Jay-Jay's POV:
If I weren't so weighed down by what happened or consumed by guilt over what I did, I'd probably spend the whole night admiring Kuya's unit.
I thought it would just be a typical condominium unit.
It seems like his unit takes up half the floor. I'm not even sure if the door I saw last night before we entered belonged to a neighbor. I barely feel the presence of people in this building, but there's a lot of security on the ground floor.
I hugged my two Snorlax plushies tightly, the ones I'd brought with me. I couldn't sleep without them. I wouldn't care if I left my phone behind, but never these.
They're my sleep aids.
I stared for a while at the large window in the room. Since we're in a high-rise building, it's fine even without curtains or blinds. I think it's already dawn because the sky is starting to light up. I sighed deeply.
I got up and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. I was right—it's 5:29 AM. I didn't sleep well. It took me a long time to fall asleep, and I woke up several times. Even in my dreams, my conscience and memories of Aries' father kept haunting me.
I decided to get up and fix the bed. The bed here is big compared to my bed at home. Since I didn't sleep well, the blanket and sheets were barely disturbed. I couldn't help but observe the entire room. It's obvious a man lives here because everything—the furniture, the walls—has masculine colors.
I approached the study table where I had placed my things. I dragged a pretty big travel bag here and stuffed most of my clothes in it. I took out my uniform and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. It looks like I'll need to borrow an iron from Kuya.
I left the room, hoping he was already awake. I wasn't disappointed because he was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. He was also talking to someone on the phone.
"She'll be fine with me…" he switched the phone to his other ear and tucked it against his shoulder. "…I'm not sure. It depends on how long she would like to stay here."
It seems he was talking about me to whoever was on the phone. I sat on one of the high stools in front of the island table and waited for him to finish his conversation.
His kitchen is huge. Like the bedroom, the paint color in the kitchen is also masculine. It's fully equipped with appliances like a large oven, a double-door fridge, and the kind of gadgets you'd see used by fancy chefs on TV.
"Please look after Aries and Tita Jeana. Bye," he added before hanging up.
He glanced my way and paused briefly when he saw me.
"Good morning," I greeted.
"Good morning. You look like you didn't get enough sleep," he replied, making me instinctively touch my face.
"I kept waking up."
He continued preparing breakfast. It didn't take long for him to finish, and he placed fried rice, hotdogs, ham, eggs, and bacon in front of me. I was a bit surprised because it seemed like too much food for just the two of us.
I know I'm a big eater, but this was still excessive.
"Move it to the dining table," he instructed, and I complied.
He followed shortly after, carrying three cups of coffee. The table was already set with placemats, plates, and cutlery. With the number of items and the amount of food, it was clear to me that a guest was coming.
"Who's the third one for?" I asked.
"Someone you know."
I pouted. Who could he be talking about? I don't know anyone close enough to him who'd dare visit here for breakfast. Most of the people I know who know him are scared of him. And no one would have the guts to come here just to eat.
Could it be Ci-N?
That's unlikely—he doesn't even know I'm here, nor does he know Kuya's unit address. Besides, he has plenty of food at home, unless he somehow ran out.
He turned away and went to his room. When he came out, he was holding his iPad and sat back on the stool. I was about to take a bite of my food when the doorbell rang.
Here they are—who could it be?
Kuya stood up to open the door through the intercom. The first thing I heard was a loud squeal followed by the sound of the door closing.
"I miss you, handsome!" said a familiar female voice.
My forehead creased. Did I hear that right? Why did that sound like Honey's voice? But why would she be here?
My feet moved on their own as I quietly walked closer to see who had arrived. My steps were quick but light. As I neared the entrance, I stopped in my tracks, completely shocked by what I saw.
My jaw dropped as I stared at them—busy kissing each other. Kuya's hands were on her waist. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but only a puff of air escaped my mouth.
Kuya was making out. Yaaahhh!!
When they stopped, my jaw dropped even further. I felt like I wanted to gag, to be scared, to worry, and to cry. I was right about the familiar voice I heard. It was Honey, who even managed to steal another kiss from Kuya while clinging to his neck.
"Didn't you miss me, handsome?" she asked sweetly.
I wanted to throw up. I hadn't eaten since last night, so I'd probably end up puking my guts and liver. If it got worse, my lungs and heart might join in.
Maybe even my brain.
"I guess I did," Kuya replied, sounding forced. "My cousin is here, by the way."
"Who?" she asked, but quickly got her answer when she saw me standing not far from them.
My jaw was still hanging open from the scene I had just witnessed. That image was burned into my brain. I wanted to gouge my eyes out because it felt like they were to blame for what I saw.
If I lost my memory again, could it include what I just saw them doing? I'd probably carry that image into my dreams. I wouldn't be able to handle it if that scene kept replaying in my mind until I'm old.
Maybe I should just bash my head in.
They finally let go of each other, and Honey approached me with a smile.
"Now you know. Should I start calling you cousin-in-law?"
Oh, hell no!
I quickly turned to Kuya, practically begging him with my eyes to kick this woman out of his unit. But he ignored me and headed straight to the dining area to sit back in his spot.
Honey winked at me before sashaying after him. My eyes burned at the sight of her nonsense. She was wearing a fitted skirt and an off-shoulder crop top, both matching in design. Her back was exposed, and her navel, complete with a piercing, was on full display.
I looked utterly exasperated as I approached the dining area and sat in my spot. Kuya immediately turned to his iPad, while Honey busied herself with his food. She even had the audacity to feed him.
Kuya seemed unfazed by what this witch of a woman was doing to him. He was too engrossed in whatever he was reading on his iPad.
I ate in silence, even though I wanted to kick her in the face. She was all smiles, fawning over my cousin. I couldn't help but watch them, even as I tried to focus on my food. I choked several times as Honey kept sniffing Kuya's shoulder.
"You smell so good," she said, sniffing his neck. "Like you're irresistible in bed."
I literally spat out the rice in my mouth. Not only was I scalded because the food was hot, but I couldn't handle what I'd just heard from her. Damn it. This nonsense needs to stop!
I quickly drank water and stood up. "I'm done eating," I said, carrying my plate.
I dumped it in the sink and left the two of them at the table. I hurriedly went to my room. As soon as I closed the door, I frantically shook myself off as if I'd been contaminated by bacteria. I was practically convulsing, as if the air that touched me disgusted me.
This was the first time I'd ever felt so creeped out. It's not that I was disgusted by Honey or Kuya, but I just couldn't handle it, especially since I knew that woman. No wonder she got tired of chasing Percy—she's now all over Kuya.
I froze for a moment. Was Kuya Angelo the boyfriend she was talking about?
IMPOSSIBLE!
Kuya never hinted to us that he already had a girlfriend. It wasn't even an issue with Aunt Gema, so there was no reason for him to hide the fact that he was already in a relationship. It was hard to believe.
I just fixed my clothes and headed to the bathroom to shower. I was used to rushing because Aries was always waiting for me, but now I didn't need to do that. He didn't need to wait for me anymore either. I looked down. At least now, nothing was holding him back. No one was slowing him down. No one was pestering him. And most importantly, he didn't have to put up with dealing with me. He was free to be angry about everything I'd done.
I would never complain.
After showering and getting ready, I didn't manage to iron my uniform. How could I even borrow the iron when they were so busy flirting? It would be embarrassing to disturb them. I just tried to smooth out my blouse with my palm.
Once I was sure everything was ready, I finally stepped out. I winced when I saw Honey already sitting on Kuya's lap.
I pretended not to see what they were doing and walked straight toward the door.
"I'm leaving, Kuya," I said without looking at them.
"Wait, who's taking you?"
"My classmate," I answered quickly and immediately opened the door to leave.
I knew he'd still ask who exactly. I also knew it was still dangerous for me, which was why he was being careful. But answering his questions would only take longer, and I really didn't want to see them and that annoying bee anymore.
I let out a heavy sigh before starting to walk, but I froze when I heard a door open. I thought it was Kuya following me, so I turned, but it wasn't his unit's door. I was right—Kuya had a neighbor, and there were two units on this floor.
My eyes widened when I saw who came out of the other door. In his uniform, hair still messy, was the King of Snakes himself. Behind him were his two siblings, who looked like he'd rushed them to get ready.
They stopped when they saw me looking at them.
"Jay? What are you doing here?" the King asked, glancing toward Kuya's door. "Oh, are you with Angelo?"
I nodded. "You guys? Why did you come from there?" I asked back, pointing at the door they emerged from.
"We stayed here last night. There were some casualties at home."
I kept nodding as if I understood. I couldn't miss the way Keigan was staring at me—like he was examining my soul.
"Come ride with us. I'm just dropping them off," Keifer offered.
I couldn't take my eyes off his siblings. "I-Is that okay with them?"
"Like I have a choice," Keiren answered grumpily.
"It's fine," Keigan replied shortly, flashing a smile.
I couldn't help but feel like there was something behind that smile—like he was thinking something nasty or judgmental about me.
What's his problem with me?
"Let's go," Keifer said, leading the way.
We followed him, and since Keiren was already walking beside him, I ended up next to Keigan. Just like earlier, his eyes were still on me. All the way to the elevator and down to the parking lot, I occasionally caught his gaze.
When we reached the car, we started arguing over who would sit where. In the end, Keifer decided.
"Keigan and Keiren, in the back. Jay-Jay will sit next to me since we're heading to the same destination," he said, and I could see the annoyance on Keiren's face. Keigan, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.
As soon as we got into the car, I felt something strange—like someone was watching me. I glanced at the rearview mirror and quickly caught Keigan's eyes. He smiled at me, but it was clearly fake.
You've been doing that for a while.
"Hey, are you okay?" Keifer asked, noticing my silence.
I nodded and forced a smile.
We first dropped Keiren off at his school. Even though it was still early, there were already so many cars, and we got stuck in traffic. In the end, Keiren and Keifer had to get out and walk to the entrance. That left me alone with Keigan—and I immediately regretted it.
"You're trash, you know," he suddenly said, shocking me.
I quickly turned to him but froze when I saw he was talking on his cellphone. I just sat back down properly.
Why did it feel like he was talking about me?
"You're fvcking disgusting. I don't understand why you're with us."
The feeling grew stranger as I listened to what he was saying. I could see in the rearview mirror that he was still on the phone, but it felt like his words were for me. I couldn't stop watching him through the mirror.
"Your existence is an eyesore."
"You're a worthless piece of shit."
"You smell like rotten trash. I can smell you from here."
"You're more disgusting than a rotten dead animal."
"Someone like you shouldn't be in the same area as us."
"We shouldn't be breathing the same air."
"I really hate watching you walking, alive and smiling. You don't deserve it."
The things he said made me so uncomfortable. Even though he wasn't looking at me, it really felt like his words were meant for me. I couldn't help but become self-conscious.
Do I smell bad?
I discreetly sniffed my clothes, but I wouldn't even know if I did—my nose was already used to my scent.
Keifer returned and quickly got into the car. "Hey, is everything okay?"
"E-Everything's fine," I answered, even though I knew it wasn't.
"Yeah, we're good," Keigan replied with a sweet smile at his brother.
I glanced at him through the mirror, and our eyes met again. He gestured with his hand near his nose, as if he smelled something bad. I frowned, but he just responded with another sickly sweet smile.
I just chose to stare out the window even though I was already really irritated.
I didn't know what his problem with me was, but I wasn't stupid—I could clearly feel that he didn't like me. Most likely, those harsh words he said on the phone were really meant for me.
Honestly, the Keigan with us now was so different from the one I had met before. The first time we met at their mansion, he was so kind and polite. The person with us now in the car was the complete opposite.
Something's off about him.
Our next stop was Keigan's school. Unlike earlier, the traffic was light, so he quickly got out and entered the school's gate.
"You've been quiet for a while. Is something wrong?" Keifer asked while driving.
I pursed my lips. "Do I smell bad?"
He was confused at first but understood what I meant when I sniffed my clothes.
"Well, you smell like 99.9% of dead germs."
I winced. He was probably referring to my soap.
"That's it? I don't smell like garbage or a rotten animal?"
He shook his head. "Of course not. Why would you smell like garbage or a rotting animal?"
Your brother said so.
"N-Nothing. I just thought I smelled something earlier."
He turned his attention back to driving. We stopped briefly at a red traffic light. I quickly noticed his hand—it was wounded and red.
"What happened there?" I asked, pointing at the wounds on his hand.
"Casualties. Someone attacked the house."
Worry immediately washed over me. "Who? No one got seriously hurt, right?"
He smiled at me, as if assuring me everything was fine. He even took one hand off the steering wheel just to hold mine and kiss it.
"No one. Good thing my siblings weren't affected either."
But my concern didn't fade. "Who attacked you?"
"Men sent by the monster," he said in a serious tone.
He was referring to his father. I stared at his hand holding mine. I couldn't understand why there were fathers like them—willing to hurt their own children just to get what they wanted.
His father and Aries' father.
It's true that every child should have parents, but some parents shouldn't have children. Sometimes, I'm grateful that my situation with my real father is just like this—separated and unable to meet. I don't think I could handle it if my relationship with him was as broken as it is with Mama.
I also admire people my age who manage to keep going despite being abandoned by their parents or having a broken relationship with them. They continue even when the people who should be supporting them have turned their backs.
"May I know why you were in Angelo's unit?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I slowly withdrew my hand from his. I secretly dug my nails into my palm.
"Because... I made a mistake again," I answered almost in a whisper.
"Aries got mad at me because I brought his dad home. I also found out that his father assaulted my mom, and that's how my sibling was conceived." I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back my tears.
Keifer immediately pulled the car over. He quickly unfastened his seatbelt and pulled me into a hug. I cried softly in his arms.
"You didn't know that story about your mom and him. You just wanted to see if his apology was sincere, and you also wanted him to apologize in front of your sibling and your mother. You never wanted to hurt them."
I clutched his arm and cried harder. I didn't mean for this to happen. I never wanted to hurt them, but I accept their anger. They have every right to be angry.
Especially Aries.
"I feel like I'm a terrible person."
"No, you're not," he said before kissing my head.
He let me cry and cry. I didn't know why, but my weakness always surfaced in front of him. I wasn't afraid to show this side of myself to him. I felt like he would never judge me, even if I look like a monster from all the crying. He's the only one I can do this with. I've cried in front of Aries and the Snakes, but it's always limited, and I hold back.
With Keifer, I can let all my tears pour out.
"I don't know if I can go home. I'm so ashamed of what I did."
"Then don't. You can stay with me. I wouldn't mind," he said, and I heard his soft, teasing laugh.
I bit his arm, and he yelped immediately. He couldn't push me away because he was still hugging me. He only pulled back when I let go of his arm with my teeth.
I wiped my face and gave him a sharp look. "We were having a serious conversation, weren't we?"
"I was serious too," he said, still rubbing his arm.
"I'm already staying at Kuya's unit."
"Then I'll visit you. We're neighbors anyway," he said with a smile.
I pouted. As if my brother would agree to him visiting me. I should probably ask for permission.
Would he even say yes?
I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself.
"Are you okay now?" he asked before starting the car again.
I nodded. "A little. Thanks for listening."
"Anytime. I'm always here for you."
I suddenly fell silent. Once again, I remembered all the reasons why I should say yes to Keifer. He had done almost everything for me—making up for his mistakes, apologizing, proving himself, comforting me, and giving me advice. Plus, I loved him. Hehe,love.
What was I still waiting for?
"Keifer..." I called his attention. "I just want to say that...." I swallowed hard, while looking at him.
He was clearly waiting for what I'd say next, even though he couldn't bring himself to look at me.
"L-Let's be... together now."