Chapter: Six Years
(Aries' POV)
The house had been quiet for hours.
Not the normal quiet.
The heavy kind.
The kind where everyone knows something is wrong but no one knows how to fix it.
I was sitting on the couch with Percy Mariano.
Neither of us were talking.
Percy was staring at the floor, tapping his fingers against his knee like he was thinking too much.
And honestly… we were both thinking about the same person.
Jay.
Upstairs.
Alone.
Crying.
My chest tightened every time I thought about the way she looked earlier.
Broken.
Completely broken.
Percy suddenly muttered quietly,
"…I want to punch him."
I knew exactly who he meant.
Keif.
But the thing was…
I couldn't be mad at Keif.
Not after everything he told us.
Not after what he was doing for Jay.
Still, I understood Percy.
Because from Jay's perspective?
Keif just destroyed her.
Before I could answer, we heard footsteps on the stairs.
Percy looked up immediately.
Jay was walking down slowly.
Her eyes were still red but she wasn't crying anymore.
Now she looked… calm.
And that scared me more.
Because sometimes when someone stops crying that quickly…
It means they already made a decision.
She stopped in front of us.
"Percy."
His posture immediately changed.
"Yeah, baby sista?"
She took a breath.
"I need you to take me somewhere."
Percy frowned slightly.
"Where?"
Jay looked down for a moment.
Then she said something neither of us expected.
"New York."
Percy blinked.
"…What?"
"To Dad."
For a second neither of us spoke.
Our father was in New York City.
Jay rarely asked to go there.
Not unless something was really wrong.
Percy leaned forward slightly.
"You want to go… now?"
Jay nodded.
"Yes."
Her voice was quiet but firm.
"I need to talk to him."
I frowned.
"About what?"
She hesitated.
Then she said the one name I didn't want to hear tonight.
"Yuri."
My jaw tightened.
So did Percy's.
Yuri.
Jay continued quietly,
"The wedding."
Percy sat up straight.
"What about it?"
Jay's fingers tightened slightly.
"I want it paused."
"Paused?"
"For six years."
That made both of us stare at her.
Six years?
Jay looked down at the floor.
"I can't do this right now."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I can't think about marriage… or Yuri… or anything."
My chest tightened again.
Because I understood exactly why she was saying this.
Her heart was still with Keif.
Even after everything he said.
Percy rubbed the back of his neck slowly.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
Jay finally looked at us.
Her eyes still looked hurt.
"I just need time."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Percy looked at me.
I looked back at him.
Neither of us needed to say anything.
Because the answer was obvious.
Percy stood up.
"Okay."
Jay blinked slightly.
"…Okay?"
He nodded.
"If you want to go to New York, we'll take you."
Her shoulders relaxed a little.
Then Percy added,
"And if you want that wedding paused for six years…"
He shrugged slightly.
"…we'll deal with it."
Jay looked like she didn't expect us to agree so quickly.
I stood up too.
"You should pack."
She looked at me.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Because right now the most important thing wasn't the plan with Keif.
It wasn't Yuri.
It wasn't anything else.
It was Jay.
And she needed space.
"Pack your bags," I said gently.
Percy nodded.
"We'll leave soon."
For a moment Jay didn't move.
Then she gave a small nod.
"…Okay."
She turned around and slowly walked back upstairs.
Her steps sounded quieter this time.
When her door closed upstairs, Percy exhaled heavily.
"…Six years."
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"This whole situation is a mess."
I looked toward the stairs where Jay disappeared.
"…It'll get worse before it gets better."
Percy frowned.
"You think Keif knows she's leaving?"
"No."
"And Yuri?"
I shook my head.
"Not yet."
Percy crossed his arms.
"Man… when that guy finds out…"
I didn't finish the thought.
Because right now one thing mattered more than everything else.
Jay was leaving.
And none of us knew what would happen after that.