Silence.
Angelo blinks at me. Keifer raises an eyebrow. Keigen mutters, "She's actually insane."
"SEE? No violence! Hugging! It's therapeutic!" I ramble, practically shoving the pillow into Keifer's chest to block him from stepping forward. "Science says hugs release stress or—or endorphins or something—don't test me, I read one article once!"
Keifer finally smirks. That annoying, perfect, heart-attack-inducing smirk. "You want a hug, Jay?"
OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
My brain combusts. "NO—I MEAN—YES—WAIT—NO—"
Angelo growls, "Absolutely not."
Keifer tilts his head, smirk deepening. "She can decide, remember?"
HELLO?? IS THIS MAN TRYING TO GET US BOTH KILLED??
I make strangled dolphin noises and attempt to hide behind the couch cushion, but Keifer just leans down, close enough that his voice brushes my ear.
"Relax. I'm not going to do anything you don't want."
My heart? Gone. Stolen. Beating out of my chest like it wants to betray me.
Angelo notices. Of course he notices. "Back. Away." His voice is so sharp the air itself flinches.
Keifer straightens, finally giving space, but his eyes stay locked on me—steady, glinting, like he's daring me to deny what just happened.
I clear my throat, cheeks burning. "W-we don't need hugs. Or fights. Or—or funerals!"
Keifer chuckles under his breath. And—OH GREAT—his hand brushes against mine as he takes the pillow I'm still clutching. Just a graze. Too quick. Too subtle. But enough to make sparks shoot straight to my face.
"Don't," I whisper, eyes wide.
"Don't what?" His smirk grows, quiet, private. "Make this harder for you?"
I yank my hand back like I touched lava. "YOU—You're impossible!"
He leans closer, voice low only for me. "And you're mine."
…
I swear, if Kuya Angelo hadn't been three feet away ready to commit homicide, I would've died right there—from heart failure.
IS THIS PERSON CRAZY!? KUYA IS RIGHT THERE YOU IDIOT!
"Kuya—" I try, but too late.
Angelo steps forward, eyes blazing. "You think you can stand here, in front of me, in front of my sister, and claim her like some trophy?" His voice is thunder.
Keifer doesn't even blink. "I didn't think. I know."
WHAT!? Did this man just—?
My mouth opens. Closes. I look like a dying fish while my kuya basically morphs into the Hulk.
"Say that again," Angelo hisses. His fists are already curled, knuckles pale. "Go on. I dare you."
Keifer smirks—because apparently he has a death wish. "She's mine."
And that's it. Angelo lunges.
"KUYA!" I shriek, throwing myself in between them, palms slamming against his chest. It's like shoving a wall, but desperation makes me strong. "Stop it! Do you want to get expelled? Jailed? Buried alive with Mom screaming over your grave!?"
He freezes—barely. His chest is heaving under my hands, and I can feel how close he is to snapping. His eyes flicker between Keifer and me, and for a terrifying second, I swear he's about to shove me aside.
But he doesn't. He grits his teeth so hard I hear it. "You're lucky," he spits at Keifer. "Lucky she's here. If she wasn't—" He doesn't finish. He doesn't need to. The threat hangs heavy in the air.
Keifer just leans back, annoyingly calm. "Guess I'll stay lucky, then."
OH. MY. GOD.
"Both of you!" I scream, voice cracking. "LET ME BREATHE?!"
Kuya stares at me, finally, he rips his gaze away and storms toward the door, muttering curses under his breath. The slam of it rattles the whole house.
Silence. Just me and Keifer.
"Oii! Kuya wait for me!" I need to get out of here!
THIS IS A WHOLE DISASTER! AND I BLAME THAT IDIOT!
-------------------------x-x-x-x--x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x-x--x----------------------------------------------------Keifer's POV:
The door slams so hard the frame rattles. Silence follows—heavy, sharp, pressing in from every wall.
She's still staring at the door like the whole world ended
The door rattles long after Angelo's gone. His footsteps thunder down the porch, and then—silence.
I don't move. Not yet.
Because if I do, I'll go after him. And if I go after him, I'll say something I can't take back.
Lucky. That's what he called me.
I can still hear the grind of his teeth, the venom in his voice. Lucky she's here. If she wasn't—
He's right. If Jay hadn't been between us, I would've snapped.
I force a slow breath, fists unclenching. The room feels smaller without his glare, but the tension doesn't fade.
"THIS IS A WHOLE DISASTER!"
Her voice cracks, dragging me back. She's pacing in front of the couch now, clutching her bag like it's her escape route. Her hair's falling into her face, her cheeks still red from yelling.
"And I blame YOU!" she whirls on me, finger jabbing the air.
I almost laugh. Almost. Instead, I lean back against the wall, arms crossed. "What exactly did I do?"
Her eyes widen like I just confessed to murder. "What did you—WHAT DID YOU DO?! You—you told him we're official!"
I tilt my head. "We are."
Her soul visibly leaves her body. She throws the pillow at me. It bounces off my chest.
"We're NOT—!" she sputters, face flaming. "Not—not like—UGH, Keifer!"
I catch the second pillow she hurls, fingers brushing the fabric she just gripped. For some reason, that tiny detail makes heat crawl up my neck.
"You said yes," I remind her. Calm. Steady. Because one of us has to be.
Her hands fly to her hair, tugging at it like she's seconds away from combusting. "Yes to—you know—not dying alone! Not to… whatever you just—!"
I push off the wall, step closer. She freezes.
I can feel her eyes on me, wide, wary, curious all at once. My voice dips, low. "What difference does it make?"
Her throat bobs. "Wh-what?"
I stop just in front of her, close enough that her bag bumps my side. Close enough that I can see the panic in her eyes. Panic that isn't fear—it's something else.
"Official," I say softly. "Not official. You're still mine either way."
Her breath catches.
And for a second, it's quiet. No Kuya storming in, no brothers hovering, no threats hanging in the air. Just her, biting her lip, trying not to look at me—while failing miserably.
I smirk. "You can tell me to shut up if you want."
She opens her mouth—then closes it. No words. Just her cheeks turning redder by the second.
I lean back slightly, enough to give her space before she actually faints. "See? Not so different."
She glares, clutching the bag tighter. "You're impossible."
"And you," I say, softer this time, "are worth every fight."
Her eyes flick up to mine. Wide. Vulnerable. She doesn't say anything.
But she doesn't have to.
She ends up slumping onto the couch again, face buried in the pillow like she's hoping it swallows her whole. "Kuya's never gonna let me live this down," she mumbles.
I sit on the armrest beside her, careful, steady. "Let me deal with him."
Her head pops up so fast I almost laugh. "Are you insane? He already wants to kill you!"
"Then what's new?" I shrug.
She smacks my arm. Not hard, but enough to make me grin. "This isn't funny!"
"No," I agree, catching her wrist before she pulls away. My fingers linger just a little longer than they should. "But it's the truth."
She stares at me, lips parted like she's searching for words. Nothing comes out.
Her phone buzzes on the table. She jolts, snatching it up instantly.
I watch her. Closely.
Because I know that look. That too-fast grab. That desperate flick of her eyes to the screen.
"Jay," I say slowly, "who keeps texting you?"
Her shoulders stiffen. She fumbles with the phone, typing something quick before shoving it face-down. "N-no one! Just—Ci-n being dumb. You know him."
Lies.
I don't call her out. Not yet.
Instead, I lean back, giving her that space she clings to like a shield. My eyes stay on her, though. Watching the way her knee bounces. The way her fingers won't stop twisting the hem of her shirt.
She's hiding something. And whatever it is—it's eating her alive.
I'll wait. She'll tell me when she's ready.
Because if there's one thing I know about Jay Jay Mariano… she can't keep a secret from me forever.
Not when I'm already tangled up in every part of her chaos.