Chapter: The Safe Place – Jay's POV
My hands were still trembling when I grabbed Keifer's wrist.
"Come with me," I whispered.
He didn't question me.
He never does when my voice sounds like that.
We walked past Kuya Angelo without another word. The hallway felt too long, too narrow, like the walls were closing in on me with every step. My chest was still tight from everything I had just said — from finally admitting out loud that I chose Keifer.
But strength only lasts for so long.
And mine was fading.
I stopped in front of a familiar door at the end of the corridor.
Aries' room.
My safe place since we were kids.
I knocked once before pushing it open.
Aries was sitting on his bed, headphones around his neck, scrolling through his phone. He looked up casually — but the moment his eyes landed on my tear-stained face and Keifer standing behind me, his expression changed.
"Jay?" he asked, standing up immediately. "What happened?"
That was it.
The one question I had been holding back from.
What happened?
Everything.
My lips trembled.
I tried to speak.
"I—"
But no words came out.
Instead, my vision blurred.
And suddenly the weight I had been carrying all day, all week, all month — it crashed down on me at once.
I broke.
A sob ripped out of my chest before I could stop it.
I covered my mouth, shaking my head, but the tears wouldn't stop. They fell endlessly, hot and uncontrollable.
Aries crossed the room in seconds.
"Hey, hey… Jay, what's going on?" His voice was softer now, protective.
Keifer stepped closer behind me, his hand gently pressing against my back like an anchor.
"She just argued with Angelo," Keifer said quietly. "About the engagement."
Aries' jaw tightened slightly.
"Of course," he muttered under his breath.
I shook my head, still crying. "I didn't want it… I never wanted it…"
My voice sounded small. Broken.
Aries guided me to sit on the edge of his bed. Keifer stayed close, kneeling slightly in front of me so he could see my face.
"Jay," Aries said gently, crouching in front of me. "Talk to me."
And that was the problem.
If I talked… I would completely fall apart.
"I'm so tired," I whispered. "I'm so tired of being strong for everyone."
My hands were shaking in my lap. Keifer immediately covered them with his own, steadying them.
"I agreed to the engagement for Angelo," I continued, my words spilling out between sobs. "I thought if I sacrificed this one thing, everything would be okay. But it's not okay. It hurts. It hurts so much."
Aries' eyes softened.
"You should've told me," he said quietly.
"I didn't want to disappoint anyone," I cried. "I didn't want to be selfish."
Keifer's voice was firm but emotional. "Choosing your own happiness isn't selfish."
I looked at him through blurred vision.
"But what if everything falls apart because of me?" I whispered. "What if the company collapses? What if Angelo loses everything?"
Aries shook his head immediately. "That's not on you."
"But I said yes," I choked. "I stood there and let them put a ring on my finger while my heart was screaming for someone else."
My breathing became uneven again.
Keifer moved closer, gently pulling me into his arms.
I didn't resist.
I collapsed against him completely.
He wrapped his arms around me tightly, one hand cradling the back of my head.
"You did that because you love your brother," he said softly. "Not because you love Yuri."
"I don't love him," I whispered desperately. "I don't feel anything when he touches my hand. But when you—"
My voice broke again.
"When you look at me," I finished quietly, "I feel everything."
Keifer's hold tightened.
Aries looked away for a second, giving us space — but he stayed close.
"So what exactly happened?" Aries asked gently after a moment.
I swallowed hard.
"Keifer came to see me," I said, wiping my tears with trembling fingers. "Angelo told him to stay away. I couldn't take it anymore. I told him the truth. That I only accepted the engagement to fix the company. That I love Keifer."
Aries' eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You actually said it?" he asked.
I nodded weakly.
"I was shaking. I was crying. But I said it."
"And?" Aries pressed.
"And Angelo finally listened," I whispered. "He said he won't force me anymore."
For a second, silence filled the room.
Then Aries exhaled slowly. "Good."
But my tears didn't stop.
"Why are you still crying then?" he asked gently.
Because relief hurts too.
Because letting go hurts too.
Because fighting for your heart is exhausting.
"I'm scared," I admitted. "Scared of what happens next. Yuri won't just accept this. The investors won't just accept this. Everything feels like it's going to explode."
Keifer lifted my chin gently so I had to look at him.
"Then let it explode," he said quietly but firmly. "We'll stand in the fire together."
His eyes weren't joking.
They were steady.
Certain.
Aries nodded in agreement. "You're not alone in this, Jay. You have us."
The word us made something warm bloom inside my chest.
For so long I felt like I was carrying everything alone.
But maybe I wasn't.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," I whispered.
"You're hurting yourself more by staying silent," Aries replied softly.
That hit me.
Hard.
Keifer brushed his thumb under my eyes, wiping away more tears.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he murmured. "Break down if you need to. I'll hold you."
And I did.
I cried harder.
Not pretty tears.
Not quiet tears.
Ugly, shaking, gasping sobs that I had been holding in for months.
Keifer didn't let go.
Not once.
Aries stayed close, one hand resting on my shoulder like he used to when we were kids and I was afraid of thunderstorms.
"I don't want to marry Yuri," I whispered again, my voice barely audible.
"You won't," Keifer answered immediately.
"I only want you," I said, looking at him like he was the only solid thing in the world.
His expression softened completely.
"And you have me," he replied.
Aries stood up slowly.
"Okay," he said, more serious now. "Then we handle this properly."
I sniffed, trying to calm my breathing. "Handle it how?"
"We talk to Angelo calmly. We break the engagement officially. Before Yuri makes it into something bigger."
My heart raced at the thought.
"That will create drama," I whispered.
Aries gave a small smirk. "When has Section E ever avoided drama?"
Despite everything… I let out a tiny, broken laugh.
Keifer kissed my forehead gently.
"See?" he whispered. "You're still you."
I closed my eyes, letting myself breathe.
For the first time that day, the tightness in my chest wasn't suffocating.
It was just heavy.
Manageable.
"I'm sorry," I murmured suddenly.
Both of them looked confused.
"For dragging you into my mess," I clarified.
Keifer frowned immediately. "You're not a mess."
Aries nodded. "And even if you were, you'd still be ours to protect."
That did it.
Fresh tears slipped down my cheeks — but this time they weren't only from pain.
They were from feeling loved.
From feeling chosen.
From realizing I didn't have to destroy myself to save everyone else.
Keifer stood up slowly and pulled me up with him.
"You're done sacrificing your heart," he said firmly.
I looked up at him.
"And if everything collapses?" I asked quietly.
He leaned down slightly, his forehead touching mine.
"Then we rebuild," he whispered.
Aries crossed his arms confidently. "Together."
And standing there between them — my cousin, my love — I finally understood something.
Maybe strength isn't about carrying everything alone.
Maybe it's about letting yourself fall…
And trusting that someone will catch you.
Tonight, I fell apart in Aries' room.
But I wasn't alone.
And for the first time in a long time…
That was enough.