He had to force himself to take a deep, stabilizing breath, trying to calm the chaos she had just ignited in his chest.
His hand, still slightly shaking, traveled to his forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat that had broken out during their close encounter.
Meanwhile, Jay reached the newly arrived sports car in record time.
Before the driver could even kill the engine, she was banging frantically on the window.
"Percy! Percy, open the door!"
she cried out, her eyes darting back to see Keifer finally stepping out of his car with a look of renewed determination.
Percy clicked the locks, and the door swung open.
Aries, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked at her with wide, confused eyes.
"What happened, Jay? Why are you panting like you just ran a marathon?"
"Yeah, sistah, what's the rush?"
Percy yelled from the driver's side.
The sleek sports car only had two seats, and Jay knew she had to move fast.
She didn't bother explaining.
"Aries! Aries, get out! Move!" she urged, grabbing his arm and practically hauling him out of the vehicle.
"But what happened? Tell me first!" Aries asked, his worry growing at her frantic state.
"Aren't you my kuya? Just get out! Fast!"
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" Aries muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping onto the pavement, completely unaware of the sibling drama he had just walked into.
The second his feet hit the ground, Jay dived into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
"Percy, lock the door! Now!"
"But why-"
"Do as I'm saying, FAST!" she shrieked, catching sight of Keifer just two steps away from the car.
Percy didn't argue further; he hit the central locking button.
Click.
Seconds later, Keifer marched up to the side of the car.
He grabbed the handle and yanked, but the door remained stubbornly shut.
He leaned down, his face pressed near the glass, his eyes burning with a mix of frustration and lingering heat.
"Jay, open the door," he commanded.
Jay ignored him completely, staring straight ahead as if she were suddenly fascinated by the dashboard.
"Percy, open the door!" Keifer snapped, shifting his glare to the driver.
Percy looked over at Jay, raising his eyebrows in a silent question:
'What did you do to him?'
Jay didn't say a word.
She just shook her head vigorously, making a weird, desperate face that clearly said,
'Ahh, just ignore him.'
Aries leaned in between Keifer and the car window, his head tilting with genuine confusion as his gaze bounced between Jay's frantic face and Keifer's murderous expression.
"Bro, what exactly is happening here?" Aries asked, looking utterly lost.
Keifer shot a terrifying death glare at him.
"You.
You happened."
"Me?" Aries asked, pointing a thumb at his own chest in disbelief.
"Yes! Why the hell did you come out of the car?" Keifer snapped, his jaw tight.
"Because she said so," Aries replied with a shrug of pure innocence, gesturing toward Jay.
Keifer took a step closer, his voice dropping into a dangerously cold register.
"Will you step in front of a high-speed truck just because she tells you to?"
Aries rolled his eyes, completely unbothered by the intimidation.
He ran a hand through his hair, striking a casual pose.
"I don't know about a truck, man, but I can at least give her my seat if she's calling me her kuya."
While Keifer was distracted by Aries' logic, Jay turned to Percy with a desperate whisper.
"Percy, let's go. Now. Before I become the scapegoat in another one of their fights."
"But what about Aries?" Percy asked, looking over at his friend who was currently staring down a very frustrated Keifer.
Jay grabbed Percy's arm. "Percy, for the sake of your handsomeness... please do something!"
At the mention of his good looks, Percy's eyes lit up with a literal fire.
He straightened his back, gesturing with his hands like a king bestowing a favor.
"Sistah, you have invoked the sake of my handsomeness. That is a sacred plea."
He gripped the steering wheel, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Let Aries stay here; he can hail a cab.
Let's go!"
He slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
The engine roared to life, and the sports car screeched away, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
"Ari-" Keifer started to yell, but Aries cut him off, pointing a lazy finger toward the road where the car was already disappearing.
"Bro... they're gone."
Keifer stood frozen in the driveway, his expression a masterpiece of pure, unadulterated shock and fury.
After thirty minutes of calculated intensity, wrestling his own sister, and nearly losing his mind over a kiss that never happened, his "girlfriend" had just vanished into the horizon.
All his hard work had gone up in smoke, and all he had left was Aries standing there looking bored.
Keifer slumped back into his leather seat, the engine still humming beneath him.
He looked irritated, his brows furrowed as he stared at the empty space where Percy's car had been, but slowly, a small, genuine smile crept onto his lips.
Despite the frustration of the last thirty minutes, his heart felt unusually light.
Seeing Jay so full of life, seeing her find her voice and a group of friends who truly cared for her-and knowing he was a permanent, chaotic fixture in that life-made the defeat worth it.
He was still lost in the memory of her fingers in his hair when his side door suddenly jerked open.
Aries stood there, wearing a sheepish, awkward smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the empty passenger seat and then back at Keifer.
"So... bro. Since your girlfriend is officially gone and took my ride with her... can I get a lift to the.... university?"
Keifer slowly tilted his head, his expression unreadable for a second before he flashed a bright, plastic, perfectly polished smile.
"Yes, of course, Aries," Keifer said, his voice dripping with mock-sweetness.
"Why not? You're her kuya, after all. Come on, sit in the passenger seat."
Aries' eyes lit up with relief.
"Really, bro? Thanks, I knew you were a good-"
"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up."
As Aries turned to jog around the back of the car to get to the other side, Keifer's plastic smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure, vengeful mischief.
The moment Aries disappeared from his line of sight to round the bumper, Keifer slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
The tires screeched, smoking against the pavement as the car roared forward like a rocket.
Aries was left standing in the middle of the driveway, coughing in a thick cloud of exhaust fumes and dust, staring at the retreating taillights of the person he had just called a "good bro."
He was still waving a hand in front of his face, trying to clear the thick cloud of exhaust fumes, when a dry, amused voice drifted from the porch.
"Seems like someone need a lift."
He turned, squinting through the dust to see Sophia leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed and a smug look on her face.
Aries just sheepishly scratched the back of his head, offering a lopsided grin.
Apparently, being the "nice guy" in the Watson driveway meant getting left behind by everyone.
Hours Later: The University Commons
The morning had been a blur of lectures and stolen glances.
Despite being seated in the same lecture hall, Jay was putting on a masterclass in avoidance.
Every time she felt Keifer's heavy, burning gaze on the side of her face, she suddenly became intensely interested in her notebook, scribbling down every single word the professor said as if her life depended on it.
When the bell finally rang for the break, Jay practically bolted from her seat.
Today, the usual trio wasn't alone.
Jay, Sophia, and Cheaka made their way to their usual spot in the cafeteria, but the group had grown.
Freya, Mica, and Rakki had joined them, the air buzzing with the kind of high-energy chatter that only happens when a girl group truly clicks.
The cafeteria was a storm of laughter and overlapping conversations.
Freya sat at the head of the table, looking like she had just stepped off a runway in a perfectly tailored outfit, her "queen bee" aura softened only by the genuine smile she gave her friends.
Beside her, Rakki leaned back with a cool, effortless confidence-the kind of girl who was your best friend if you were good to her, but your worst nightmare if you crossed her.
Mica, the sweetest of the trio, was currently handing out snacks with her trademark soft-spoken politeness.
In the middle of this whirlwind was Jay.
She was holding her drink, her gaze fixed on a random spot on the table, but her mind was miles away.
One second, a triumphant, mischievous smirk would tug at the corner of her lips as she remembered the "click" of the car door and Keifer's stunned face.
The next, her face would flush a deep, rosy pink as the memory of his strong arms carrying her and the heat of his proximity in the car flooded back.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
The question hit Jay like a bucket of ice water.
Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and the sip of the drink she was taking went down the wrong pipe.
"Cough-! Ack!"
Jay choked, her hand flying to her chest as she spluttered.
In the chaos of the moment, her grip on the cup faltered, and a large splash of the liquid spilled right down the front of her simple tee, soaking the fabric instantly.
"Oh my god! I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!"
Mica gasped, her soft face crumpled with genuine worry.
She had only asked because she'd noticed Jay blushing at thin air and figured there had to be a guy involved.
"I didn't mean to startle you!"
"No, no! It's fine, really!" Jay managed to say between coughs, grabbing a handful of napkins to dab at the mess.
But the stain was spreading fast, making the fabric of her tee cling to her.
"It's okay, Mica. It was my own fault for being distracted."
The shirt was a lost cause for the moment.
Jay stood up, clutching a wad of napkins against her chest.
"I think I should go to the washroom to clean this up properly."
"Let me accompany you," Sophia offered immediately, half-rising from her seat.
"No, it's okay! You guys stay and enjoy your food," Jay insisted, waving her off with a small, embarrassed smile.
"I'll be back in two minutes. Just a quick rinse!"
**
The corridor was nearly empty, the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears as Jay stepped away from the restroom.
The cool water had helped, and the deep red of her shirt acted as a perfect disguise for the spill, but her nerves were still frayed from the morning.
Suddenly, the world tilted.
A strong, familiar arm hooked around her waist with startling speed, hauling her into the shadows of a quiet, dark alcove between the lockers.
Her back hit the wall, and a gasp escaped her lips-but the terror vanished the moment she saw the sharp, handsome features of the boy hovering inches from her face.
"Keifer..." she whispered, her breath coming in shallow, jagged hitches.
He didn't say anything at first.
His eyes, dark and heavy with a mix of lingering frustration and intense heat, searched hers.
Slowly, he reached up, his fingers grazing her skin as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
The simple contact sent a violent shiver straight down her spine.
"Jay..." he called her name, his voice a soft, velvet murmur that made her knees feel weak.
He raised a single eyebrow, his gaze dropping to her lips before returning to her eyes.
"Hmm...?" she answered, her voice barely audible.
She pulled her lips into a thin line, trying to maintain some semblance of composure.
"You fooled me this morning?"
he asked.
It wasn't really a question.
He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her flush against his hard chest until there was no air left between them.
"M... me... no..." she stammered. Her mouth said no, but her head was betraying her, nodding up and down in a frantic 'yes' that made him let out a low, husky chuckle.
He leaned in further, resting his forehead against hers.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of her scent.
"You have no idea... you drive me absolutely insane," he groaned.
his hand slid from her cheek, his fingers diving into the hair at the back of her head, caressing the scalp in a way that made her eyes involuntarily flutter shut.
Jay was trapped in the best way possible.
(Stop blushing, it's jay trapped not you.).... ignore this if you're not blushing 😅.
She could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and she knew he could feel the way her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against his.
Her own hands had found a home on his chest, feeling the steady, powerful thud of his heartbeat beneath his jacket.
Keifer moved, his face sliding down her cheek to press a lingering, burning kiss against her jawline.
Jay's grip on his shirt tightened, her knuckles turning white as she clung to him.
Without her even realizing it, her head tilted back, her neck arching automatically to give him the space he was clearly craving.
His face slid lower, his lips brushing over the sensitive, porcelain skin of her neck.
Then, she felt it-the sharp, stinging heat of his teeth marking her.
The sensation was overwhelming; it was a mix of a sharp nip and a deep, swirling ache that sent sparks flying through her nervous system.
It felt like he was branding her, claiming the very skin he was touching.
Her hands traveled up from his chest, her fingers burying themselves in his silky hair and pulling him closer, her lips parting as she moaned his name into the quiet hallway.
"Kiefer..."
He didn't stop until he was satisfied with the mark, and then, he softened the sting by pressing a slow, tender kiss directly onto the bruised skin.
The contrast of the heat and the soft pressure made Jay melt completely against him, her world narrowing down to just the two of them in the dark corner.
She let out a long, shaky breath, her forehead dropping onto his shoulder.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as the adrenaline continued to surge through her veins.
Her cheeks were a brilliant, burning crimson, and the skin where he had marked her felt alive with a lingering, pulsing heat.
"How am I supposed to hide it...?" she murmured into the fabric of his jacket, her eyes squeezed shut.
The cafeteria was full of people, and her friends were waiting—there was no way a red t-shirt could hide the evidence on her neck.
Keifer didn't seem bothered at all.
He stroked her hair gently, resting his chin on top of her head for a moment as he enjoyed the way she was clinging to him.
A low, vibrating chuckle rumbled in his chest.
"You don't need to hide it," he said softly.
He pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands still resting possessively on her waist.
A slow, devastating smirk spread across his face—the look of a man who had officially reclaimed his territory.
"And if you really want to..." He leaned in one last time, his voice a teasing whisper against her ear.
"Remember that it was your mischief this morning that led to this.
You're the one who started this game, Jay.
You handle the consequences."
He pressed a final, lingering kiss to her forehead, gave her one last wink that made her heart skip a beat, and then simply turned and walked away.
He disappeared around the corner with a casual stride, looking perfectly composed, as if he hadn't just turned her world upside down in a dark hallway.
Jay stayed there, pinned against the wall by her own weakness.
Her breath was still ragged, and she had to press the back of her hand to her heated face, trying to cool the blush that refused to fade.
She looked down at her reflection in the darkened glass of a nearby locker, her fingers tracing the mark on her neck.
She spent a few more minutes in the hallway, pressing her cold palms to her cheeks until the fire in her skin subsided to a manageable simmer.
She carefully adjusted her hair, draping the silky strands over her shoulder to create a curtain that shielded the mark Keifer had left.
With a deep breath, she walked back to the cafeteria table, her head slightly ducked and her teeth worrying her lower lip.
"Finally