Jay’s POV The heavy atmosphere didn’t last forever.
It never did around people like Section E.
Within minutes, someone cracked a joke, someone else laughed, and the tension slowly dissolved as though it had never existed in the first place.
Kate, being the social butterfly she had always been, recovered the fastest.
Whatever awkwardness she’d accidentally created earlier had already vanished from her mind.
She wandered from one person to another with genuine curiosity, asking questions without a single ounce of hesitation.
“So…
who’s the funniest?” she asked, looking around the group.
Felix immediately pointed at himself.
“Obviously me.” “No.” Rory pointed at Blaster.
“It’s definitely him.” Blaster scoffed dramatically.
“I appreciate the recognition.” Kate giggled.
“You all argue a lot.” “We’re a dysfunctional family,” Felix answered with a shrug.
“I can see that.” Another round of laughter echoed through the mansion.
Meanwhile, the maids quietly wheeled in trays of sandwiches, pastries, fries, cookies, fruit, and several glasses of juice, carefully arranging everything across the enormous coffee table.
That…
Was the biggest mistake they could have made.
The second the food touched the table…
Section E attacked.
“There are waffles!” “Move!” “I saw them first!” “Felix, that’s my sandwich!” “You snooze, you lose!” “I CALL THE FRIES!” Within seconds, every single one of them had surrounded the table like a pack of starving wolves.
Hands reached from every direction as cookies, fries, sandwiches, and pastries disappeared at an alarming rate.
Rory had somehow managed to grab two plates at once, Blaster already had his mouth full before anyone else sat down, and Cin…
Cin had somehow collected enough food to feed an entire family.
Not one of them…
Not a single one…
Had asked for permission.
I stared.
“…Seriously?” Felix looked up while stuffing half a sandwich into his mouth.
“What?” “You people didn’t even ask.” “We assumed you loved us enough to share.” “You assumed wrong.” Cin looked genuinely offended.
“You would deny hungry students?” “I absolutely would.” “A tragedy.” Kate watched the entire scene with wide, fascinated eyes before bursting into laughter.
“You guys eat faster than Kuya Marcus!” “I take that as a compliment,” Cin replied proudly before grabbing another cookie.
Even the maids standing near the doorway struggled to hide their amusement.
One of them quietly whispered to another, “They’re certainly…
energetic.” “I think ‘chaotic’ is a better word,” the other maid whispered back.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“They’re going to empty my kitchen…” “They absolutely are,” one maid answered sympathetically.
As everyone continued arguing over food, Kate happily joined them, laughing every time Felix and Rory fought over the last cookie or when Blaster secretly stole fries from Drew’s plate.
It was…
nice.
Seeing her smile like that.
She’d always made friends effortlessly.
Marcus never had.
My smile slowly disappeared as my eyes searched the room.
He was still standing exactly where I’d last seen him.
Away from everyone else.
The game controller still hung loosely from his hand.
His shoulders remained tense.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles beneath his skin were visibly rigid.
He hadn’t touched the food.
He hadn’t spoken to anyone.
He hadn’t even looked in their direction again.
Instead…
He was looking at me.
Not angrily.
Not accusingly.
Just…
Quietly disappointed.
That expression hurt more than I cared to admit.
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat before taking a slow step toward him.
“Marcus…” My voice wasn’t loud.
It didn’t need to be.
The moment his name left my lips…
The laughter behind me gradually faded.
One by one, the conversations stopped.
Felix lowered the cookie he’d been about to eat.
Cin paused halfway through stealing another sandwich.
Even Blaster looked away from the food.
Almost instinctively…
The entire room turned toward us.
Every pair of eyes shifted between Marcus…
…and me.
Marcus didn’t answer.
He didn’t even acknowledge that I’d spoken.
I forced a small smile.
“Marcus…” I called again, a little softer this time.
“We can still play later.” Nothing.
He remained completely still.
For one brief second…
I honestly thought he might respond.
Instead, he slowly lowered his gaze before turning around.
Without saying a single word.
Without looking back.
He walked toward the staircase.
Each step was calm.
Controlled.
But I knew Marcus well enough to recognize when he was upset.
His shoulders were rigid.
His fists were clenched around the controller.
His jaw never relaxed.
“Marcus…” I called one last time.
Please.
Just look at me.
Just once.
He didn’t.
He continued walking up the staircase until he disappeared around the corner.
A second later…
Click.
The quiet sound of his bedroom door closing echoed through the mansion.
The entire living room remained silent.
Nobody reached for the food anymore.
Nobody joked.
Nobody laughed.
Even Cin slowly lowered the cookie in his hand.
From across the room, I caught Keifer watching the staircase.
There wasn’t the usual arrogance on his face.
No smirk.
No teasing.
His expression had hardened, but not with anger.
With realization.
His eyes slowly shifted toward me.
Then back toward the closed bedroom door.
Something in his gaze seemed…
unsettled.
As though he’d finally understood that Marcus hadn’t been ignoring everyone else.
He’d been hurt by me.
Keifer’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
For the first time since he’d arrived…
He looked like he wanted to say something.
Instead…
He remained silent.
And somehow…
That silence spoke louder than any words could have.
************************************************************* Marcus’s POV I’d been looking forward to today all week.
For once, Ate wasn’t buried under paperwork.
She wasn’t answering endless phone calls or rushing out because someone needed her.
Last night, she’d smiled at me and Kate and promised, “Tomorrow is ours.
No work.
No Section E.
No phones.
Just the three of us.” I’d believed her.
Maybe that was my mistake.
I practically flew down the stairs with the game controller in my hand, already thinking about which game we’d play first.
I knew Ate would complain about losing, Kate would cheer for whichever one of us was winning, and we’d probably end up ordering pizza halfway through the day.
It sounded perfect.
“Ate, let’s play video ga—” I stopped.
There were people.
A lot of people.
Standing inside our living room.
For a second, my brain refused to process what I was seeing.
My eyes slowly moved from one face to another.
Felix.
Rory.
Blaster.
Cin.
Drew.
Denzel.
Yuri.
Keifer.
The excitement I’d been feeling disappeared so fast it almost made me dizzy.
They were here.
Section E.
The same people who always seemed to occupy Ate’s time lately.
The same people who made her come home late.
The same people she talked about during dinner without even realizing it.
The same people who had slowly taken pieces of the time that used to belong to me and Kate.
My fingers tightened around the controller.
So…
This was our sibling day.
I looked at Ate.
She smiled nervously, almost guiltily.
She knew.
She knew exactly why I wasn’t saying anything.
Because if I opened my mouth…
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop.
Kate came running downstairs a moment later.
Of course she smiled.
She smiled at everyone.
That was just who she was.
Within minutes she was talking to them like they’d known each other forever.
I couldn’t understand how she did it.
How could she forget so quickly?
Didn’t she remember?
Didn’t she remember Ate promising today was ours?
While Kate laughed with them, I stayed where I was.
Nobody noticed.
Or maybe they did.
I honestly didn’t care.
The maids wheeled in trays of food, and before they had even finished placing everything on the table, Section E rushed toward it like a pack of wild animals.
Not one of them asked.
Not one of them waited.
Cin had already grabbed two sandwiches.
Felix was reaching for cookies.
Blaster had somehow claimed the fries.
They argued over waffles.
They stole food off each other’s plates.
The entire living room filled with laughter.
It was like they belonged here.
That bothered me more than it should have.
This was our house.
Not theirs.
I looked toward Ate again.
She wasn’t laughing.
She was watching me.
I quickly looked away.
If I met her eyes…
I’d probably forgive her.
And I wasn’t ready to do that yet.
“Marcus…” My name echoed softly across the room.
Every conversation stopped.
I could actually feel everyone looking at me.
I didn’t turn around.
“Marcus…” She sounded…
hopeful.
Like she thought I’d answer.
Like everything could still be fixed with one conversation.
But it couldn’t.
Not right now.
Because every time I looked at her…
All I could remember was last night.
“Tomorrow is ours.” Promises weren’t supposed to be broken.
Especially by the one person you trusted the most. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
I lowered my head.
I didn’t want to embarrass Ate in front of her friends.
I didn’t want to yell.
I didn’t want Kate to see us arguing.
So I chose the only thing I could.
Silence.
I turned around and started walking toward the staircase.
Behind me, I heard Ate call my name one last time.
“Marcus…” My steps faltered for the briefest moment.
Part of me wanted to turn around.
Part of me wanted to run back, hug her, and pretend none of this had happened.
Because she was still my Ate.
The person who had raised me.
The person who stayed awake whenever I was sick.
The person who worked herself to exhaustion just so Kate and I could have everything we needed.
I loved her.
More than anyone.
Maybe…
That was exactly why this hurt so much.
I climbed the stairs without looking back.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
By the time I reached my room, my jaw hurt from clenching it so hard.
I quietly closed the door behind me.
Click.
The sound was soft.
Almost gentle.
I rested my forehead against the door and closed my eyes.
The laughter from downstairs was faint now.
Kate was probably still talking to them.
Ate was probably trying to act like everything was normal.
I wasn’t angry at Section E.
Not really.
They didn’t know.
They didn’t know today was supposed to be ours.
They didn’t know Ate had promised.
But…
I wished…
Just for one day…
They had stayed away.
*********************************************** Jay’s POV If someone had told me this morning that my quiet sibling day would somehow turn into Section E invading my mansion, raiding my kitchen, arguing over homework, and treating my living room like it belonged to them, I would’ve laughed.
Now…
I wasn’t so sure.
The living room had transformed into complete chaos.
Books were scattered across the coffee table, notebooks lay open in every direction, and half the cushions had somehow ended up on the floor.
Pens rolled beneath the couches every few minutes because someone inevitably knocked one over, while several maids quietly walked around everyone with practiced patience, serving drinks before disappearing again.
They looked completely unbothered, though every now and then I caught one of them trying very hard not to laugh.
I sat cross-legged on the carpet with my textbook resting on the coffee table, trying—actually trying—to study.
Unfortunately…
I was surrounded by Section E.
Which meant studying was practically impossible.
“…Can someone explain this question?” Felix sighed dramatically, tapping his pencil against his notebook.
“I’ve read it five times and somehow it’s getting more confusing.” Rory looked over from across the table before deadpanning, “Maybe because you’re reading the Biology chapter while solving a Math problem.” Felix blinked.
He slowly looked down at his book.
“…That would explain a lot.” The room erupted into laughter.
“Oh my God,” Drew muttered, rubbing his forehead.
“I prefer academically misunderstood.” “No,” Yuri answered without looking up from his notebook.
“You’re just an idiot.” I couldn’t help smiling.
It had barely been twenty minutes, yet they’d somehow spent more time teasing each other than actually studying.
Across from me, Blaster and Denzel had started arguing over whose handwriting looked worse, while Rory had quietly stolen Felix’s eraser just to annoy him.
“My eraser.” “What eraser?” “The one you’re using!” “Oh.” Rory looked down innocently.
“…This eraser?” “Give it back.” “No.” “I’m serious.” “So am I.” Felix lunged across the table.
Rory immediately leaned away laughing while everyone else watched the two wrestle over a five-rupee eraser as though it were priceless.
“They’re children,” I muttered.
“They’re your friends,” Yuri corrected.
“I never said I claimed them.” “I heard that!” Felix yelled from across the room.
“Good.” More laughter followed.
Beside me, Keifer quietly shook his head before returning his attention to his notebook.
Unlike everyone else, he was actually trying to study.
Every now and then, he’d lean over slightly, glance at my answers, and wordlessly circle one of my mistakes with his pen before sliding the notebook back toward me.
I looked down.
“…I forgot the negative sign.” “You forgot three.” “…You counted?” “I had nothing better to do.” I rolled my eyes.
“You could’ve just said thank you.” “I didn’t ask for your help.” “You still needed it.” “…Cocky.” He smirked.
“A little.” For some reason…
I smiled.
Before either of us could say anything else— “Ate!” I turned toward the familiar voice.
Kate was sitting on the rug surrounded by crayons, colored pencils, and drawing paper.
Her tongue poked out slightly as she concentrated on whatever masterpiece she was creating.
“What is it?” “Look!” he proudly held up the drawing.
I stared at it.
“Why is my head so big?” “It matches your ego.” The room exploded into laughter.
“My ego isn’t that big.” “It is.” “No, it isn’t.” “It definitely is,” Felix interrupted.
“I wasn’t asking you.” “I answered anyway.” Kate giggled happily before returning to her drawing.
Barely two minutes passed.
“Ate!” “What now?” “Does my sun look cool?” I looked over again.
I blinked “…Why is it wearing sunglasses?” “Because it’s sunny.” “That’s…” I paused.
“…Actually fair.” She grinned proudly.
“I’m an artist.” Cin looked over from the couch.
“No, Kate.” She frowned.
She frowned.
“…No?” “You’re a genius.” She beamed.
“Thank you!” Five more minutes.
“Ate!” The entire room laughed before I even answered.
“What happened now?” “I made Kuya into a potato.” She held up another drawing.
Marcus…
Really did look like a potato.
The evening continued exactly like that.
Every ten minutes we tried studying.
Every ten minutes someone got distracted.
Cin eventually balanced two pencils under his nose.
Blaster began seeing how many grapes he could throw into Rory’s mouth.
Denzel somehow convinced Drew to race him through an entire practice exam.
Felix declared he deserved a snack every time he solved one question.
“You’ve solved three.” “Exactly.” “You’ve eaten twelve cookies.” “My brain consumes calories.” “Your stomach consumes everything.” Even Keifer let out the smallest laugh.
Not loud.
Just enough for me to notice.
It suited him.
More than I expected.
Before long, the rich aroma of freshly cooked food drifted through the mansion.
Roasted chicken.
Freshly baked bread.
Garlic butter.
Soup.
Pasta.
The smell alone was enough to make everyone’s stomach growl.
Every conversation stopped simultaneously.
Like a pack of predators sensing prey…
Every head slowly turned toward the dining room.
“…Don’t,” I warned.
Cin looked at me innocently.
The maids had barely finished placing the last serving dish onto the enormous dining table before absolute chaos erupted.
“I CALL THE CHICKEN!” “HEY!
I SAW IT FIRST!” “WHO TOOK MY SPOON?!” “THAT’S MY GARLIC BREAD!” “CIN!” “I WAS HERE FIRST!” Before I could even react, Section E practically swarmed the table.
Felix somehow reached the roasted chicken first despite standing at the opposite end of the room.
Rory immediately tried stealing a drumstick from Felix’s plate, earning himself an indignant shove.
Blaster casually reached over and stole fries directly off Rory’s tray as though it were the most natural thing in the world, while Denzel, without an ounce of shame, picked up an entire basket of bread and placed it beside his own plate before anyone else could touch it.
And then there was Cin.
I stared.
His plate…
No.
His mountain.
Rice, pasta, chicken, bread, fries, vegetables, dessert…
I wasn’t entirely convinced there was any space left on the plate itself.
Gravity seemed to be the only thing holding the entire structure together.
“…Cin.” He looked up, cheeks already stuffed with food.
“What?” I pointed at his plate.
“That’s enough food for six people.” He looked down thoughtfully before shrugging.
“I believe in being prepared.” “You believe in eating my monthly grocery budget.” He smiled without a hint of shame.
“Same thing.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“I don’t know why I let you people into my house.” “Because deep down,” Felix said while reaching for another piece of chicken, “you’re generous.” “No.” “Kind?” “No.” “Loving?” “Absolutely not.” Kate giggled so hard beside me that she nearly knocked over her glass of juice.
“You guys are so funny!” “They’re embarrassing,” I corrected, though the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me.
Even the maids had given up pretending to be professional.
One quietly leaned toward the butler and whispered something that made him smile politely before he simply nodded.
“They certainly make the house livelier,” she murmured.
“Indeed,” the butler replied, his usual composed expression softening ever so slightly as he watched Section E argue over the last dinner roll.
For a little while, the dining room was filled with nothing but laughter.
Someone accused Rory of stealing food.
Felix insisted he was innocent despite having three extra pieces of chicken mysteriously appear on his plate.
Cin somehow convinced Blaster to trade desserts before immediately regretting the decision and demanding a refund.
Everyone talked over one another so loudly that it became impossible to follow a single conversation.
It was chaotic.
Messy.
Ridiculous.
…And strangely warm.
Then my eyes drifted toward the empty chair beside Kate.
Marcus.
The laughter around me slowly faded into distant background noise.
His place remained untouched.
The neatly folded napkin was exactly where it had been when the maids prepared the table.
His glass of juice remained full.
Even his favorite dish had gone untouched.
A knot slowly formed in my stomach.
I hadn’t seen him since he’d gone upstairs.
Had he eaten?
Was he still angry?
Or…
Had I hurt him more than I realized?
Just then, quiet footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Almost instinctively, every conversation around the table died.
Marcus walked into the dining room without saying a word.
His expression was unreadable.
Not angry.
Not sad.
Just…
Empty.
He never looked toward Section E.
Never acknowledged the conversations that had abruptly stopped because of his arrival.
Instead, he calmly picked up an empty tray and began serving himself dinner with practiced movements, as though he were the only person in the room.
The silence became almost suffocating.
Even Cin, who had been halfway through stealing another bread roll, slowly lowered his hand.
I pushed my chair back.
“Marcus.” My voice sounded much quieter than I intended.
He didn’t react.
Not even a glance.
He simply continued spooning rice onto his tray before reaching for the vegetables.
My chest tightened.
“Marcus…” I tried again, softer this time.
“Come eat with us.” His hand paused.
Only for a heartbeat.
Hope bloomed inside me so quickly it almost hurt.
Please…
Just turn around.
Just look at me.
Instead, he finished serving himself, picked up the tray, and quietly turned away.
Without lifting his head…
Without meeting my eyes…
Without saying a single word…
He walked out of the dining room.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the hallway before gradually disappearing upstairs.
A few moments later…
Click.
The gentle sound of his bedroom door closing somehow felt louder than all the shouting and laughter that had filled the mansion only minutes earlier.
No one spoke.
Felix slowly lowered his fork onto his plate.
Rory looked down.
Even Cin had lost his appetite.
I remained standing beside my chair, staring at the empty doorway long after Marcus had disappeared.
Then…
A phone vibrated against the wooden table.
The sudden sound broke the silence.
Everyone instinctively turned toward Keifer.
He glanced down at the screen, and for the first time that evening, the relaxed expression he’d been wearing disappeared.
His jaw subtly tightened as his eyes settled on the caller ID.
Keigan.
His younger brother.
Without saying a word, Keifer quietly pushed his chair back and stood.
He gave the table a small nod in apology before answering the call and walking toward the balcony, leaving the rest of us sitting in a silence that somehow felt far louder than all the laughter we’d shared only moments before.
**************************************** Keifer’s POV The laughter around the dining table slowly faded into meaningless background noise as my attention settled on one person.
Marcus.
The kid hadn’t spoken to any of us since we’d stepped into this mansion.
While Kate had somehow become everyone’s little sister within minutes, laughing with Felix, teasing Cin, and happily showing off her drawings, Marcus had remained distant the entire afternoon.
He hadn’t smiled once.
He hadn’t joined a single conversation.
Instead, he’d simply stood back and watched, his expression growing quieter every time Jay laughed with us.
At first, I’d assumed he just didn’t like strangers.
Now…
I wasn’t so sure.
Quiet footsteps echoed from the hallway, drawing everyone’s attention.
Marcus walked into the dining room with a tray in his hand, his face completely unreadable.
There wasn’t any visible anger anymore.
No frustration.
No irritation.
Somehow, that calm expression unsettled me more than if he’d stormed in yelling.
Without sparing anyone a glance, he walked straight to the buffet table and began serving himself dinner with slow, practiced movements, acting as though he were the only person in the room.
Almost instinctively, the conversations around the table died.
Felix lowered his fork.
Rory stopped reaching for the bread.
Even Cin, who had been shamelessly stealing food from everyone else’s plates only moments earlier, quietly withdrew his hand.
The laughter disappeared, replaced by an uncomfortable silence that settled over the room like a heavy blanket.
Jay immediately stood from her chair.
“Marcus.” Her voice was soft.
Careful.
Hopeful.
Marcus didn’t react.
He continued spooning rice onto his tray before reaching for the vegetables, never once lifting his head.
It was as if he genuinely hadn’t heard her, even though the entire dining room had fallen silent enough to hear a pin drop.
“Marcus…” She tried again, her voice quieter this time.
“Come eat with us.” His hand stopped.
Only for a second.
I watched Jay’s face, and for that brief heartbeat, I saw hope flicker across her eyes.
She truly believed he was going to turn around.
Instead, he simply finished serving himself, picked up the tray, and walked away.
No glance.
No reply.
No acknowledgement that she’d spoken.
He disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps echoing softly through the mansion before fading toward the staircase.
A few moments later, the gentle click of a bedroom door closing reached the dining room.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
I slowly shifted my gaze toward Jay.
She was still standing exactly where she’d been, staring at the empty doorway long after Marcus had disappeared.
The small smile she’d worn throughout the evening had vanished completely, replaced by guilt so obvious that even someone like Felix could probably see it.
That’s when it finally clicked.
Marcus wasn’t upset because we’d come over.
He was upset because she’d made him a promise.
And she’d broken it.
A strange feeling settled heavily in my chest.
I couldn’t even blame him.
If Keigan or Keiran looked at me like that…
I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself.
Family always came first.
No matter what.
The silence lingered over the dining table until a sudden vibration cut straight through it.
My phone.
I frowned, pulling it from my pocket before glancing at the screen.
Keigan.
The moment I saw my younger brother’s name, every muscle in my body tensed.
Keigan never called me unless something was wrong.
Especially when he knew I was out.
A cold feeling settled deep inside my stomach.
Without saying anything, I quietly pushed my chair back.
The scraping sound against the marble floor seemed unusually loud inside the silent dining room.
“I’ll be back,” I muttered.
No one stopped me.
No one asked any questions.
I answered the call while walking away from the table, through the living room, and out the front doors of Jay’s mansion.
The cool evening breeze hit my face, but it did nothing to ease the uneasiness building inside my chest.
I didn’t stop until I was standing several steps away from the mansion, making sure no one inside could overhear the conversation.
I pressed the phone tighter against my ear.
“Keigan.” For a moment…
Nothing.
Only hurried breathing.
My heartbeat quickened.
“…Keigan?” “Kuya…” His voice shook so badly that my blood instantly ran cold.
Every protective instinct inside me came alive at once.
“What happened?” Another shaky breath came through the speaker before he finally answered.
“…Kaizer came.” Everything inside me froze.
My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.
“…What?” “He…
he came to the house looking for you.” I closed my eyes.
Of course he did.
That monster never knew when to stop.
“What did he do?” I asked, my voice coming out lower than I’d intended.
Keigan sniffled quietly before answering.
“When I told him you weren’t here…
he got angry.
Keiran stood in front of me and told him to leave, but…” His voice cracked.
“…Kuya, he threatened us.” Every muscle in my body stiffened.
My jaw clenched so hard it began to ache.
“What exactly did he say?” There was a long pause before Keigan whispered the words.
“He said…
you to give up on the custody and inheritance mom left behind.” A wave of fury surged through me so violently I had to grip the stone pillar beside me just to stop myself from smashing my phone against it.
That bastard.
After everything he’d already taken…
After murdering our mother…
He was still using fear to control us.
I forced myself to take one slow breath before speaking again.
“Listen to me carefully.” My voice was steady now.
Cold.
“Are you hurt?” “No.” “What about Keiran?” “He’s okay…” Another pause.
“But Kaizer threw things around the house.” My chest tightened.
“…He broke Mom’s photograph.” I shut my eyes.
For a brief moment, all I could see was my mother’s smile.
Then Keigan spoke again, sounding younger than he ever had before.
“Kuya…” “…Can you come home?” I lowered my head, my grip tightening around the phone as the weight of those three words settled heavily on my shoulders.
No matter what was happening here…
No matter how much I wanted to stay…
Keigan and Keiran were waiting for me.
And I had never failed my brothers before.
“…Can you come home?” The question lingered in my ears long after the call had ended.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear, my grip still tight enough to make my fingers ache.
The cool evening breeze brushed against my face, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside my head.
Kaizer.
Even hearing his name was enough to drag me back to memories I had spent years trying to bury.
My jaw remained clenched as I stared out into the darkness beyond the gates of Jay’s mansion.
Mom’s shattered photograph flashed through my mind, followed by Keigan’s trembling voice.
Kuya…
can you come home?
Guilt settled heavily in my chest.
I should’ve been there.
I was the eldest.
Protecting Keigan and Keiran was my responsibility, yet the two people I swore to keep safe had just faced the man who had destroyed our family—all while I sat comfortably at someone else’s dinner table.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, exhaling slowly as I tried to steady my breathing.
I needed to leave.
I needed to get home.
The decision had already been made before I even realized it.
Turning around, I started walking back toward the mansion, my thoughts too consumed by my brothers to notice anything else around me.
I reached for the door and pushed it open.
Then I turned— Soft.
Something impossibly soft brushed against my lips.
I froze.
Every thought inside my head vanished.
For one impossible second, my mind refused to understand what had just happened.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
I lowered my gaze.
Jay.
She stood so close that there wasn’t even half a step between us.
She must have been about to come outside.
I had turned at the exact same moment she reached the doorway.
My lips…
Had accidentally brushed against her forehead.
Neither of us moved.
The world seemed to fall completely silent.
Her eyes widened first.
Mine followed a heartbeat later.
“…Jay.” The word escaped my lips almost inaudibly.
She blinked, clearly just as stunned as I was.
A few loose strands of her hair had escaped from behind her ear, gently swaying in the evening breeze.
She instinctively lifted a hand to her forehead, touching the very spot where my lips had accidentally landed.
“I’m…” For once…
I couldn’t finish a sentence.
I, Keifer Watson, who always had something to say, suddenly couldn’t find a single word.
My heartbeat hammered against my ribs.
Not because of the accidental kiss.
Because of the way she was looking at me.
There was surprise in her eyes.
Confusion.
And something else I couldn’t quite name.
“I didn’t mean to…” I said quietly, finally managing to speak.
“I turned around without looking.” A faint blush slowly crept across her cheeks.
“I know.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
The silence that followed wasn’t awkward.
It was simply…
Heavy.
The kind of silence where neither person knew what to do next.
The porch light cast a warm glow across her face, making the strands of her dark hair shimmer softly.
She looked up at me for only a second before her gaze drifted toward the phone still clutched tightly in my hand.
Her expression changed immediately.
The embarrassment faded, replaced by concern.
“…Is everything okay?” I looked down at my phone.
Keigan’s name was still displayed on the screen.
My fingers unconsciously tightened around it.
“No.” The answer came more honestly than I intended.
“My brothers…” I paused, forcing myself to keep my voice steady.
“They need me.” For a brief moment, Jay simply looked at me.
She didn’t ask unnecessary questions.
She didn’t pry.
She only nodded slowly, as if she understood that whatever had happened wasn’t something I was ready to explain.
“I should go,” I murmured.
The words felt heavier than they should have.
Not because I wanted to leave.
Because for the first time that evening…
Part of me wanted to stay.
But no matter what I felt…
Keigan and Keiran came first.
They always would.
– – – – A/N: SO….
Hey….
You guys deserve me a clap ok?
😭😭 Why?
Because this is the longest chapter in history ppl!
HISTORY!!!
5200 WORDS IS DEFINITELY NOT SMALL SO PLEASE COMMENT A LOT FOR ME.
I need motivation and I don’t know why recently all my comments are low in my books.
This upsets me a lot you know…