Jay-Jay's POV
I stared at the screen.
Again.
And again.
And again.
From: Gagonbaliw
Don't ignore me.
I don't like repeating myself.
Don't make me wait.
My grip on my phone tightened.
"Who does he think he is…" I muttered under my breath.
Because now?
Now it wasn't just confusing.
It was annoying.
No—
More than that.
It was starting to feel like he was telling me what to do.
Like I owed him something.
Like I was supposed to reply just because he said so.
I let out a sharp breath.
"Yeah, no."
I sat down on the edge of my bed, unlocking my phone again, eyes narrowing at the screen.
If he wanted a reply so badly—
Fine.
He'd get one.
But not the kind he expected.
My fingers moved quickly this time.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
Just pure irritation.
You:
Stop texting me like you own me.
Send.
My heart jumped the second it delivered.
But I didn't look away.
Didn't back down.
I stayed right there, staring at the screen, waiting.
Seconds passed.
Then—
Typing…
My stomach tightened slightly.
Why?
I didn't know.
But it did.
Then his reply came.
From: Gagonbaliw
Own you?
I rolled my eyes. "Don't start."
Another message.
From: Gagonbaliw
You're the one who replied.
My jaw clenched.
Excuse me?
I typed immediately—
You:
Because you wouldn't stop.
Send.
Fast.
Sharp.
Clear.
A few seconds of silence.
Then—
From: Gagonbaliw
And you still didn't block me.
I froze.
My fingers stopped moving.
My eyes stayed on the screen.
Because…
He wasn't wrong.
I could have blocked him.
At any time.
From the very beginning.
But I didn't.
And now he noticed that too.
I swallowed, annoyed at myself.
"Shut up," I muttered, even though he couldn't hear me.
I typed again—
You:
Don't assume things.
Send.
My heart was beating faster now.
Not scared.
Just… intense.
Like this wasn't just a normal conversation anymore.
Like every word mattered more than it should.
His reply came slower this time.
A few seconds longer.
Then—
From: Gagonbaliw
I don't assume.
Another message followed immediately.
From: Gagonbaliw
I know.
My breath hitched slightly.
Something about that…
Didn't sit right.
I frowned, staring at the screen.
"What does that even mean…"
Before I could type again—
Another message.
From: Gagonbaliw
You wouldn't be this affected if you didn't want to talk to me.
My eyes widened just a little.
"Excuse me?"
That—
That was bold.
Too bold.
My fingers moved instantly.
You:
You're seriously full of yourself.
Send.
No hesitation.
This time, his reply came almost instantly.
From: Gagonbaliw
And you're still here.
I stopped.
Completely.
Because…
Again—
He wasn't wrong.
I was still here.
Still replying.
Still reading.
Still… engaging.
And that made it worse.
A lot worse.
I looked away from the phone for a second, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
"This is so stupid," I whispered.
But when I looked back—
Another message was already there.
From: Gagonbaliw
Careful, Jay-Jay.
My heart skipped.
My name.
He said my name.
Slowly…
My expression changed.
Annoyance fading.
Something else replacing it.
Something quieter.
Something more serious.
Because now—
This wasn't just random anymore.
This wasn't just guessing.
He knew my name.
I stared at the screen, my fingers suddenly still.
My thoughts racing faster than before.
Who was he?
How did he know me?
And why did it feel like—