JAY'S POV
We both sat next to each other on the bench.For a while, neither of us said anything. The silence between us felt heavy.
Then Aries finally broke it.
"Jay… what happened? Why are you so quiet?" he asked softly. "Tell me. What do you want to talk about?"
I looked at him for a moment before speaking.
"Aries… I want to clear the misunderstanding between us," I said. "I want answers to my questions."
He nodded without hesitation.
"Sure, Jay. I'll answer."
"But please," I added quietly, "this time… don't hide anything from me."
For a moment he didn't respond. The air felt tense again.But then he finally sighed and nodded.
"Okay."
I gathered my courage.
"What happened back then?" I asked slowly. "When we both got kidnapped… by your father."
Aries stiffened.
"Jay… that night—"
"Aries," I interrupted gently, "you promised. If we want things to be okay again… you need to tell me the truth."
He let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair before finally speaking.
"That night… when we were kidnapped… my father tried to hurt us," he said quietly. "During the struggle he hurt you, and you started bleeding."
My heart began to pound.
"And then… in just a few seconds… you changed."
I froze.
"Your trauma got triggered," he continued. "You pushed my father away, grabbed a piece of broken glass… and you stabbed me."
My breath stopped.
"I tried to stop you," he said calmly, "but I couldn't."
His voice softened.
"But it wasn't your fault, Jay. You weren't yourself."
His words felt like knives piercing my chest.
I… I stabbed him.
I almost killed him.
Tears immediately filled my eyes.
So that's why he was angry at me.He hated me.He had every right to hate me.
I deserved it.
Every harsh word he said… I deserved it.
And I was stupid enough to blame him. To be angry at him.
You're such an idiot, Jay.
"I'm sorry, Aries," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I'm really sorry. I said those horrible things to you… I even got mad at you. I'm sorry."
"Hey, hey," he said quickly, leaning closer. "Stop crying."
I tried to wipe my tears, but they kept falling.
"Listen to me, Jay," he said firmly. "You are not at fault here. It wasn't your mistake. Forget it. Don't blame yourself."
He smiled gently.
"I already forgave you."
"But still, Aries…" my voice broke. "I don't deserve it. I'm a—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," he cut me off immediately.
I looked at him in surprise.
"You deserve my forgiveness," he said. "Because what I did to you was wrong too."
My mind went blank.
"I didn't tell you the truth about that night," he continued. "I didn't tell you about your father. And even after realizing it wasn't your fault… I still hated you."
His voice became heavy.
"I'm at fault too, Jay."
Then he let out a small bitter laugh.
"I'm a terrible brother."
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
My mind felt frozen. His words kept echoing in my head.
Brother.
Aries looked at me again.
"That's all in the past now, Jay Jay," he said softly. "Let's forget it. Let's move on."
He looked at me almost pleadingly.
"Please… can you do that for me?"
I slowly nodded.
Even though my chest still hurt… something inside me felt lighter.
We both stayed quiet for a moment.
Then Aries smiled.
"So it's final," he said. "Whatever happened… we'll call it even. And from now on, we start again."
I wiped the remaining tears from my face.
"Okay," I said. "From today… we start again."
His smile widened.
"So, monkey," he said teasingly, "did you eat anything today?"
I rolled my eyes.
"How could I," I said dramatically, "when a horoscope is wasting my time?"
"Don't you dare call me that."
"I will. You call me monkey."
"Jay Jay…"
"Aries."
He shook his head in disbelief.
"You are impossible."
"Whatever," I shrugged. "But right now I'm hungry."
I clasped my hands together and looked at him with puppy eyes.
"Please, Aries… feed me."
He stared at me suspiciously.
"No. You'll empty my wallet."
I leaned closer and whined dramatically.
"Kuya Ari… pleaaase."
He groaned, clearly defeated.
"Fine. Let's go."
I immediately jumped up from the bench.
"Yay! Thank you, horoscope!"
"Jay Jay—"
"Come on!" I grabbed his sleeve and started pulling him. "Let's go! Don't waste time!"
Aries sighed as he followed me, but I could see the small smile on his face.
For the first time in a long while…
things finally felt okay again.
We walked toward the small café near the school.
The place was simple but cozy. The smell of coffee and freshly cooked food filled the air the moment we stepped inside.
I immediately grabbed a seat near the window.
Aries looked at me suspiciously.
"You look way too excited," he said while sitting across from me.
"Because I am," I replied innocently.
A waiter came to our table.
Before Aries could even open the menu, I already started ordering.
"One chicken sandwich… one burger… fries… iced coffee… and chocolate cake."
Aries slowly looked up from the menu.
"Jay Jay…"
"Yes?"
"You said you were hungry, not starving for three months."
I ignored him and continued.
"And one milkshake."
The waiter nodded and walked away.
Aries leaned back in his chair and stared at me.
"My wallet is crying right now."
I grinned.
"You said you forgave me. This is part of the healing process."
He rubbed his temples.
"I knew I shouldn't have melted when you called me Kuya Ari."
I laughed.
For the first time in a long time, everything felt light.
After we finished eating, we walk straight toward Aries' car.
We both got inside the car. The door shut with a soft click.
For a moment, Aries didn't start the engine. Instead, he turned his head and looked directly at me.
"Jay Jay," he said.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"I already answered your questions," he said calmly. "Now it's your turn."
I sighed slightly.
"Fine. Ask."
His expression immediately became serious.
"Why were you with Percy?"
I hesitated for a second.
"Aries…" I said slowly, "…actually, he's my stepbrother."
Aries blinked.
Then his eyes widened.
"Huh?!" he almost shouted. "What the hell?! How?!"
I looked at him calmly.
"We share the same father."
For a moment, Aries just stared at me like his brain had completely stopped working.
"I… still can't believe it," he muttered.
I shrugged.
"You don't really have a choice."
He shook his head like he was trying to process everything.
"Okay… fine," he said. "Then where are you staying right now?"
"And how did you get those investors to invest in our company?"
"And those custody papers… how did you get them?"
"And—"
"Breathe, horoscope," I interrupted.
He stopped mid-sentence.
"Breathe," I repeated.
I smiled slightly.
"For all your questions… I have only one answer."
He looked suspicious.
"What answer?"
"Come to my house tomorrow," I said. "Percy will be there too."
Aries frowned.
"Wait… why does Percy need to be there?"
I looked straight at him.
"Because you both are my brothers," I said softly. "That's why I want you two to meet someone."
His eyebrows furrowed.
"Who?"
I leaned back in my seat.
"Aries," I said calmly, "you've already asked too many questions."
"Just be patient."
"Come tomorrow. I'll send you the location."
He stared at me for a moment, clearly annoyed but also curious.
"But you never answer my messages," he complained. "Do you even have that phone anymore?"
"Or did you just throw it away?"
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Well…"
"I did."
Aries stared at me in disbelief.
"But here," I quickly added, pulling out my phone. "This is my new number. Save it."
He sighed dramatically while taking the number.
"You are unbelievable."
After that, we drove back to school.
The ride was quiet, but it wasn't the uncomfortable silence from before.
This one felt… peaceful.
When the car stopped in front of the school gate, I stepped out and closed the door.
As I walked toward the building, a small smile appeared on my face.
Because finally…
I got my brother back.