Chapter: Where I Felt Safe – Jay's POV (continued)
The house felt warmer than before.
Or maybe it was just the way they looked at me.
Not with judgment.
Not with curiosity.
But with quiet understanding.
I was still sitting on the couch, wrapped in the blanket Keigan had placed over my shoulders, when I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen.
"Kuya," Keiran called softly, looking at Keifer. "Should I bring another pillow?"
The word sounded natural from him.
Kuya.
Big brother.
Protector.
Keifer nodded slightly. "Yeah. She looks exhausted."
I lowered my gaze, feeling embarrassed that everyone could see how fragile I was tonight.
Keigan crouched slightly in front of me, his expression unusually serious. "Ate, drink more water. You cried too much."
His tone wasn't teasing. It was protective.
I nodded and took another small sip.
Keifer's arm remained around my shoulders the entire time. His thumb traced slow circles against my arm, steady and grounding.
Keiran leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So Angelo finally pushed too far?"
Keifer exhaled slowly. "She told him everything."
Keigan's eyebrows lifted. "Everything?"
I swallowed.
"I told him I don't love Yuri," I said quietly. "I told him I only accepted the engagement to save the company."
The room went still.
"And I told him I love Keifer."
Silence.
Keigan let out a soft whistle under his breath. "That must've exploded."
"It did," I admitted.
Keifer's jaw tightened slightly. "She was shaking."
Keiran looked at me more gently now. "You've been carrying that alone for a while, haven't you?"
I didn't answer right away.
Because the truth was heavy.
"Yes," I whispered.
Keigan shook his head lightly. "You shouldn't have."
"I didn't want to disappoint Angelo," I said quickly. "He looked so desperate. I thought if I just agreed… everything would calm down."
"And did it?" Keiran asked softly.
My throat tightened.
"No."
Keifer's arm tightened around me instinctively.
"You don't get to destroy yourself for other people's mistakes," he said quietly.
My chest felt tight again — but not suffocating this time.
Just full.
Keigan stood up and walked closer. "Ate, look at me."
I lifted my eyes slowly.
"You're not weak for breaking down," he said. "If anything, you were too strong for too long."
That sentence hit deeper than anything else tonight.
Too strong for too long.
Keifer gently brushed my hair away from my face. "She doesn't have to be strong here."
Keiran nodded. "This house isn't a battlefield. It's home."
Home.
The word felt foreign.
Soft.
I hadn't realized how tense I'd been all day until I felt my shoulders slowly drop.
"I'm scared," I admitted quietly. "Yuri won't stay quiet after this."
Keifer's voice hardened slightly. "He won't touch you."
Keiran glanced at him. "We'll handle it smartly."
Keigan crossed his arms. "If he tries anything, he answers to all of us."
I blinked at that.
All of us.
Not just Keifer.
Not just me.
All of us.
The weight on my chest shifted.
"I don't want this to turn into a war," I whispered.
"It already is," Keifer said calmly. "You just stopped pretending it wasn't."
That truth stung.
But it also felt freeing.
Keigan grabbed another blanket and gently tucked it around me tighter. "You look like you're about to fall over."
"I'm fine," I murmured weakly.
Keifer gave me a look. "You're not."
Keiran pushed himself off the wall. "Take her upstairs."
Keifer nodded.
He stood first, then held out his hand to me.
I placed my hand in his without hesitation.
Keigan smiled faintly. "Kuya, make sure she rests."
"I will," Keifer replied simply.
As we walked toward the stairs, I felt something strange.
Not fear.
Not guilt.
Just… relief.
Upstairs, his room was dimly lit. Quiet. Peaceful.
The moment the door closed behind us, my strength cracked again.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just silently.
He noticed immediately.
Without saying a word, he pulled me into his arms.
I melted against him.
Completely.
"I hate seeing you like this," he whispered into my hair.
"I hate feeling like this," I replied softly.
He guided me to sit on the edge of his bed and knelt slightly in front of me so we were at eye level.
"You did something brave tonight," he said.
"I feel like I caused a mess," I answered.
"You caused honesty," he corrected gently.
My lip trembled again.
"I was scared you'd hate me for accepting the engagement," I admitted quietly.
His expression shifted instantly.
"Jay," he said firmly, "I was angry at the situation. Not at you."
"I thought you'd think I chose Yuri."
He shook his head slowly. "I know your heart."
The way he said it — calm, certain — made my chest ache.
"I almost lost you once because you pushed me away," he continued. "I won't let fear take you away again."
My fingers tightened in his shirt.
"I didn't want to drag you into all this," I whispered.
He gently cupped my face.
"You don't drag me into your life. I choose to stand in it."
Tears slipped down again, but softer this time.
Downstairs, I could faintly hear Keigan laughing at something Keiran said.
Normal.
Safe.
Real.
"You hear that?" he asked quietly.
I nodded.
"That's what you deserve. Normal. Not contracts."
I let out a shaky breath.
"I don't want to be strong anymore tonight," I admitted.
"Then don't," he whispered.
He moved onto the bed beside me and pulled me into his chest.
His arms wrapped around me completely.
Secure.
Steady.
Protective.
My head rested over his heart.
The steady rhythm grounded me.
"I still feel scared," I murmured.
"That's okay," he replied. "You can be scared here."
My breathing slowly evened out.
The tension in my body softened.
For the first time all day…
I didn't feel like someone's responsibility.
Or someone's sacrifice.
Or someone's solution.
I just felt like me.
Held.
Chosen.
Protected.
"I love you," I whispered.
He pressed a soft kiss into my hair.
"I love you more than any war this causes."
I closed my eyes.
And wrapped in his arms…
With Keiran and Keigan downstairs acting like silent guardians…
I finally understood something.
Strength isn't about not breaking.
It's about knowing where you're allowed to fall apart.
And tonight…
In this house…
In his arms…
I felt safe.