JAY-JAY POV
Luckily, Grandpa said I could stay at Kuya Angelo's house now that he's back.
Jace and Jare went with Grandpa and Grandma, and Percy insisted on staying with Felix "to bond," since they're stepbrothers. Honestly? Good. That's exactly what I wanted.
When we got home, I headed straight to my room.
I changed into pajamas, collapsed onto the bed, and knocked out instantly.
Today drained every ounce of energy I had.
I was half-asleep when I felt someone… kissing my ear.
I slapped them on instinct.
"Ow!" the person complained.
I didn't even need to open my eyes.
I knew that voice.
"KEIFER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I snapped.
I sat up — and froze.
He was standing there in nothing but his pants.
His shirt was on the floor.
His whole stupidly perfect body right in front of me—
JAY‑JAY, FOCUS.
He smirked. "Stop staring, wifey. I'm all yours."
I glared. "What are you doing here?"
He didn't bother answering.
Instead, he pulled me into his arms, wrapping his hands around my waist like he belonged there.
"Sleeping," he said, completely bored. "Obviously."
"How did you even get in here?" I asked.
Keifer pointed lazily at the window.
"You should close your window more often," he whispered in my ear.
I smacked him immediately.
"Did anyone see you come here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
He shook his head. "Not that I know of."
"Keifer," I said firmly.
"Jay‑Jay," he replied in the exact same tone, mocking me.
"Go to your house."
Silence.
He lay back on my bed and started fake‑snoring.
Loudly.
Asshole.
I pinched his arm.
"JAY‑JAY!" he yelped, sitting up like he'd been electrocuted.
I burst into giggles at his reaction.
Which was apparently a mistake, because the next second he lunged at me and started tickling me.
"Keifer— stop—!" I gasped between laughs, twisting away from him.
But he only grinned wider, hands relentless, like tickling me was his life's purpose.
And then—
My door opened.
Shit.
"JAY‑JAY!" Kuya yelled.
Oh my god.
Amazing.
Perfect timing.
Keifer was on top of me.
Shirtless.
I shoved him off so fast he nearly fell off the bed.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?" Kuya shouted, voice shaking the entire house.
"Kuya— he came from the window!" I blurted out.
"WHY IS HE SHIRTLESS?" Kuya demanded.
"AND WHY WAS HE ON TOP OF YOU?"
I'm dead.
This is the end.
Goodbye world.
"Chill, Boss," Keifer said, completely unfazed. "She was sleeping. I was just sleeping with her."
He's dead too.
We're both dead.
We're going to the afterlife together.
"MARK KEIFER WATSON!" Kuya roared.
He took a step toward me.
I closed my eyes.
Here go my eyebrows.
He's going to shave them off.
I lived a good life.
But then—
Someone stepped in front of me.
Keifer.
Blocking me with his whole body.
His very… very nice back.
JAY‑JAY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
This is a life‑or‑death situation and you're admiring his back muscles?
Get it together.
Kuya and Keifer stood there, chest‑to‑chest, feathers practically puffed, glaring like two roosters about to fight over territory.
"GET OUT OF MY SISTER'S ROOM!" Kuya yelled, pointing at the door like he was casting a curse.
Keifer crossed his arms. "No."
"No? NO?!" Kuya repeated, voice cracking like he couldn't believe the audacity.
"Yes," Keifer said calmly, like he was ordering coffee. "No."
Kuya's eye twitched so hard I thought it might fall off.
"You think you can just climb through windows? Shirtless? And be on top of my sister?!"
Keifer shrugged. "It's not my fault she's comfortable."
"COMFORTABLE?!" Kuya screeched.
I wanted to disappear.
Keifer continued, completely unfazed. "Also, she slapped me. That's abuse. You should talk to her."
Kuya looked like he was about to explode. "YOU—YOU—YOU—"
He pointed at Keifer again. "I WILL SHAVE YOUR HEAD."
Keifer smirked. "Jay likes my hair."
"STOP SAYING HER NAME!" Kuya yelled.
"Jay," Keifer said immediately.
Kuya lunged.
I screamed.
Keifer dodged like he'd been training for this moment his whole life.
"STOP MOVING!" Kuya shouted.
"STOP CHASING ME!" Keifer shouted back.
They ran around my room like two deranged chickens, knocking into my pillows, my chair, my sanity.
"BOTH OF YOU STOP!" I yelled.
They froze.
Kuya pointed at Keifer again. "You. Out."
Keifer pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Yes, YOU!"
Keifer shook his head. "No."
Kuya inhaled sharply like he was summoning every ancestor he had.
I stepped between them before someone died.
"Kuya, please," I said.
He glared at Keifer. "If I see you in her room again—"
Keifer cut in, "You'll shave my head, kill me, bury me, haunt me, I know. You've said it like five times."
Kuya roared.
I shoved Keifer toward the window before Kuya actually committed a crime.
He winked at me before climbing out.
Kuya turned to me, still fuming.
"Jay‑Jay," he said slowly, "I am watching you."
I nodded.
He left.
I collapsed on my bed.
My life was a telenovela.
Then my phone started ringing.
Jare.
I picked up. "Jay," he said.
"Jare," I replied.
"Did Keifer come into your room again?" he asked immediately.
I sat up. "How the hell do you know that? Did you put cameras in my room?" I demanded, looking around like an idiot.
"No," Jare said. "I can read your mind. Twin telepathy."
"Asshole. Why did you call me?"
"Oh—right." He cleared his throat. "Our birthday is in a few days. What do you want?"
"It doesn't matter. What do you want?" I asked.
"I don't know. You can get me anything you want," he said, sounding way too relaxed for someone who just accused me of having a boy in my room.
"Jay," Jare said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Be safe. I heard Eden is going crazy… and she wants you before your 18th birthday."
My chest tightened.
"I hate her so much," I whispered.
"Me too," Jare said quietly.
We both went silent for a moment — the kind of silence that only happens when we're thinking the same thing.
"Jare," I said softly.
"What?" he asked.
"After the whole inheritance thing… can we go somewhere? Somewhere peaceful. No Eden. No tension. Just us."
There was a pause, then his voice softened.
"Yeah. Sure. We can do that," Jare said.
His voice was quieter now, softer in that way he only ever used with me.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Just breathing.
Just existing in the same silence we grew up sharing.
"Jay," he said again, gentler this time.
"Hmm?"
"You're okay, right?"
My throat tightened. "I… I don't know."
Jare exhaled slowly, like he already expected that answer.
"Listen," he said, voice steady, "Eden can try whatever she wants. She can scream, she can threaten, she can go crazy. But she's not getting you."
I blinked hard, staring at the ceiling.
"You're my twin," he continued. "You think I'd let anything happen to you? Over my dead body."
A small laugh escaped me. "That's not funny."
"I'm not joking," he said. "Jay… you're not alone. You have me. You have Jace. You have Grandpa and Grandma. You have Kuya. And—" he paused, sighing, "—you even have that Watson idiot who keeps climbing through windows."
I smiled despite myself.
Jare's voice softened even more. "We'll get through the inheritance thing. And after that? We'll go somewhere peaceful. Just us. No Eden. No drama. No fear."
My eyes stung.
"Promise?" I whispered.
"Promise," he said immediately. "I'll always protect you. That's my job."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I miss you."
"I miss you too, Jay," he said. "But we'll be together soon. And until then… be safe, okay?"
"Okay."
"And Jay?"
"Yeah?"
"You're stronger than you think."
I closed my eyes, letting his words settle into the parts of me that needed them most.
"Bye," Jare said.
"Bye," I whispered, hanging up.
The room felt too quiet after his voice disappeared.
Eden.
Just thinking her name made my stomach twist.
I hate her so much.
Not the childish kind of hate — the kind that comes from years of fear, pressure, and knowing exactly what she's capable of.
She would do anything to get what she wants.
Lie. Manipulate. Threaten.
Even hurt people who had nothing to do with her obsession.
And the worst part?
She wasn't done.
That thought followed me into sleep, heavy and cold.
And then—
I woke up.
Not in my room.
Not in Kuya Angelo's house.
A white ceiling.
Bright lights.
The smell of disinfectant.
"What the… where am I?" I whispered, looking around.
A hospital.
My heart dropped.
This wasn't a dream.
"JAY!" Grandma rushed toward me, tears already falling.
"Sweetheart, how are you?" she asked, cupping my face like she was afraid I'd disappear.
"Grandma—where are Jare? Jas? Mama? Papa? And Percy? We all went to meet Eden—" I said, scanning the room, panic rising.
I sat up too fast.
Grandpa was standing at the foot of the bed.
His eyes were red.
Grandpa never cried.
Never.
"What happened?" I asked, voice shaking.
Before he could answer, the door opened and tiny footsteps ran in.
Jace.
Only three years old.
Still in his little pajamas.
"Ate… I can't find Mama and Papa," he said, voice trembling as he climbed onto the bed and hugged me.
My chest tightened painfully.
"Pa… Ma… where are they?" I asked again, looking at Grandpa.
He swallowed hard.
"Jay…" Grandpa said softly.
The way he said my name—
slow, careful, breaking—
I knew.
I knew something terrible had happened.
And the world I knew at ten years old
started to crack.
"Grandpa… where are they?" I cried, my voice shaking.
Grandma stepped forward and lifted me into her arms, holding me like she was trying to keep me from falling apart.
"Jade," Grandpa murmured to her, his voice trembling.
"She has to know," Grandma whispered back.
She carried me down the hallway to a quiet room.
Cold.
Still.
Too still.
Three bodies lay on separate beds, each covered with a white blanket.
My heart dropped.
"Grandma… why am I here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
She looked at me with red, swollen eyes.
"Jay…" Grandpa said, swallowing hard. "Those are your Mama, your Papa, and Jas."
"They're gone," Grandma said softly. "They're not with us anymore."
"No… no, no," I cried, shaking my head. "You're joking. Please tell me you're joking."
I slipped out of Grandma's arms and ran to the first bed.
My hands shook as I lifted the blanket.
Papa.
"Papa… look what they're saying," I sobbed, grabbing his hand. "Tell me they're wrong. Please."
He didn't move.
I moved to the next bed, lifting the blanket with trembling fingers.
"Ma… wake up," I whispered. "Please wake up."
Nothing.
My chest tightened so hard it hurt.
I turned to the last bed.
"Jas…" I said, shaking her shoulder gently. "Wake up na… please."
She didn't move.
"If this is a prank… you got me," I whispered, my voice breaking completely. "Please wake up."
I sat beside her bed, crying so hard I couldn't breathe, wishing someone—anyone—would tell me it wasn't real.
But it was.
I walked to Papa's bed and squeezed myself into the small space beside him, curling up like I always did when I was scared.
"Papa… wake up," I whispered, tapping his arm lightly.
"Pa… please wake up," I cried, staring at his face.
He looked like he was just sleeping.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Behind me, Grandma and Grandpa were crying softly.
I sat up, wiped my own tears with the back of my hand, and tried to steady my voice.
"Stop crying," I told them, even though my voice was shaking. "Please… stop crying."
I didn't know who I was trying to comfort—
them,
…or myself.
Then it hit me.
"Ate…" Jace's tiny voice broke through the room, shaky and full of fear.
He ran to me, tears streaming down his cheeks, and wrapped his little arms around my waist.
I held him instantly, pulling him close.
"Shh… I'm here," I whispered, trying to calm him even though my own tears wouldn't stop.
His small body trembled against mine, and I tightened my hold, trying to be strong for him—
even though I felt like I was falling apart too.
Because in that moment, all we had was each other.
"Where are Jare and Percy?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
"They're fine," Grandma said gently. "But they're still unconscious."
I nodded slowly, even though nothing felt fine.
I looked at Grandpa, at Grandma, at the empty beds…
and then down at Jace in my arms, his tiny body shaking as he cried into my shoulder.
I held him tighter, my own tears falling into his hair.
He was only three.
He didn't understand what was happening.
And I was ten…
and I didn't understand either.
But right then, with Jace clinging to me like I was the only safe thing left in the world—
I knew I had to be strong for him.
I went back to my room that night, but the silence felt too big, too heavy.
AFTER A WEEK
I returned to the hospital again.
Jare and Percy were still in the same room, both unconscious, both too still.
I changed the flowers in the vase—Grandma said it made the room feel less sad.
I sat beside Jare first.
"Jare… please wake up," I whispered, trying not to cry but failing anyway.
I shook him gently. "Jare… I'm weak na," I sobbed. "I can't take this anymore."
He didn't move.
I wiped my face and went to Percy's bed.
"Percy… it's so quiet in the house without you," I said, trying to smile through the tears. "No one is making stupid handsome jokes."
My voice cracked.
"Jace is asking about you every day… and I don't know what to tell him. Please wake up."
The room stayed silent.
Too silent.
And then—
I woke up.
Crying.
Back in my room again.
My pillow was wet, my chest tight, the memory still clinging to me like it had just happened.
For a moment, I didn't know if I was ten again
…or if I was still the girl trying to be strong for everyone else.
My door opened suddenly.
Aries.
"Jay, did you take my—" he started, but the moment he saw my face, he stopped.
His expression softened instantly. "Hey… why are you crying?"
I shook my head quickly, wiping my cheeks. "Just a nightmare."
He didn't believe me.
Of course he didn't. Aries always saw through me.
He walked over quietly and sat beside me on the bed.
No teasing.
No yelling.
Just… Aries being gentle.
He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"It's okay," he murmured. "Kuya is with you."
And for a moment, the room didn't feel so heavy anymore.
"Sleep," he whispered, gently easing me back down onto the pillow.
I nodded and tried.
I really did.
But the moment I closed my eyes, the memories came rushing back—
too loud,
too sharp,
too real.
The tears wouldn't stop.
They kept slipping out no matter how hard I tried to hold them in.
"Jay… why are you crying?" Aries asked softly, wiping them away with his thumb.
I opened my eyes and reached for him without thinking, wrapping my arms around him.
He didn't hesitate.
He hugged me back immediately, one hand on my back, the other cradling the back of my head like he was shielding me from the world.
"It's okay," he whispered into my hair, his voice steady and warm.
He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head.
"Your Kuya is with you," he said again, firmer this time—
like a promise,
like a shield,
like he was anchoring me back to the present.
And in his arms, the memories didn't feel as heavy.
Then Kuya came in.
"Aries, what are you doing here—" he started, but the moment his eyes landed on me, everything in his face changed.
The anger dropped.
The irritation disappeared.
He just looked… worried.
"What happened?" Kuya asked softly, stepping closer.
Aries kept one arm around me, still rubbing slow circles on my back like he was trying to anchor me.
"She said she had a nightmare," Aries explained quietly, his voice gentler than usual. "She's still shaking."
Kuya's expression softened even more.
He walked to my side and crouched down so he was eye‑level with me.
"Jay‑Jay," he said, voice low and steady, "look at me."
I lifted my head slowly, tears still clinging to my lashes.
Kuya brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch careful, almost hesitant—like he didn't want to make anything worse.
"You're safe," he said. "You're here. With us."
Aries tightened his hold around me, nodding.
"We've got you," he added.
And for the first time since waking up from that nightmare,
I felt like maybe—just maybe—
I wasn't carrying everything alone anymore.
Kuya didn't say anything at first.
He just sat down beside me on the bed, slow and careful, like he was afraid I might break if he moved too fast. Aries loosened his hold but stayed close, one hand still on my back.
Kuya reached out and gently wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
"Jay‑Jay," he said quietly, "you don't have to force yourself to sleep. Talk to me."
His voice wasn't strict.
Not annoyed.
Not disappointed.
Just… soft.
The kind of soft he only used when he was really worried.
I swallowed hard, staring at my hands. "It was just… a nightmare."
Kuya shook his head gently. "Nightmares don't make you cry like that."
My throat tightened.
Aries rubbed my shoulder, grounding me. "We're here," he murmured. "You can tell us."
I hesitated, the memories still raw, still sharp.
Kuya didn't push.
He didn't rush me.
He just sat there, steady and patient, like he had all the time in the world.
"Jay," he said again, softer this time, "whatever you saw… you're safe now. You're with us."
Something in me cracked.
I leaned into him, my forehead touching his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around me without hesitation.
"It's okay," he whispered. "Take your time."
Aries shifted closer, his hand warm on my back.
And for the first time in a long time,
I felt like I could breathe enough to speak.
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Hey guys I was thinking the book will have an sad ending