JayJay's POV
I lay there staring at the ceiling, replaying everything on loop.
Today... Keifer cried.
A lot.
I held him. He held me like I was the last solid thing in his world. He said he couldn't lose me. That losing his mother already broke something inside him, and losing me would finish the job.
We talked.
We cried.
We hugged.
We k.....
My door suddenly flew open.
Tita Gema stood there, hands on her hips.
"Jay, Angelo is calling you." she said.
My stomach dropped.
"...Why?" I asked quietly, yesterday flashing through my mind like a warning sign.
"He didn't tell me, anak." she replied. "He's in his room."
Great. Mysterious. My favorite.
"Okay." I said, sliding off the bed. "I'm coming."
She nodded and left.
Then i headed to angeo's room scared what is it.
Angelo was standing near the window when I entered his room. He turned the moment he heard the door.
Before I could say anything, he spoke.
"Sit."
That alone told me I was in trouble.
I stayed where I was.
"Jay," he said quietly, "I owe you an apology."
I stayed where I was, not trusting my voice yet.
"I didn't know," he continued. "About Drew. About the pressure he was under. If I had known the truth, I wouldn't have reacted the way I did."
" you should have told me.You let everyone blame Drew. You let yourself get hurt. And you thought staying silent would fix it?" His voice rose, frustration bleeding through. "You're not some shield that has to take every hit."
My chest tightened. "You didn't give me a chance to explain."i said irritated.
That stopped him.
He looked at me really looked at me then exhaled slowly.
"...That's fair."he admitted. "I didn't listen."
His tone softened, but the scolding wasn't over.
"i am sorry"
"Don't say sorry kuya"
"I owed you it"
After a pause, I asked quietly, "Will Drew still have to go to the Shark Loan?"
Angelo's jaw tightened.
"For now," he said. "Only for a short time."
"But we're already working on a way out," he added firmly. "This won't be permanent. I promise you that."
I nodded slowly.
I left Angelo's room with my head buzzing.
The hallway felt unusually quiet.
As I passed by, I noticed something that made me stop.
Yuri's door was open.
That alone was strange.
I hadn't seen him since yesterday, and now his door was just... open, like he'd never left.
"Yuri?" I called softly, stepping closer.
He looked up.
And my breath hitched.
Blood.
It was smeared along his arm, dark red against his skin. I hated blood. It made my stomach turn. But this time, I didn't look away.
"Yuri, what happened?" I asked, worry clear in my voice.
He immediately tried to brush it off. "ahh..It's nothing."
"You're bleeding," I said, pointing. "I can see it."
He shifted his arm behind him. "Jay, you don't handle blood well. You should go to your room."
"That doesn't mean I'll leave you like this."
He let out a small, tired laugh. "You're really stubborn, you know that?"
"Now let me see," I said, moving closer.
He hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But close the door first. Someone might see."
I closed the door behind me.
"Now," I said. "let me see.
"There's blood," he muttered, grabbing some tissues and pressing them against his arm, trying to clean it himself.
He flinched.
That was all I needed to see.
"Stop," I said firmly. "Let me see properly."
He tried to pull his arm away, protesting quietly, but I didn't let him.
"I'll get the first aid box," I said, already turning toward the door.
I slipped out of Yuri's room quietly and went downstairs to find the first aid box. My mind was focused bandage, antiseptic, tape. Nothing else.
Or so I thought.
"Jay?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Aries stood near the cabinet, looking at me and then at the box in my hands.
"What are you doing?" he asked slowly.
I panicked.
Thinking fast was not my strength.
"I—uh—cleaning," I blurted out.
He frowned. "With a first aid box?"
"Yes," I nodded confidently. "Very advanced cleaning."
Aries stared at me.
"...Jay."
"It's for uh safety," I added. "You never know. Tables can be dangerous."
He crossed his arms. "Someone's hurt."
"No," I said instantly. Too instantly. "Absolutely not."
"You're sweating."
"I always sweat when I clean," I said seriously. "It's my thing."
Silence.
Then his eyes narrowed. "Who's injured?"
I waved my hand dismissively. "Ah..it just a little cut in my hand"
"That's not reassuring."
I tightened my grip on the box. "I'll handle it."
Aries stepped closer. "So let me handle it. I'll do the first aid."
"No," I said again, blocking him without thinking.
He raised an eyebrow. "Jay."
"I mean if you do it, it'll become... a big thing," I said quickly. "You know. Aries-style. Serious. Intimidating. Medical pressure."
"...Medical pressure."
"Yes," I nodded. "Very bad for healing."
He looked at me for a long moment.
I took the chance.
And rushed upstairs before he could change his mind.
When I returned, Yuri was sitting on the edge of his bed, arm still bleeding, eyes following me quietly.
I placed the box down.
"Now," I said again, opening it, "don't move."