(Jay's POV)
I watched Keifer in the bathroom. He was acting like a serious army general. He grabbed three of my big purple pads and stuffed them into his fancy leather bag.
"Safety first, Jay," he said with a straight face. "I'm ready for anything."
I smirked. Oh, you're ready? Let's see.
While he was busy looking for his watch, I went to work. I didn't just let the pads sit in the bag. I pulled the pink edges out just a little bit. One was sticking out like a tiny flag. Another was hooked to his car keys. He looked like a professional businessman from the front, but his bag looked like a pharmacy.
"Ready to go?" he asked. He put the bag on his shoulder. He had no idea he was wearing a pink "tail."
"Let's go, Captain Logistics!" I said, trying not to explode with laughter.
We walked to the cafe to meet the guys. Every time Keifer walked fast, the pink pad-flag fluttered in the wind. People were staring. I just looked at the clouds and pretended I didn't know him.
We sat down with David and Mica. David was already being annoying.
"Nice bag, Keifer," David joked. "Did you buy it at a baby store?"
"It's leather, David. It costs more than your car," Keifer snapped. He reached into his bag to get his wallet to pay for my tea.
FLING!
Because I hooked it to his keys, a pad flew out of the bag like a pink bird. It landed right in the middle of the table, sitting on top of David's ham sandwich.
The whole table went silent. David looked at the sandwich. He looked at Keifer. He looked at me.
"Is... is this the toy that comes with the meal?" David asked, his voice cracking.
"Oh my god, Keifer!" I cried out, fake-gasping. "I told you that was the wrong pocket for your snacks!"
Keifer looked at the pad. Then he looked at me. He saw my eyes sparkling with mischief. He knew exactly who did it.
He didn't even blush. He slowly picked up the pad, tucked it back into his bag, and looked at David.
"It's for emergencies, David," Keifer said coolly. "Like if you start crying because your sandwich is too scary."
Mica fell off her chair laughing. "Jay, you got him so good!"
Later at the university, we had to fill out forms. Every time Keifer reached for a pen, I whispered, "Careful, don't let another 'bird' fly away."
He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Keep it up, Jay. But remember, I'm the one who knows where the chocolate is hidden in the new house."
I stopped laughing instantly. He was good. He was very good.
I couldn't help myself. While we were at the LSE library, Keifer went to grab us some water. I saw his bag sitting on the chair and decided to go for the grand finale. I took his expensive fountain pen and taped a pad around it like a cozy little sleeping bag.
When he came back, he saw his "padded" pen and just sighed. "You're playing a dangerous game, Jay," he said, his eyes dancing with a challenge.
But ten minutes later, the universe decided to prank me back.
That familiar, sharp "uh-oh" feeling hit me. My face went pale. The "two" on my pain scale suddenly jumped to a "nine." I shifted in my seat, realizing my prank-war supplies were all currently stuck to his pens or buried in his bag.
"Keifer," I whispered, tugging his sleeve. My voice was small.
"Yes, Prank Master?" he said, not looking up from his laptop. "Need another 'bird' for your collection?"
"No, I'm serious. I need... one. Now."
He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, really? But I thought these were just funny toys for David's sandwiches? Maybe I should keep them as souvenirs of my 'Specialized Filing System.'"
"Keifer, please," I groaned, clutching my stomach. "This isn't a joke anymore. My insides are doing the tango."
He looked at my face and his playful smirk vanished instantly. He saw me biting my lip and the way I was huddled into my sweater.
The "CEO Nurse" was back in a split second.
"Hey, hey. I've got you," he said softly. He didn't tease anymore. He stood up, blocked the view of the other students with his body, and zipped open the bag.
He didn't just hand it to me—he tucked it inside his hoodie and handed me the whole hoodie to wrap around my waist. "Go. I'll stay here and watch our stuff. Take your time."
When I came back, he had a warm cup of herbal tea waiting and had moved his chair right next to mine so I could lean on him.
"Still want to prank me?" he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
"Maybe," I mumbled, leaning into his side. "But only after the chocolate."
Finally, we were back at our beautiful new townhouse. I was ready to melt into the sofa, eat chocolate, and enjoy the silence. Keifer had just helped me get settled when—BAM!
The front door burst open.
"HOUSEWARMING PARTY!" David shouted, leading the whole London crew into our living room. Mica, Calix, Freya, and Edrix followed him, carrying bags of takeout and making way too much noise.
Keifer let out a long, painful groan. He rubbed his temples like he was trying to stop his head from exploding. "I pay for top-tier security," he muttered to the ceiling, "and yet, the pests still find a way in."
I tried to laugh, but then I felt a weird snap under my sweater. My eyes went wide. My bra hook had completely given up on life.
"Keifer," I hissed, leaning close to his ear while David was busy trying to find our TV remote. "Emergency. My bra just... popped open. I can't move."
Keifer's annoyed face changed instantly. He looked at me, then at the crowded room. He stepped behind me, using his large body to block everyone's view.
"Rescue mission?" he whispered, his voice suddenly deep and serious.
"Please," I breathed. "Rescue me."
He slowly moved his hand under the back of my top. His fingers were warm and very careful. I held my breath as he searched for the hooks. It was a very "gentleman" move, but because he had to be so precise, his touch was light and tingly against my skin.
"Found it," he murmured, his breath hot against my neck as he clicked the hooks back together. He didn't pull his hand away immediately. He leaned in closer and whispered, "Jay, if you keep making me do things like this while I'm trying to be a saint, I won't be able to control myself much longer."
I blushed a deep red, but before I could respond, the room went quiet.
I turned around to see David standing right there, holding a slice of pizza and grinning like a hyena. He had heard everything.
"Whoa, Keifer!" David barked, laughing so hard he almost dropped his food. "Control yourself? At this rate, with the way you're hovering over her, Jay is going to be pregnant before the first semester even ends!"
My face was so hot I thought I might actually catch fire. Mica started cheering, and Keifer just sighed, wrapping his arm protectively around my shoulder.
"At least I'd be a better father than you are a house guest, David," Keifer shot back. "Now, sit down and eat your pizza before I throw you out the window."
"Truth or Dare it is!" David shouted, clearing the coffee table like he owned the place.
I groaned, sinking deeper into the sofa. I was still red from David's "pregnant" comment, and Keifer looked like he wanted to pay someone to make the whole group disappear.
"I'll start," Mica smirked, pointing at Keifer. "Keifer, Truth or Dare?"
"Truth," Keifer said instantly. "I don't trust any of you with a Dare."
"Fine," Mica giggled. "Is it true that you have a secret 'Daddy Manual' already saved on your laptop because of what David said?"
The whole room erupted. Keifer didn't even blink. "No. But I do have a list of 'Reasons why David shouldn't be allowed near children.' It's currently forty pages long."
"My turn!" David leaned forward, looking at me with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Jay. Truth or Dare?"
I looked at Keifer. He gave me a tiny nod, like he was ready to protect me. "Dare," I said, trying to be brave.
David's grin grew wider. "I dare you to tell us the most embarrassing thing 'CEO Nurse' Keifer has done since you moved into this house. Don't hold back."
I bit my lip. I looked at Keifer, who was suddenly very interested in his fingernails.
"Well," I started, a grin spreading across my face. "He did spend ten minutes yesterday morning trying to use a 'Mother's Secret Recipe' to fix my cramps, but he got so worried about the temperature of the tea that he used a digital thermometer to check it every thirty seconds. He treated my tea like a scientific experiment."
"It has to be exactly 80 degrees for the best infusion, Jay!" Keifer defended himself, but he was turning a light shade of pink.
"He's whipped!" Calix shouted, throwing a couch cushion at Keifer.
The game went on for an hour. There was a lot of shouting, some very bad dancing from Edrix, and a lot of pizza crumbs. My cramps were still there, but laughing with everyone made them feel a lot further away.
Eventually, the group started to settle down. Keifer was sitting on the floor between my legs, leaning his back against the sofa. I was playing with his messy hair, feeling surprisingly happy.
"Okay, last one," Freya said, looking at the couple. "Truth or Dare for both of you?"
Freya leaned forward, her eyes dancing with mischief. She waited until the room got quiet and then pointed a finger at both of us.
"Okay, my question is for the 'London Power Couple,'" Freya smirked. "Truth: If Jay hadn't gotten her period and ruined your 'first night' plans, who would have been the first one to break the 'One Bed Rule' Keifer was so obsessed with?"
The room went "Ooooooh!" and David started making kissing noises in the background.
I felt my face turn into a tomato. I looked down at the top of Keifer's head. He didn't even move, but I saw his ears turning bright red.
"Well?" David prodded, leaning in. "Was it going to be the CEO or the marshmallow?"
Keifer finally cleared his throat. He reached back, grabbed my hand, and squeezed it.
"The rule was made to be broken," he said, his voice smooth but a little lower than usual. "But since I'm a gentleman, I would have waited at least... ten minutes after unpacking."
"Liar!" I laughed, shoving his shoulder. "You wouldn't have even let me finish opening my suitcase!"
"See!" David shouted, pointing at us. "I told you! They're obsessed! Next thing you know, we're going to be uncles to a little CEO bird-nest baby."
"Alright, party's over," Keifer stood up, finally having enough. He started ushering everyone toward the door like he was herding sheep. "Out. All of you. Jay needs her rest, and I need to figure out how to change the locks before tomorrow morning."
As the door finally clicked shut behind a laughing David and the rest of the crew, the house became blissfully quiet again. Keifer turned to me, leaning against the door with a tired smile.
"Finally," he breathed. "Just us."
Guys it's a bonus chapter . I had already uploaded one chapter in morning but I am doing it again now in evening because of all your support. Book has crossed 90 K views.. I am really thankful to you all!!! Kindly also comment and shower your love ❤️