(Jay's POV)
The sun over Ulopong Island did not just wake us up. It basically tapped us on the shoulder and whispered, "Hey, wake up, you are rich, beautiful, and on vacation."
I opened my eyes and immediately saw Keifer. The guy looked like a literal angel even with messy morning hair. I, on the other hand, probably looked like a swamp monster that had survived a final exam marathon. But did I care? Not even a little bit. We had no math formulas to memorize. We had no annoying school rivals to defeat.
Vanessa was gone, Seline was defeated, and we had an entire day of absolute freedom ahead of us.
"Stop staring at me, wife," Keifer mumbled. His voice was deep and rough from sleep. A tiny, smirking smile grew on his face without him even opening his eyes. "I know I am very handsome. But you are going to burn a hole in my face if you keep looking at me like that."
"Shut up," I laughed. I threw a fluffy white pillow straight at his face. "I was not staring! I was just wondering how someone can sleep so perfectly while I look like a human potato."
Keifer caught the pillow with one hand. He finally opened his eyes, and they were full of bright, happy mischief. He sat up, pulled me by my waist, and tucked a messy strand of hair behind my ear.
"You are the cutest potato in the whole world, Jay. Now come on. We have a huge island to explore, and I intend to take exactly one million photos of you today."
Even when last time we explored the island but we were unable to do it fully and even I was ignoring keifer then.
The Selfie Marathon Begins
Our day of ultimate fun started at the breakfast table. The staff had set up a massive feast right on our private deck. There were pancakes, fresh fruits, waffles, bacon, and three different types of fresh juice.
"Wait! Do not eat yet!" I yelled. I slapped Keifer's hand away just as he was about to grab a strawberry pancake.
"Why?" he asked. He looked genuinely hurt. His fork was frozen mid-air. "The food is getting cold, Jay."
"Because the camera eats first," I declared. I whipped out my phone and held it high above the table to get the perfect angle. "Look at this aesthetic. The ocean background, the blue sky, the fluffy pancakes. We must document this."
Keifer groaned but immediately put on his classic, charming billionaire smile for the camera. Click. I took five photos. Then we took a couple selfie. Keifer leaned in and bit my cheek right as the camera flashed.
The result was a photo of me looking completely shocked with my mouth wide open, while he looked like a supermodel.
"You ruined it!" I laughed, shoving his shoulder."No, I made it better," he said. He stole a piece of my waffle and popped it into his mouth. "It shows your true essence. Chaos."
After breakfast, we changed into our beach outfits. I wore a bright, flowy yellow sundress that made me feel like a walking sunflower. Keifer wore a loose white linen shirt and shorts. He left the top three buttons open because apparently, he could not go anywhere without showing off his chest.
We walked down to the white sandy beach, and Keifer immediately became my personal Instagram photographer.
"Okay, now look over your shoulder and laugh naturally," Keifer instructed. He was holding my phone like a professional photographer. He was even bending his knees to get the right angles.
"How do I laugh naturally on command?" I asked. I felt super stiff. I tried to chuckle, but it sounded like a dying bird. "Haha? Like that?"
Keifer burst out laughing at my terrible acting. Click.
"Perfect," he said, showing me the screen. "The dying bird laugh actually made you look genuinely happy."
The photo was actually beautiful. The wind was blowing my hair, the blue water was sparkling behind me, and my smile looked huge. We spent the next hour doing ridiculous poses. I made Keifer pose like a runway model, which he did easily because he was naturally obnoxious like that.
Then we took a selfie where we both made ugly fish faces. We looked absolutely ridiculous, but we could not stop laughing. My stomach actually hurt from laughing so much.
Jet Skis, Shells, and Total Chaos
Around noon, Keifer decided we needed some speed. He rented a sleek, powerful jet ski.
"Are you sure you know how to drive this thing?" I asked. I looked at the mechanical beast doubtfully. "Remember, you are a math genius, not a professional boat captain."
"Jay, please," Keifer scoffed. He climbed onto the seat and revved the engine. The loud vroom vroom sound made me jump. "I can fly a helicopter. A jet ski is like riding a tricycle. Get on."
I climbed on behind him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. The moment I said "Okay, ready," Keifer slammed the throttle.
"KEIFER!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.We flew across the water like a rocket. The wind hit my face so hard I could barely keep my eyes open. Water sprayed everywhere, completely soaking my yellow dress and my hair.
Keifer was just laughing like a crazy person, steering the jet ski over the waves. Every time we hit a big wave, the jet ski would lift into the air for a second, and my heart would jump into my throat.
"Slow down! We are going to flip!" I yelled into his back."Trust me, wife!" he yelled back. He didn't slow down at all. Instead, he made a sharp, dramatic turn that made a massive wall of water splash over us.
By the time we got back to the shore, we looked like two drowned rats. My hair was plastered to my face, and Keifer's shirt was completely transparent from the water. We dragged ourselves onto the dry sand and collapsed, panting and laughing."You are an absolute menace," I said, wiping salt water from my eyes.
Keifer sat up, his wet hair dripping onto his chest. He looked incredibly hot, which was deeply unfair. He grabbed his waterproof camera and held it up. "Say cheese, wet rat."
I gave the camera two peace signs and stuck my tongue out. We looked messy, salty, and totally unbothered by the world. Later in the afternoon, the energy slowed down. We walked along the quiet side of the island where the tourists didn't go. The water was shallow and clear like glass. Small colorful fish swam right around our ankles.
We started searching for seashells. I wanted to find a perfect, big pink shell to keep as a souvenir. Keifer, being the competitive person he is, turned it into a contest.
"I will find a bigger shell than you," he challenged.
"In your dreams, billionaire boy," I snapped back.
For the next thirty minutes, we walked with our heads down, staring at the sand. I found a few small, pretty spiral shells. But then I heard Keifer chuckle.
"Look at this, Jay. I won. The contest is over."I turned around. Keifer was holding a giant, slimy, green piece of seaweed. He had a deadpan expression on his face.
"That is not a shell, Keifer! That is garbage from the ocean!"
"It is a natural treasure," he argued. He then chased me down the beach, trying to throw the wet seaweed on my shoulder while I screamed and ran away from him. He finally caught me, pulling me into a warm hug, and we both fell onto the sand, giggling like little kids.
As the sun began to set, the sky turned into a beautiful mix of purple, pink, and orange. We sat quietly on the sand, watching the colors change. Keifer put his arm around me, and I rested my head against his chest. We didn't say anything for a long time. We didn't need to.
The sound of the gentle waves crashing against the shore was the only music we needed. Of course, we had to take one last sunset photo. Keifer set the camera on a rock with a timer. He ran back, sat next to me, and held my hand. The camera flashed right as the sun touched the horizon. It was a picture of pure peace.
The Balcony and The Thirst
After a delicious dinner of grilled seafood under the stars, we went back to our luxury villa. We both took warm showers to wash off the salt and sand.
I put on a pair of comfortable, oversized pajamas, and Keifer wore loose grey sweatpants.The villa had a huge, beautiful balcony that looked out directly over the ocean.
The night sky was completely clear, filled with millions of bright, twinkling stars. The moon was so bright it cast a silver glow over the dark water.
We went out to the balcony and sat down on the soft outdoor couch. The night breeze was cool and sweet. I felt completely relaxed, like all the stress of the past had completely melted away.
I leaned over and rested my shoulder against Keifer's shoulder. He instantly shifted his weight, making space for me, and wrapped his long arm around my back.
He pulled me closer until my side was pressed against his.
"Today was perfect," I whispered, staring up at the stars."It was," Keifer agreed.
He rested his chin on top of my head. I could feel the deep rumble of his voice in his chest. "No exams. No annoying people. Just you and me. I could stay here forever."
"Me too," I sighed.We sat there in beautiful, cozy silence for a long time. I listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing. Everything was so calm, so perfect.
But then, my throat started to feel incredibly dry. All that running around on the beach and eating salty seafood had finally caught up with me. My mouth felt like a desert.
"Keifer, I am so thirsty," I mumbled, shifting away from his warm side.
"Do you want me to get you some water?" he offered. He closed his eyes, looking very comfortable.
"No, it is fine. I will go down to the kitchen and look for some juice. I saw some bottles in the fridge earlier," I said. I stood up and stretched my arms.
"Okay. Do not get lost in the dark," he teased, opening one eye to smirk at me.
"I am a grown woman, I can find a kitchen," I scoffed, sticking my tongue out at him before walking inside.
The Millionaire Juice Mistake
I walked down the grand wooden staircase of the villa. The house was mostly dark, but the moonlight was shining through the large glass windows, so I didn't bother turning on the lights. I walked straight into the large, modern kitchen.
My throat was practically screaming for liquid. I opened the massive double-door refrigerator. The bright light from inside the fridge blinded me for a second. I blinked and looked around the shelves.
"Where is the juice?" I muttered to myself. I saw some bottles of water, but I didn't want water. I wanted something sweet. My eyes searched the lower shelves, but I couldn't see the orange juice we had earlier. Then, I looked over at the kitchen counter.
Sitting right there under the moonlight was a very fancy, elegant glass bottle. It was beautifully shaped, with a golden wrapper around the neck and a strange, vintage-looking label with fancy cursive writing. It looked like something royalty would drink.
My tired, thirsty brain immediately made a logic jump.
Oh! I thought. Keifer is a literal billionaire. He probably bought some super expensive, organic, high-end island juice. Rich people always drink juice from fancy glass bottles.
I grabbed the bottle. I didn't even read the label because my brain was running on 1% battery power and 99% thirst. I twisted the top off. I didn't notice the strange, sharp smell because I was too busy being desperate.
I lifted the bottle to my mouth and took three massive, aggressive gulps.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
"OH MY GOD!" I gasped.I instantly choked and started coughing. My throat felt like it had just swallowed a literal firecracker. It burned. It burned so bad. My eyes filled with tears, and my chest felt incredibly hot.
"Wow," I whispered, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Rich people juice is... really aggressive. It tastes like cough syrup mixed with battery acid. Why do billionaires like this stuff?"
But my throat was still dry, and the burning sensation was strangely distracting. I took another small sip. Then another one.
But my throat was still dry, and the burning sensation was strangely distracting. I took another small sip. Then another one.
Within two minutes, something very weird started happening to my body. The tips of my ears felt very hot. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. The kitchen floor suddenly felt a little bit bouncy, like I was standing on a trampoline.
"Wait a minute," I said out loud to the empty kitchen. My voice sounded kind of far away. "Why is the refrigerator spinning? The refrigerator is not supposed to spin."
I looked down at the fancy bottle in my hand. I squinted my eyes and tried to read the elegant cursive letters on the label.
V-O-D-K-A. Premium Aged Russian Export.
My brain slowly processed the letters. Vod-ka. Vodka.
"Oh," I whispered. "That is not juice. That is liquid fire. That is adult juice."
But by the time I realized my mistake, the alcohol had already hit my bloodstream like a freight train. I didn't feel bad. In fact, I felt amazing. I felt like I was floating. The whole world became extremely funny and bright.
The Kitchen Dance Party
The kitchen light was off, but the moon was shining so bright it made the entire room look silver. I walked down the stairs, rubbing my eyes. Jay had been gone for fifteen minutes just to get a simple glass of juice. I was starting to think she had fallen asleep inside the refrigerator.
Then, I heard a sound. It was a loud, happy humming noise, followed by the scraping sound of bare feet moving quickly across the tiled floor. I stopped right in the kitchen doorway. My jaw almost hit the ground.
There was my fiancé , the rank two university genius, standing in the middle of the dark room. She was holding a half-empty bottle of my expensive premium vodka. She was doing the most ridiculous, uncoordinated dance I had ever seen in my life.
She was waving her arms around in big circles like a helicopter and shaking her hips side to side.
"And then the math formula went boom... haha... we beat Vanessa... we are the kings of the world..." she mumbled loudly, giggling like a little kid between every word.
"Jay?" I called out. I was totally shocked, but a huge smile was already spreading across my face.
She spun around on one foot. She immediately lost her balance, stumbled backward, and bumped her butt hard against the kitchen counter. She blinked her eyes, trying to focus on me. Her cheeks were bright pink, and her eyes were incredibly shiny and glassy.
She looked at me, then her eyes went wide with pure excitement."Wow!" She pointed a shaky finger right at my face. "There are two of you! This is amazing! I married a twin! Two handsome boyfriends for the price of one!"
I looked at the vodka bottle in her hand, and then looked at her completely flushed face. I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. She had mistaken the fancy glass bottle for regular juice.
"Jay... did you drink that?" I asked. I walked toward her slowly, keeping my voice soft and gentle. "That is ninety-proof alcohol. It was a gift from the villa owner."
"No, silly!" She giggled loudly. She waved her hand in the air to tell me I was wrong. She tried to take a step toward me, but her legs looked like soft noodles.
She tripped over her own feet and started falling forward. I moved like lightning. I caught her by the waist before her face could hit the hard floor. I pulled her body tight against my chest to keep her steady.
"Careful, wild girl," I whispered. I carefully took the vodka bottle from her hand and set it far back on the counter where she couldn't reach it again. "You are completely drunk."
"I am not drunk!" she argued. She pouted her lips and stared up at me with big, blurry eyes. "I just drank the expensive billionaire juice. It makes the floor dance. Do you want to dance with me, Keifer number one? Or should I ask Keifer number two?"
"There is only one of me, Jay," I laughed. My chest vibrated against her cheek. I shook my head at how cute she was. "Come on. Let's get you upstairs to bed before you hurt yourself."
The Shirt Crisis
But Jay had other plans. Now that she was pressed against me, she seemed to realize I was there. Because she was tipsy, her normal shy filter was completely gone.
She looked up at my face, staring at my jawline and my lips."You are so pretty," she whispered. She reached up with both hands and started patting my cheeks very hard.
"Like a prince. A very rich, very arrogant prince."
"Thank you," I smiled. I grabbed her arm and tried to gently steer her toward the stairs. "Now let's go to sleep, princess."
"No!" she yelled, planting her feet on the floor. She grabbed the collar of my white linen shirt with a surprisingly tight grip. "It is hot in here. Why is it so hot? Are you hot? I think you are very hot."
Before I could even answer, her hands became super active. She started clumsily pulling at the buttons of my shirt. Her fingers were shaking and uncoordinated, so she couldn't undo them normally. Instead, she just ripped the fabric apart with pure brute strength.
Pop. Pop.
Two of my buttons flew off and bounced across the kitchen floor. "Jay, wait—stop," I gasped. My face turned bright red. I grabbed her wrists, my heart suddenly beating like a drum. "What are you doing?"
"I am helping you!" she said with a very serious face. She ripped her hands free from my grip. She shoved my linen shirt completely off my shoulders, exposing my chest and abs to the cool night air. "See? Much better! Now you can breathe!"
"Jay, you are drunk. You don't know what you are doing," I said. My voice went deep and strained. Holding my drunk, beautiful wife in a dark kitchen while she ripped my clothes off was testing every single ounce of my willpower.
"I know exactly what I am doing," she declared proudly, looking at my chest. "I am admiring my property."
Then, she looked down at her own bright yellow sundress. "I am also hot! The yellow dress must go!"She reached her hand behind her back, searching for her zipper.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Absolutely not!" I yelled, totally panicking now. I grabbed both of her hands and held them tight against my chest, stopping her from moving. "Jay, stop. Look at me."
She blinked at me lazily. "Why? Do you not like my dress?"
"I love your dress. I love you," I said, taking a deep breath to calm myself down. I looked straight into her shiny eyes. "But you are completely out of it right now. You drank half a bottle of vodka by mistake. I am your husband cum fiancé, and I want you more than anything, but I am a gentleman. I am not going to do this when you can barely stand up. You will regret this tomorrow morning when you have a giant headache."
"I won't regret anything!" she complained, squirming around in my arms to get free. "You are being boring! The math tutor Keifer was mean, and the island Keifer is boring!"
The Love Bite Attack
Since I was holding her hands tight, Jay decided to use a different weapon.
She leaned her head forward and buried her face right into my neck. I froze completely. My breath caught in my throat as her warm lips touched my skin.
"Jay..." I warned, my voice shaking.She completely ignored me. She opened her mouth and bit me right on the side of my neck. It wasn't a painful bite, but it was firm, deep, and deliberate. A massive love bite.
"Oh my god," I groaned. I threw my head back, and my grip on her wrists loosened because of the shock.
She smiled against my skin, realizing she had found my weakness. She launched a full attack. She moved her mouth down to my collarbone and left another deep hickey there. Then she moved over to my bare shoulder.
She was kissing, biting, and marking my upper body like a wild animal, giggling the whole time.
"Jay, please, you are killing me," I muttered. My face was completely on fire, and I was breathing heavily. It was the hardest battle of self-control in my entire life. I wanted her so badly, but my moral code wouldn't let me do anything serious while she was this drunk.
With one final, heroic effort, I wrapped my arms around her entire body, pinning her arms and legs so she couldn't move anymore. I lifted her completely off the kitchen floor, holding her securely like a baby.
"The attack is over," I declared, panting for air. "We are going to bed right now."
"You are no fun," she mumbled. But suddenly, all the crazy alcohol energy seemed to drain out of her body at once. Her eyes became very heavy, and she couldn't keep them open.
As I carried her up the dark wooden stairs, her head fell heavily against my bare, bitten shoulder.
"I love you, Keifer," she whispered, her voice completely slurred and sleepy. "Even if you are a boring prince."
"I love you too, my crazy wifey," I whispered back. I kissed the top of her messy hair as I walked into the bedroom.
I laid her down gently on the massive, soft bed and pulled the warm white blankets up to her chin. She was already fast asleep, breathing softly. I shook my head, looking down at my ripped shirt and my marked neck.
I lay down next to her, pulling her small body close against my chest. She was going to be so embarrassed tomorrow, and I could not wait to tease her about it.....