Keifer's POV
My upper back and shoulders were still incredibly stiff from the absolute disaster of last night. Sneaking into my own house through a lower kitchen window shouldn't have resulted in a full-scale family assault, but my brothers and Jay apparently had the reaction times of feral cats when they thought a burglar was breaching the perimeter.
Every single muscle in my upper torso protested with a sharp, dull ache whenever I shifted my weight on the living room sofa. Still, that physical discomfort was absolutely nothing compared to the chaotic, loud headache currently occupying our main living space
Section E crowded around the large glass coffee table, leaning in close and whispering like a bunch of gossiping schoolgirls.
Denzel was grinning so wide his cheeks looked like they were about to split right in two. Next to him, Yuri was smirking, occasionally glancing over at Jane, whose eyes were practically sparkling with some massive secret she was clearly dying to share with the rest of the room.
The atmosphere was thick with mischief, and it was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Then, the heavy wood of the grand staircase creaked.
Every single head in the room snapped toward the noise in perfect, creepy unison. I braced my forearms against the plush back of the sofa, shifting slightly so I could watch as Jay made her way down the last few steps.
She looked exhausted, her skin still a little pale, but she was in significantly better shape than she had been earlier this morning when the severe menstrual cramps had her curled into a tight, miserable ball on the cushions.
She stopped abruptly at the bottom of the staircase, her eyes narrowing into a sharp, dangerous squint as she slowly scanned the entire room.
She wasn't stupid. She took one single look at the overly innocent, incredibly guilty expressions plastered across everyone's faces and immediately crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
"What did you all do?" Jay asked, her voice dripping with pure suspicion.
Jane didn't even attempt to hide her amusement or deny the accusation. She just let out a high-pitched, mocking giggle and looked away, burying her face slightly against Yuri's shoulder to hide her growing smile.
"Nothing, Jay-jay. We're just sitting here, enjoying the quiet morning. Right, boys?"
"Nothing my foot," Jay snapped, stepping completely off the stairs and into the main living area. "I know you way too well, Jane. You did something. You always do that specific, annoying laugh when you've set some kind of trap."
Nobody moved. Nobody dared to say a single word. Drew looked like he was actively trying to swallow his own tongue just to keep from laughing out loud at the tension.
Jay's eyes flicked around the room, dismissing the older boys entirely within a second before landing squarely on the weakest link in our entire chain. She looked directly at Cin.
Cin froze instantly under her intense gaze. He blinked rapidly, shifting his feet uncomfortably against the polished floorboards. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding truck.
"Cin," Jay said, her voice suddenly dropping into a sweet, drippingly manipulative purr that signaled immediate danger for anyone who listened to it. "I will give you a whole bar of that imported dark chocolate you really like from the pantry. Just tell me what she did."
Cin's eyes widened to the size of saucers. You could practically see the physical gears turning inside his head as the promise of premium candy battled his fierce loyalty to Jane.
The chocolate was winning. His mouth opened, a single syllable about to escape his lips. "Well, she—"
Smack.
Jane's hand flew out with lightning speed, clamping firmly and violently over Cin's mouth and nose before he could utter another sound.
"Don't you dare, you absolute traitor!" Jane hissed, glare-locking him into complete silence. Cin muffled out a loud, pathetic protest against her palm, his eyes pleading with the rest of Section E for immediate rescue.
"Jane, leave him alone!" Jay yelled, taking another aggressive step forward. "Tell me, Cin! Don't let her bully you."
Around them, the rest of the Section E boys couldn't take the pressure anymore. Keiren and Keigan were hidden behind the marble kitchen island, their shoulders shaking violently with silent laughter. Felix was snorting loudly into his shirt sleeve.
The sheer absurdity of the morning was reaching its absolute peak, and I just sat there against the couch, watching the entire show play out.
I was completely unbothered by the rising noise level, but I was deeply amused by how quickly Jay could command an entire room of idiots just by raising her voice.
Before the chocolate bribery could turn into a physical brawl between Jane and Jay, the sharp, clear, echoing ring of the front door bell cut through the mansion.
The living room instantly fell dead silent. Jane slowly let go of Cin's face, a massive, victorious grin spreading across her lips. Cin gasped loudly for air, rubbing his red nose, but Jay didn't even notice his suffering. Her head snapped instantly toward the front foyer.
Our main maid, Tita Maria, moved quickly from the dining hall to unlock and open the heavy wooden double doors. The very moment the lock clicked and the door swung open, a high-pitched, incredibly loud screech completely shattered the silence of the Watson Mansion.
"BABYYYYYYYYYY!"
A bright blur of colorful clothing and flying hair burst through the doorway like a whirlwind.
Before Jay could even register the loud sound or protect herself, a girl came running into the living room at full, uncontainable speed. She didn't slow down for anyone. She launched herself directly at Jay like a heat-seeking missile.
The impact was total and chaotic. Jay let out an audible, breathless oof as the girl collided forcefully with her chest, the sheer momentum sending both of them crashing backward onto the polished wooden floor.
They hit the ground in a messy, undignified heap of limbs, flying hair, and immediate laughter.
My heart did a weird, sudden, violent jolt right behind my ribs. I half-stood up from the sofa, my muscles tensing as my eyes tracked Jay to make sure she hadn't cracked her head against the hard floorboards. But as I looked closer, Jay wasn't hurting at all.
She was lying flat on her back, looking up at the girl pinned to her torso, and a massive, beautiful laugh broke across her face.
It was the loudest, most unburdened, genuinely happy laugh I had heard from her last night.
Jay looked past the girl's shoulder, catching Jane's smug, satisfied expression. "I like the surprise, Ate," Jay said, her voice breathless from the fall but completely happy.
Slowly, the two girls scrambled up from the floor, though the new newcomer absolutely refused to let go of Jay's waist.
The second they were relatively steady on their feet, the girl cupped Jay's face tightly in both of her hands. Without an ounce of hesitation or warning, she began planting loud, sloppy, aggressive kisses right onto Jay's cheeks.
Smooch. Smooch.
"You know how much I missed you?!" the girl whined loudly, her lips still pressed tightly against Jay's skin. "You didn't even text me back! I was literally dying over there. I thought you got a new boyfriend and forgot all about me!"
A sudden, sharp, uncomfortable heat flared up violently behind my ribs.
My jaw clenched so hard my back teeth actually ached. I stared fixedly at the girl's hands on Jay's face. Why the hell was she kissing her like that? And why was Jay just standing there, letting her do it without kicking her off or pushing her away?
It was a weird, deeply irritating sensation that twisted tightly in my stomach, turning colder and sharper by the second. Jealousy.
The word hit me like a physical slap in the face, but I couldn't deny it to myself anymore. I didn't like some random girl covering Jay in kisses, and I definitely didn't like the word boyfriend coming out of her mouth in direct relation to Jay. It annoyed me to my very core.
Jay just sighed, a fond, slightly exasperated expression taking over her face as she gently pushed the girl's face an inch away from her. "Missed you too, Ava. Stop exaggerating so much. You're making a scene."
From the side, Jane let out a loud, highly deliberate, fake cough, successfully gaining everyone's attention and breaking the weird, stunned spell over the room.
Ava finally let go of Jay's waist, her eyes lighting up instantly as she noticed Jane standing there. She bounded over like an energetic puppy, throwing her arms around Jane in a massive, lifting hug.
" Jane! Thank you so much for the ride from the station! You're the best!"
Jay cleared her throat, rubbing her sore arms as she gestured toward the girl who was now bouncing excitedly on her heels. "Everyone, this is Ava. My best friend from back home."
Ava turned back around to face the crowded living room, her arm instantly looping tightly through Jay's again. She looked at Jay, then back at the massive group of boys, and let out a dramatic, deeply theatrical sigh. She leaned her head heavily against Jay's shoulder, looking out at us with a triumphant expression.
"My first boyfriend," Ava announced proudly to the entire room. "My baby."
My brain completely short-circuited.
First boyfriend?
The burning heat in my stomach turned into a full-blown, raging forest fire within a fraction of a second. I stared hard at Ava, then at Jay, who was just rolling her eyes toward the ceiling like this was a completely normal, everyday occurrence.
My mind raced through a thousand different scenarios, none of them pleasant, trying to figure out the exact nature of their past.
Yuri was already staring directly at me from across the table, his eyes wide with absolute mischief, clearly waiting to see my internal explosion.
I couldn't help myself. The words left my mouth before I could filter them through any form of common sense.
"Great. Just what we needed," I muttered loud enough for the entire room to hear, crossing my arms tightly over my chest as I glared at the duo.
Others burst out laughing, clapping a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. Yuri chuckled softly, shaking his head at my obvious, painfully transparent irritation, while Jay's cheeks instantly flared with a sudden, deep pink hue.
Ava, completely oblivious to the silent, territorial crisis she was causing in my head, broke away from Jay and finally noticed Ma standing near the kitchen entrance holding a large pitcher of fresh juice.
Ava's face lit up with pure joy. She marched right over, completely bypassing the intimidating wall of Section E boys like we were made of glass.
"You must be Tita Serina!" Ava said, her voice full of genuine warmth. "Jay told me so much about you in her messages. You're even prettier than she described!"
Before my mother could even set the heavy glass pitcher down safely on the counter, Ava wrapped her arms tightly around her waist in a tight, affectionate hug.
Ma blinked in complete surprise, her hands hovering in the air for a second, but a soft, motherly smile quickly took over her features.
She patted Ava's back gently. "Oh, baby. It is so nice to meet you at last."
After finally releasing my mother, Ava turned her attention back to the rest of the room.
She bounded over to Keiren and Keigan, giving them an enthusiastic wave and a quick, polite greeting, which my twin brothers returned with slightly dazed, overwhelmed nods.
Then, her sharp, assessing eyes scanned the rest of the Section E lineup. They lingered on Yuri for a long, quiet moment.
A wicked, deeply knowing grin spread slowly across Ava's face. She stepped a few inches closer to him, tilted her head, and crossed her arms. "Wait a minute. You're Jane's man, right?"
The room went dead silent for a fraction of a second before Rory let out a loud, piercing howl of laughter that echoed off the walls.
Yuri, who usually remained completely cool, calm, and collected under literally any terrifying circumstance, completely froze.
Slowly, a dark, heavy red flush crept up from his collar, turning the tips of his ears bright crimson.
Next to him, Jane turned completely pink, suddenly finding the intricate pattern on the living room rug incredibly fascinating to look at.
Ava grinned triumphantly, shifting her weight to one hip. "Oh, look whose blushing! I knew it. Jane's long messages didn't do you justice, but that reaction definitely confirms everything I needed to know."
Before Yuri could even begin to recover his stolen dignity, Ava turned her entire body fully toward me. Her eyes narrowed playfully, assessing my posture from head to toe with a critical gaze.
A small, mocking smirk danced on her lips. "And you... you must be the Kings of Uplongs."
The title hit the room like a physical shockwave.
My eyebrows shot up instantly. Next to me, the rest of Section E suddenly stopped laughing. The humor vanished from their faces in an instant. Every single boy in the room slowly, deliberately turned their head, their gazes locking onto Jay with absolute, burning intensity.
Jay froze completely. She looked around at the sudden, heavy, dangerous silence, realizing she had been completely exposed by her best friend's big mouth.
Slowly, she pulled her shoulders up toward her ears, offering the room a tiny, incredibly fake, innocent smile. She shrugged her shoulders weakly as if to say, 'What? It's a true title.'
Before I could even step forward and demand a full, detailed explanation for whatever ridiculous, embarrassing stories she had been telling her best friend about our group, Ava spun back around and grabbed Jay firmly by both shoulders.
"Anyway! Baby, I'm here for a whole week, and I am officially sticking to you like glue. No exceptions. We have so much catching up to do, and you're all mine."
"Hold on just a damn second!"
Cin lunged forward out of nowhere, his competitive side taking over. He grabbed Jay's left arm, pulling her back toward the sofa with considerable force.
"No way! She is my best friend . She's supposed to hang out with me . We had concrete plans to test out the new console games this morning!"
"Hey! She's my Ate!" Keiren shouted, jumping right into the middle of the fray. He grabbed Jay's other arm, pulling her back in the opposite direction toward the kitchen. "She promised she'd help me sort out my project details this morning. Get in line, Ate Ava! Family-ish rights come first!"
Within three seconds, a full-blown, chaotic tug-of-war broke out right in the middle of our polished living room.
Ava was pulling tightly on Jay's waist from behind, Cin was tugging her left arm toward the couch, and Keiren was pulling her right arm toward the stairs, all of them loudly shouting over one another about who had historical custody over Jay's precious free time.
Jay's face went from amused to highly annoyed, then straight into incredibly dangerous territory. Her eyes darkened significantly, her jaw clenching tightly as she was shaken violently back and forth like a rag doll between the three of them.
"For fucking sake, STOP IT!" Jay roared.
The sheer volume and raw power of her voice bounced off the high, vaulted ceilings of the mansion, echoing through the corridors.
Instantly, everyone froze in mid-motion. Ava let go of her waist immediately, raising her hands high in complete surrender. Cin dropped her left arm as if the skin had suddenly turned into white-hot, burning metal, and Keiren took a cautious, trembling step backward, shutting his mouth tight.
The entire room stood completely still, nobody daring to take a single breath as Jay glared at them with pure, unadulterated fire in her eyes.
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Jay's POV
My arms felt like they had been violently stretched an extra two inches by those absolute idiots. I stood breathing heavily in the exact center of the living room, my chest heaving up and down as
I glared daggers at Cin, Keiren, and Ava. They were all looking back at me with wide, guilty, pathetic puppy-dog eyes, but I was way past the point of being charmed or manipulated by their expressions.
My stomach was still incredibly tender and sore from the cramps earlier, my head ached from the sheer volume of Section E's endless morning banter, and now I was being pulled apart like a Thanksgiving wishbone.
Without saying another single word to any of them, I turned sharply on my heel and marched away from the living room. I needed exactly five minutes of absolute, uninterrupted silence before I ended up losing my mind and throwing a heavy crystal vase at someone's head.
I stomped loudly down the long, quiet hallway that led away from the main foyer and toward the secondary guest wings and private study rooms.
The chaotic noise from the main living area slowly faded into a dull, distant hum behind my back. I took a deep, shuddering breath, letting my tense shoulders drop as the cool, air-conditioned air of the quiet corridor washed over my burning skin. I just needed to calm down.
Suddenly, a heavy, iron-like grip clamped tightly around my upper arm.
Before a single sound or scream could even leave my throat, I was violently and smoothly dragged sideways. The world spun around me for a split second as I was pulled straight into one of the smaller, dimly lit storage rooms lining the side of the hall.
The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind us with a sharp, final, terrifying sound.
My instinct exploded violently in my chest.
My survival instincts kicked in instantly, and I opened my mouth wide to ask which bastard was this .
But before the sound could even clear my lips, a large, warm, heavy hand came clapping down firmly and securely over my mouth, sealing the noise completely inside my throat. The broad palm smelled faintly of the dark chocolate from earlier this morning and a clean, familiar, intoxicating scent of cedarwood soap.
"Shh. Quiet down," a deep, rough, rumbling voice murmured right against the sensitive skin of my ear.
My eyes quickly adjusted to the dim, shadowed light of the small storage room. Standing directly over me, pinning my back completely against the hard wood of the closed door, was Keifer.
His broad chest was rising and falling slightly, his dark, intense eyes looking down at me with a level of concentration and heat that made my breath hitch instantly in my throat.
I glared at him with all the fury I could muster, my heart hammering like a trapped bird against my ribs from the sudden scare. I reached up quickly, grabbing his thick wrist with both of my hands and violently yanking his palm away from my face.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I hissed at him, keeping my voice as low as humanly possible but packing it with pure fury. "Are you completely insane? You would have got a bruise near your jaw !"
Keifer didn't flinch or back away even an inch. Instead, a slow, dangerous, incredibly attractive grin spread across his face, his dark eyes dropping down to my lips for a fraction of a second before rising back up to meet my furious gaze. "
You cursed downstairs, wifey. Right in front of me , my mother and everyone else."
I rolled my eyes dramatically, trying to plant my palms against his broad chest to push him away and create some desperate space between our bodies.
He felt like a solid, immovable brick wall; he didn't shift a single millimeter. "So what?
They were trying to pull my arms off! And stop calling me that word. I've told you a thousand times, I'm not your wifey—"
The rest of the sentence died completely in my throat.
Keifer leaned down with terrifying, lightning speed, cutting off my words entirely. His lips met mine in a sudden, crashing, heavy impact that sent a jolt of pure, unadulterated electricity straight down my spine and directly to my toes.
This wasn't a gentle, comforting, or soft kiss like the quiet, hesitant moments we had shared in the past when I was vulnerable.
It was hot. It was incredibly intense. His lips moved against mine with a fierce, demanding, heavy pressure that felt entirely possessive, as if he was actively staking a physical claim on me in that very moment, erasing every single drop of my previous irritation and every single mention of Ava or anyone else from my mind.
My hands, which had been resting firmly against his chest to push him away, completely lost every ounce of their strength.
My fingers curled helplessly into the fabric of his shirt, gripping the material tightly just to keep myself upright as my knees turned to absolute, weak jelly.
The sheer heat of his mouth was completely overwhelming, consuming every single coherent thought in my head until the entire universe shrank down to just the feeling of his lips moving against mine and the heavy, intoxicating weight of his body pressing me firmly into the hard wood of the door.
He deepened the kiss for one final, breathless, heart-stopping second, his thumb sweeping roughly along my jawline, before he slowly, reluctantly pulled his face away.I gasped loudly for air, my chest heaving up and down as I fought desperately to get oxygen back into my starved lungs.
My mind was completely blank, spinning around in useless circles. I could only stare straight up at him, my eyes wide and dilated, my vision slightly blurry, completely dazed and ruined by the sheer force of what had just happened between us.
Keifer stayed incredibly close, his heavy breath warm and ragged against my flushed cheek. He leaned down slightly further, his gaze dropping heavily to my mouth again, a dark, deeply satisfied, victorious glint in his eyes.
"Next time, don't wear lip gloss," he whispered against my skin, his voice low, gravelly, and incredibly rough. "It tempts me to kiss you."
A sudden, furious, scorching blush exploded violently across my entire face, turning my cheeks scalding hot within a second. I couldn't even form a single coherent word or sentence to snap back at him or defend myself. My brain was offline.
Keifer let out a low, deeply amused chuckle, entirely pleased with the absolute state he had left me in. He stepped back smoothly, releasing my arms from his trap, and reached behind him to open the storage room door.
Without looking back at me a single time, he slipped quietly out into the brightly lit hallway, leaving me standing completely alone in the dim room.
I stood there for what felt like a lifetime, my back still pressed tightly against the wall, my trembling fingers slowly rising up to touch my tingling, swollen lips. My heart was beating so incredibly loud I was certain the people all the way downstairs could hear the rhythm.
That absolute, arrogant, unbelievable idiot. I squeezed my eyes shut, my face burning brighter and hotter by the second as the heavy, phantom feeling of his mouth lingered stubbornly on mine, completely shattering whatever peace of mind I had left for the rest of the day.
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A/n
Guys the next chapter is going to janri moment... I hope you all are excited for the next chapter
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