JAY JAY POV
"Keifer," I said against his lips, my voice barely a whisper.
"What?" he asked, his breath hitching as he stayed anchored to me, reluctant to let even a millimeter of space come between us.
I looked at him, seeing the way his eyes were still dark with that fierce protectiveness. If we were really doing this—if the Mrs. Watson title was going to mean anything other than just another one of his claims—I had to be honest.
"Zane is my ex-boyfriend," I said.
The shift was instantaneous. I felt the muscles in his arms lock, turning into iron bands around me.
"He's your what now?" Keifer asked. He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. His expression was a volatile mix of confusion and a brewing, dark storm.
"Ex," I repeated.
Keifer blinked, his jaw tightening. "He's your ex-brother... that's what I heard, right? Ex-brother?"
I stared at him. Is he serious?
"Ex what?" I asked, squinting at him.
"Ex-brother," Keifer repeated, his voice dropping into that deep, stubborn register. It was like he was trying to rewrite reality with his own brain just so he wouldn't have to imagine another guy ever touching me. "You mean he lived near you? Like a distant, annoying, unrelated brother?"
"Keifer, I'm serious," I said, giving his chest a firm shove. "He's the guy I told you about. The one from London. The one who made me terrified of possessive jerks."
He didn't move, but the air in the music room suddenly felt ten degrees colder.
"So," Keifer rasped . "The guy who just touched your wrist out there... is the person who used to call you his?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes."
Keifer didn't explode. He just leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. "Ex-brother," he muttered again, as if saying it enough times would make it true. Then, he looked at me, his eyes burning. "He better enjoy the air he's breathing right now, Jay-Jay. Because I am definitely not letting him take any more of yours."
He stared at me for a heartbeat longer, and then, the lethal edge in his expression softened. A slow, triumphant grin spread across his face—the kind of look he usually wears right after he's successfully manipulated someone into doing exactly what he wants.
"What?" I asked, suspicious of the sudden change in mood.
"You love me," Keifer said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement, delivered with enough arrogance to fill the entire music room.
I stared at him, my face immediately going nuclear-meltdown red. Was it not obvious, you clueless, ego-maniacal jerk? I just stood in front of my past, used my engagement ring as a shield, and spent the last ten minutes letting you kiss me until my brain turned into soup.
"I... I never said that!" I stammered, trying to look anywhere but at his smug face.
"You didn't have to." He let out a low, dark chuckle, his hands sliding from my waist to cup my face. His thumbs traced my cheekbones. "The way you grabbed my hand the second he walked in... the way you're looking at me right now... you're far gone, Jay-Jay. Just as far gone as I am."
I rolled my eyes, feeling that annoying, traitorous flutter in my chest. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Keifer. I haven't even fully cleared you of your crimes yet."
Keifer didn't look discouraged. If anything, his grin sharpened into something dark and dangerously charming. He leaned in, his chest pressing against mine until I could feel the rhythmic thrum of his heart.
"I like getting ahead of myself," Keifer said, his voice dropping into that smooth, predatory purr. "Especially when it's you. You know, I've already decided exactly how our first night as a married couple is going to look."
My face didn't just turn red—it went full supernova. The heat was so intense I was surprised the piano behind me wasn't starting to smoke.
"W-what?" I stammered
"The wedding is months away! We haven't even finished high school, you megalomaniac!"
"You heard me," Keifer whispered directly into my ear.
His breath was warm, and the vibration of his voice sent a frantic shiver racing down my spine. He trailed his nose along the curve of my ear, his stubble grazing my skin just enough to make my brain short-circuit.
"I've got the whole thing planned, Jay-Jay," he murmured, his hands sliding down to rest possessively on my hips. "No plans. No strategies. No Section E idiots banging on the door. Just a very long, very quiet night where I finally get to show you exactly how much I love the fact that you're stuck with me. Infinitely."
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye, his dark gaze heavy with a promise that made my knees feel like they were made of cotton candy.
"I'm going to make sure you never even remember the name of that guy from London," he rasped. "Every inch of you is going to be covered in Watson."
"You... you're a pervert!" I hissed, trying to shove him away, but my hands just ended up bunching the fabric of his shirt, pulling him even closer.
Keifer let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated through both of our chests. "Eighteen."
"Eighteen what?!"
"Eighteen penalties today," he said, pulling that stupid notepad out with his free hand and making a fresh mark. He leaned back in, his lips ghosting over mine. "And I think I know exactly how I want to collect that specific debt on our wedding night."
"I'm not paying!" I cried out, my voice muffled as he captured my lips again.
But as I kissed him back, my fingers tangling in his hair, I knew I was lying. I'd probably pay that debt a thousand times over.
Bloody hell, Jay-Jay. You're not just on the blacklist. You're the one running the whole damn station for him.
We finally broke the kiss, both of us breathless and wearing identical, stupid smiles.
"Let's go," I whispered, patting his chest. "If we stay in here any longer, Ci-N is going to start charging admission for the drama."
"One more," Keifer rasped.
He didn't give me a chance to argue. He reached up, cupping my face with both hands, his large palms warm against my flushed cheeks. He tilted my head back, moving my face with a careful, desperate intensity as he slanted his lips against mine again.
This kiss wasn't like the others. It was slower, deeper—a rhythmic, hypnotic motion that made the rest of the world feel like it was blurring at the edges. Every time his lips moved against mine, it felt like he was rewriting my entire history, erasing the London bruises and replacing them with a future that belonged only to him.
I let out a shaky sigh, my hands clutching his forearms as I leaned into the kiss. He was so thorough, so focused on me, that I actually forgot for a second that we were standing in a dusty music room in the middle of a school day.
When he finally pulled back, he didn't let go of my face. He stayed right there, his thumb tracing the line of my bottom lip, his dark eyes searching mine with a look that made my heart do a final, frantic triple-flip.
"Okay," he murmured, his voice thick and rough. "Now we can go."
"You're impossible," I breathed, trying to fix my hair with trembling fingers.
As we moved outside the school building, heading toward the parking lot, my eyes caught a glimpse of movement near the secluded backside of the gym. Two people were pressed against the wall, caught in a very intense, very private-looking kiss.
"Who is that?" I asked, slowing down. They didn't look like anyone from Section E—at least, not from this angle.
"I don't know," Keifer said, nudging me forward and catching my hand. "Just some random couple who want some free time from school, just like us. Don't be a voyeur, Jay-Jay."
"Keifer, wait... I think I know who that is!" My eyes widened as the girl's scarf fluttered in the wind.
I didn't even hesitate. I whipped out my phone and started snapping pictures like a professional member of the paparazzi.
"Jay-Jay!" Keifer hissed, sounding half-amused and half-exasperated. "Leave them alone."
"Wait, Keifer! This is gold!" I giggled, zooming in for a better shot. I couldn't believe my eyes.
I cupped my hands around my mouth, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Hey, lovebirds! I know a hotel nearby! Want to use it instead of giving us trauma out here in the dirt?!"
The couple practically jumped out of their skins. They broke the kiss so fast I'm surprised they didn't get whiplash.
Jare and Mia turned around, and I swear, their faces turned a shade of red that actually rivaled my own from earlier.
"So, how was it, Brother?" I asked, leaning against a nearby pillar and waving my phone mockingly.
"Jay—Jay-Jay!" Mia stuttered, her hands flying to her cheeks. She looked like she wanted to evaporate into the pavement.
"Wow, Jare," Keifer chimed in, stepping up beside me and crossing his arms. "And you yell at me, telling me to find better places for my business? What happened to your high standards? This isn't even Section B territory."
Jare glared at Keifer, then at me, straightening his uniform with a level of dignity that was currently failing him.
"Shut up, Watson!" Jare snapped, though his voice lacked its usual protective bite. "We were just... talking."
"Talking with your tongues? Is that a new dialect I missed?" I teased, stepping closer and showing him the blurry photo on my screen. "Because this looks like a very deep conversation, Jare. One that involves a lot of... saliva."
"I am going to kill you" Jare barked, lunging for my phone.
I ducked behind Keifer, laughing so hard my stomach hurt. "Too late! It's already in the cloud! You're officially exposed, Jare Mariano!"
Mia was hiding behind Jare now, her face still nuclear. "Jay-Jay, please don't show anyone..."
"Relax, Mia," I said, finally stopping my laughter and tucking the phone away. I gave her a wink. "Your secret is safe with me... provided Jare stops calling me a monkey for the next forty-eight hours."
"Make it a week," Keifer added, pulling me back into his side. He looked at Jare with a smirk that was pure, unadulterated victory. "And maybe consider a room next time. The concrete is bad for the posture."
Jare let out a frustrated growl, but for the first time in months, he didn't have a comeback. He just grabbed Mia's hand and started walking away, muttering something about 'traitorous twins' under his breath.
I leaned my head against Keifer's shoulder, watching them go.
"You're a menace, Mrs. Watson," Keifer whispered, kissing the top of my head.
"I learned from the best, Mr. Watson," I replied.
The air was finally clear.
But of course, Keifer Watson doesn't know how to let a moment stay wholesome for more than five seconds.
"So," Keifer murmured, his voice dropping back into that deep, suggestive purr that made my skin prickle. "About that hotel you mentioned to Jare... do you want to use it for us instead?"
I froze. I slowly turned my head to look at him, my eyes narrowing into slits. He was standing there with that lazy, half-lidded gaze and a smirk that screamed 'I know I'm a jerk, but you love it.'
"Keifer!" I hissed, my face heating up in record time. "You are a literal, walking, breathing HR violation!"
"I'm just being efficient, Jay-Jay," he countered, taking a slow step toward me. "Why waste a good recommendation?"
I didn't answer with words. I pulled back and delivered a sharp, high-voltage hit straight to his chest—the kind that echoed with a satisfying thud.
"Oof," he grunted, though he didn't even stumble. If anything, he looked like he enjoyed it.
"Switch off, Watson!" I snapped, spinning on my heel and starting to walk away toward the parking lot. My heart was doing a frantic, caffeinated sprint, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered again.
"Hey! Where are you going?" he called out, his heavy footsteps easily catching up to mine.
"Home! To a room with a lock!" I shouted over my shoulder. "And don't even think about the balcony!"
"You're cute when you're delusional, Mrs. Watson!" he laughed, catching my hand and yanking me back into his side.
I tried to glare, but as his arm hooked around my waist, pulling me flush against him in the afternoon sun, the fight died out
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NEXT CHAPTER GOAL ✨🌙
• 30 comments🌟🤍
Let's hit the target so I can drop the next chapter ASAP 😭🔥💗