The hotel room was warm, sunlight spilling through the curtains, but the mood was electric. Jay still sat on Keifer's lap, her arms loosely draped around his neck, their knees brushing. The events of last night—and this morning—hung heavily in the air, unspoken yet undeniable.
Keifer adjusted slightly, careful not to make her uncomfortable, but his eyes lingered on hers longer than usual. Jay's heart thumped. She could feel his warmth, smell the faint scent of his cologne, and the steady rhythm of his breathing made her chest ache.
She dared to inch a little closer, brushing her lips softly against his jawline.
Keifer's breath hitched, his hand tightening slightly around her waist. "Jay…" he murmured, low and husky.
Before the tension could escalate further, Keifer's phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand. He glanced at it and saw Percy's name flashing.
"Keifer, it's Percy," he said, picking up.
"Hey, Percy. What's up?"
Percy's voice sounded tense over the line. "Dude… you can't leave the hotel. There was this guy asking for Jay. I don't know what he wanted, but… yeah, just stay put. Don't leave."
Keifer's jaw tightened. He glanced at Jay, who had pulled back slightly to listen.
"I told you it wasn't safe," he said quietly, almost more to himself than to her.
Jay frowned, crossing her arms. "Not safe? How… how bad is it?"
Keifer tilted his head, softening. "Let's just say… we stay here for now. Until I know it's safe. You're not leaving the hotel tonight."
Jay's lips pressed together, and her heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but from the closeness.
"And you'll be here too?" she asked, teasing slightly, though her voice wavered.
"I'll be here," Keifer replied, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "And I'm not moving anywhere."
Jay tilted her head, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "Good. Because I… like having you close."
Keifer's hands cupped her face lightly, thumbs brushing her cheekbones. "I like having you close too," he said softly. Then he leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to her temple.
Jay shivered slightly, leaning further into him. "You're ridiculous," she whispered.
"I know," he replied, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "But you seem to enjoy it."
Jay's lips curved into a teasing smirk. "Maybe I do."
Keifer leaned in, their noses almost touching. "Maybe we shouldn't push our luck," he murmured, his lips brushing hers lightly.
Jay chuckled softly, then whispered, "Or maybe we should."
The sound of Percy calling again echoed faintly from Keifer's phone, but neither of them moved immediately.
Instead, they stayed there, inches apart, wrapped up in the warmth of each other, hearts racing, both aware that danger was still out there—but for now, the world had shrunk to just the two of them.