JAY-JAY POV
I woke up warm. Too warm. And definitely not alone.
My brain was foggy, but my body knew before I did. An arm around my waist. A chest against my back. A breath — steady, familiar — brushing the back of my neck.
I blinked. I looked down. Keifer's hand was resting on my hip like it paid rent.
Oh no. Oh hell no.
I turned slowly, trying not to wake him. But of course, he was already awake. Smirking like the smug little chaos he is.
"Morning, wifey," he whispered, voice thick with sleep.
I glared. "You broke the rule."
He stretched, shameless. "Technically, you broke it first. You rolled into me."
"I did not roll into you."
"You did. I was on the edge of the bed. You migrated."
I stared at him. Messy hair. Sleepy eyes. That stupid jawline. He looked unfairly good in the morning.
"I should kick you off the bed."
"You should kiss me instead."
I blinked. He grinned. My heart betrayed me with a skip.
"You're still on thin ice," I muttered, pulling the blanket over my face.
He tugged it down gently. "Then let me earn my way back. One cuddle at a time."
I hated him. I hated that I didn't really hate him. And I hated that his arms felt like home.
I wasn't snooping. I was exploring. There's a difference.
I was bored, mildly annoyed, and emotionally unstable — so obviously, I started opening drawers in Keifer's beach house like I owned the place.
That's when I found it. Leather-bound. Heavy. Titled: Love of My Life.
So naturally, I opened it.
Page one? A list of all the times he almost called me in London.
Page two? A breakdown of every curse I'd used in our last fight. He'd ranked them by creativity.
Page three? A sketch of me sleeping in his car. Lip gloss intact. Caption: She's chaos. I'm doomed.
I kept reading.
Entries about the day he smelled my perfume on someone else and had a panic attack in his office. About how he bought the island after dreaming I punched him and kissed him in the same breath. About how he hated himself for hurting me. About how he loved me so much it made him stupid.
I closed the journal. Sat there. Silent.
And for once? I didn't know what to feel.
KEIFER POV
She was quiet. Too quiet.
Which meant either she was planning my murder… Or she found the journal.
I walked into the living room. She was on the couch. My journal in her lap. Her face unreadable.
I froze.
"Jay—"
"You're insane," she said.
I nodded. "Accurate."
"You ranked my curses."
"They're art."
"You sketched me."
"You were glowing."
"You bought an island because of a dream?"
"I'm romantic."
She stared at me. Then stood. Walked over. And poked me in the chest.
"You're lucky I'm emotionally exhausted."
"I'll take it."
She sighed. Then muttered, "I hate you."
"I know."
"I hate that I don't really hate you."
"I know that too."
She looked up. Eyes glassy. Heart loud.
And me? I handed her a spoon.
"Cookies and cream?"
She blinked. Then I took it.
Because ice cream fixes everything. Even emotional sabotage. Even me.