(Just read this chapter with your eyes half closed and mind full with imagination, I am damm sure, you will be feeling the same shiver as jay)
The intensity of the previous hour seemed to melt away, replaced by a sweetness that felt even more intimate than the hug.
Keifer didn't move; he simply stood there, looking deep into her eyes.
In the soft, dim light of the bedroom, they looked impossibly innocent—wide, clear, and trusting, like a child who had finally found their safe harbor.
He stayed silent, his gaze anchored on hers until Jay tilted her head, her voice a tiny thread of curiosity.
"What happened? Why are you staring?"
Keifer's lips quirked into a genuine, effortless smile.
He didn't answer with words; he just shook his head slightly, as if he couldn't quite believe she was real.
He reached out, offering his palm in a silent invitation.
Jay didn't hesitate. For the first time, the paralyzing shyness that usually governed her movements was gone.
She didn't pull back or look for an exit. Instead, she slipped her hand into his, her fingers curling around his thumb with the simple, pure affection of a child clutching their favorite teddy bear.
Keifer looked down at their joined hands, his heart doing a slow, heavy thud.
He stared at the sight of her small hand lost in his for much longer than necessary, his thumb tracing a slow circle over her knuckles.
"Keifer..." she prompted softly.
"Hmm?"
"Ice cream."
A low, rich chuckle vibrated in his chest. "Jay... are you trying to kill me?"
Jay's eyes went wide with genuine shock, her grip tightening on his hand. "No! Why would you say that?"
"Then why," he stepped a fraction closer, his voice dropping to a playful, admiring whisper, "are you looking so incredibly cute right now? It's dangerous."
Jay's cheeks instantly flooded with a bright, healthy pink. She looked down at her feet, the familiar flutter returning to her stomach, but she didn't let go of his hand.
She gave his arm a little tug, her voice insistent but sweet.
"Keifer..."
"Yes, Jay?"
"Ice cream."
Keifer threw his head back and laughed, the sound bright and clear, echoing through the quiet room.
The "CEO" was nowhere to be found; there was only a man who was completely, utterly wrapped around his wife's little finger.
They slipped out of the bedroom, their hands still locked tightly together.
Jay looked like a completely different person—the heavy, tearful exhaustion from minutes ago had vanished, replaced by the single-minded, wide-eyed determination of someone who needed ice cream as if her life depended on it.
They were tiptoeing toward the massive oak main door, almost tasting the freedom of the night air, when a sharp clink of a glass echoed from the kitchen.
Jay's eyes went wide, reflecting pure, unadulterated panic.
She saw the shadow of Sophia beginning to emerge from the kitchen archway.
In a split-second reflex that was faster than a professional athlete, Jay didn't just let go—she lunged at Keifer, shoving him with all her might into the dark, narrow alcove beneath the curve of the grand staircase.
Keifer, the powerful CEO who usually commanded boardrooms, had no time to react.
He stumbled backward into the shadows, his back hitting the wall with a muffled thud.
He stood there in the dark, stunned and blinking, wondering how his tiny wife had suddenly developed the strength of a bulldozer.
Jay smoothed her hair with trembling hands and forced a bright, almost manic smile just as Sophia stepped into the hallway.
"What happened, Jay? What are you doing down here?" Sophia asked, squinting at her friend.
"I... I was... I..." Jay's brain scrambled for a second before a lightbulb went off.
"Oh! Yes! I was just going to the kitchen to drink some water!"
"Oh, okay," Sophia shrugged, starting to walk toward her. "Let me accompany you."
"WHATTT?!" Jay shouted, the volume making Sophia jump back in shock.
"I... I mean, why?" Jay quickly lowered her voice, forcing her lips into a wide, stiff smile that looked like it was painted on.
"I am just going to the kitchen. You should go and sleep! You look so tired, Soph. Really, just go."
"Okay, but—"
"No 'but,' Soph! You're exhausted! Just go and sleep!"
Jay insisted, her voice vibrating with a high-pitched urgency.
Sophia looked confused, her head tilting as she tried to figure out why Jay was acting like a malfunctioning robot, but she finally sighed and agreed.
Just as she took her first step toward the stairs, a sharp crinkle-snap echoed through the hall.
Keifer, shifting his weight in the cramped darkness of the alcove, had accidentally stepped right onto a stray plastic shopping bag.
Sophia froze. "Did you hear something too, Jay?"
Jay's heart nearly leaped out of her throat. She stepped in front of Sophia, blocking her view of the stairs' underside.
"What? What? I didn't hear anything! I'm telling you, Soph, you are just tired. Your ears are playing tricks on you. Go!"
Before Sophia could argue, Jay placed both hands on her friend's back and began physically shoveling her up the stairs.
Sophia tried to resist, looking back with a suspicious frown, but Jay's "ice cream adrenaline" was too strong.
She pushed Sophia all the way to the landing until the younger girl finally gave up and retreated into her room.
Jay waited until the door clicked shut, then leaned against the banister, exhaling a breath so long it felt like she'd been holding it for an hour.
As the sound of Sophia's door clicking shut echoed from upstairs, Keifer stepped out from the cramped darkness of the alcove.
He adjusted his jacket, looking at Jay with a mixture of confusion and a growing, playful smirk.
Jay hurried toward him, her footsteps nearly silent as she checked the stairs one last time.
"She's gone... she's finally gone," she whispered, her voice still trembling with the remnants of her panic.
She looked up at him, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
Keifer tilted his head, watching the way her eyes darted around.
"Jay," he said softly, his voice dropping into a teasing hum.
"Why did you shove me? It's our house. We're married. We aren't exactly doing anything illegal by going for a walk."
Jay's movements froze. She looked at the floor, her face heating up instantly.
She scratched her head, her voice barely audible. "Oh... yeah. It... it just sort of happened."
She peeked up at him through her lashes, her eyes wide and earnest.
"But no, Keifer. If she saw us... she would have teased us. You know how she is. She would have said something about us sneaking out for a 'romantic' date or..."
Her voice trailed off, and she looked away, unable to finish the sentence.
She let out a long exhale, the tension leaving her shoulders, though she still wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Okay, I don't really know why I did that. I just... I couldn't handle her looking at us like that."
Keifer let out a genuine, low laugh that seemed to vibrate in the quiet hallway.
He moved a step closer, watching the way she bit her lip.
"Jay, seriously... I've seen you shy, but the 'Secret Agent' side of you is something else. I never saw this side of yours."
Jay gave him an embarrassed, lopsided smile, her shoulders hunching slightly as if to hide.
"It's not funny," she murmured, though her eyes were finally beginning to sparkle with a bit of relief.
"It's a little funny," he countered gently. He reached out, hesitating for a second before his hand found hers.
He gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Come on. Let's go before she decides she's thirsty again."
They slipped out the front door, the cool night air hitting their faces.
As they reached the car, Keifer reached into his pocket to unlock it. He paused.
His hand fumbled through the fabric, then checked the other side. His smile slowly faded.
"Oh!"
Jay looked at him, her heart skipping a beat. "What happened? Why did you stop?"
"I think... I forgot my car keys," he admitted, looking back at the house with a sheepish expression.
"But you were having them! I saw them!" Jay's voice rose a tiny bit in worry, her hand tightening on his.
"I know," Keifer sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I think I dropped them under the stairs when you... well, when you launched me into the alcove."
Jay felt a little embarrassed and looked away.
Keifer turned back toward the dark house, his hand already reaching for the door handle.
"I'll go and get them. You wait here, Jay," he said, his voice practical and steady.
"Nooo!"
The word escaped her before she could filter it—a high, panicked note that seemed to echo off the garage doors.
Jay's eyes went wide, and she instantly slapped both hands over her mouth, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She stood there, frozen, looking like a deer caught in headlights, terrified that her voice had just reached Sophia's ears.
Keifer stopped mid-motion. He turned back slowly, one eyebrow arched in curious amusement.
Even in the moonlight, his smile was soft, lacking any of the " CEO" sharpness.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice a low hum. "Scared the keys have grown legs?"
Jay slowly lowered her hands, her fingers trembling slightly.
She couldn't tell him that the thought of being left alone out here in the dark—or the thought of him going back into that "shoving zone" and potentially getting caught—made her stomach do nervous somersaults.
"Umm... let's go walking," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She looked down at her feet, her toes digging into the gravel.
"Huh?" Keifer blinked, genuinely caught off guard. "Walking? Jay, it's late, and the shop is—"
"Please," she interrupted, finally looking up.
Her eyes were shimmering, filled with a raw, shy vulnerability that made Keifer's breath hitch.
She took a small, hesitant step closer to him, her fingers reaching out to tentatively brush against his sleeve.
"The weather is... it's nice today. And also, I saw an ice cream truck earlier. Just a few turns away."
"You saw an ice cream truck?" Keifer repeated, his skepticism melting into curiosity.
"Hmm..." she nodded, a stray strand of hair falling over her face. She tucked it behind her ear with a shaky hand.
"When I was coming from the office. It was parked near the park."
Keifer's smirk widened, a teasing glint dancing in his eyes. He leaned down, bringing his face level with hers until she was forced to see the warmth in his gaze.
"You saw it on your way home?" he asked, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. "Then why didn't you buy some then, Jay? Why wait until now?"
Jay felt the heat rush to her face, a deep, burning blush that felt hotter than the summer air. She also don't know the answer.
"I... I just didn't," she stammered, her voice thick with shyness. She bit her lip, her gaze flickering to his lips for a split second before she looked away, her chest tightening with an emotion she couldn't name.
"I wanted... I mean... are we going or not?"
She looked so small and hopeful, standing there in the moonlight, that Keifer felt a sudden, fierce tug in his chest.
"Okay," he said softly. "Walking it is."
Jay's face transformed. The nervousness that had been clouding her features vanished, replaced by a radiant, wide-eyed beam that reminded him of a child who had just been told Christmas was coming early.
She didn't say anything, but that smile was more than enough.
As they began their stroll down the quiet, tree-lined street, the night air was cool and carried the scent of blooming jasmine.
Keifer kept his hands in his pockets , but his gaze kept drifting toward Jay.
The breeze was playing with her hair, sending soft strands dancing across her face.
Usually, he would have reached out to tuck them behind her ear, but this time he stopped himself.
He just watched her, captivated by the way she looked so free and peaceful in the moonlight.
They walked in a comfortable, rhythmic silence, their shoulders occasionally brushing as they navigated the sidewalk.
Jay seemed to be soaking in the quiet of the night, her steps light and bouncy.
For a moment, it wasn't about the stress of the office or the drama at home—it was just two people accompanying each other through the dark.
After a few turns, the glowing neon lights of the ice cream truck appeared in the distance, parked near the edge of a small, quiet park.
The bright colors of the truck looked like a beacon in the night.
Keifer saw the exact moment Jay spotted it. Her entire face seemed to catch the light; her eyes widened and sparkled, and she practically skipped a step in her excitement.
He didn't say a word, but the sight of her genuine joy made his own smile widen.
He noticed every little detail—the way her breath hitched with excitement and the way she looked at the truck like it was a palace of wonders.
"There it is," she whispered, her voice filled with breathless wonder.
Keifer watched her, his heart doing that familiar, heavy thud. "I see it, Jay. I see it."
They reached the truck, the colorful menu glowing against the night.
Jay's shyness had begun to melt away, replaced by the intense, serious focus of someone making the most important decision of their life.
Keifer leaned his elbow against the counter, looking from the board to her.
"Which one?" he asked, his voice dropping into a playful, low rumble.
"Which one is it going to be?"
"Ummm..." Jay's finger hovered over the pictures, her eyes darting from strawberry to mango, then back to the swirls of fudge.
Keifer checked his watch, then looked back at her with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Jay, if you take this much longer, I'm just going to buy the entire truck and have them drive it to our garage."
"No, no! Just wait!" she said, her voice sounding much more like her old, spirited self. She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at the choices.
"Ummm... okay. I want chocolate. What about you?"
"I want chocolate too," he replied without hesitation, mirroring her choice.
Jay looked up at him, a bright, genuine smile breaking across her face—a smile that reached her eyes and stayed there.
It was the first time all night she had looked completely at ease.
Keifer paid and handed one of the cones to her.
As she took the first cold, sweet bite, she noticed him looking around, his eyes scanning the empty park and the sidewalk, clearly searching for a proper bench or a clean place to sit.
Jay spotted a high concrete ledge—a retaining wall near the edge of the road that overlooked the quiet street. She pointed to it with her free hand.
"Let's sit there."
Keifer looked at the rough concrete, then back at his expensive suit trousers.
"There?"
"Hmm!" Jay nodded firmly. Before he could protest or find a "cleaner" spot, she reached out and gripped his wrist, her touch warm and surprisingly firm.
She pulled him toward the ledge and hopped up, her legs dangling off the edge like a carefree teenager.
The world seemed to slow down as they sat on that high concrete ledge, the distant hum of the city fading into a peaceful hum.
Jay took a slow, blissful bite of her chocolate ice cream, her eyes fluttering shut.
"Ummm..." she murmured, the sweetness finally melting away the last of her stress.
Keifer took a bite of his own, but his focus wasn't on the chocolate.
His eyes were anchored on her, watching the way her expression softened in the moonlight.
He leaned back slightly, a quiet, steady smile playing on his lips.
Jay looked up, her gaze drifting toward the vast, dark sky. The stars were scattered like crushed diamonds across a velvet blanket.
"Keifer..."
"Hmm?"
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered, her voice filled with a quiet wonder.
"Hmm, very beautiful,"
he replied. His voice was thick with an emotion she didn't expect, and he wasn't looking at the sky at all—he was looking directly at her.
Jay turned her head and caught his gaze.
The intensity in his eyes made her heart skip a beat, and she realized exactly what—or who—he was calling beautiful.
Caught off guard, she instantly looked back down at her ice cream, her hair falling forward like a curtain on his side to hide her burning cheeks.
"Jay," he said softly.
"Hmm?" She took another quick bite, trying to act natural.
"I can't see the stars clearly from here."
Jay looked back up at the sky, her brow furrowing in innocent confusion.
"But... I can see them perfectly. Look, there's a bright one right there."
She looked at him, a stray bit of chocolate on her lip, her expression completely genuine.
Keifer didn't say a word. He reached out, his fingers gentle as he slid the curtain of her hair back behind her ear, tucking it away so nothing could hide her face from him.
"Now," he whispered, his thumb grazing her jawline. "Now I can see the most beautiful thing clearly."
Jay's spoon froze halfway to her mouth. The air between them suddenly felt electric, heavy with a sweetness that had nothing to do with the ice cream.
She felt exposed and cherished all at once, and she quickly looked away again, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Keifer let out a low, warm chuckle. "Jay."
"Hmm..?" she replied, her voice sounding a little breathless and nervous now.
"There's a bit of ice cream under your lips."
"Where?" She started frantically trying to wipe her chin with the back of her hand. "Here? Did I get it?"
"I'll show you," he murmured.
she expected him to hand her a napkin or perhaps use his thumb.
Instead, he moved with a slow, deliberate gravity that made her heart hammer against her ribs.
Keifer leaned in, and Jay didn't look away.
Her eyes remained locked with his, caught in a silent, breathless pull that made it impossible to blink.
She watched him come closer, seeing the steady, focused intensity in a gaze that was fixed entirely on her.
Just as his face approached hers, Keifer's free hand moved.
He slid his palm slowly around her waist, his fingers splaying against the small of her back.
The touch was firm and grounding, pulling her just a fraction closer to him on the ledge.
Instinctively, Jay's own hand reached out, her fingers sliding up to his shoulder.
She gripped the expensive fabric of his suit jacket, seeking support as her knees felt like they were turning to water.
When his lips finally made contact—pressing with a soft, velvet heat against the cold smudge of chocolate just beneath her lower lip—Jay's strength finally flickered.
The sensation of his mouth grazing that sensitive curve of her skin, combined with the steady pressure of his hand at her waist and her own hand anchored on his shoulder, was the breaking point.
Her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks as her eyes drifted shut, surrendering completely to the feeling.
It wasn't a kiss on the lips, but the intimacy of it was overwhelming.
He lingered there for a heartbeat, his lips moving with agonizing slowness against her chin to lift the sweetness from her skin.
The contrast of the icy chocolate and his warm, steady breath sent a shiver straight down her spine, and her grip on his shoulder tightened slightly, her fingers curling into the material.
Keifer didn't pull back immediately.
He stayed in that fraction of an inch of space, his hand still anchored at her waist and his breath fanning against her lips, waiting for her to find her rhythm again.
The air between them was so thick with tension that the melting ice cream in their hands was completely forgotten.
When he finally moved back just enough for her to open her eyes, her hand was still resting on his shoulder, and the spot on her chin felt like it was glowing.
Jay's heart was thumping so loudly she was sure he could hear it in the silence of the street.
Alright buddies, I did it. Just feel it 🤍.
Umm...I really don't know if it is a cliffhanger or not, but if is a then , I swear, I didn't do it deliberately. 😁
Bye 👋🫂
Love u all 😘😘