Keifer POV
Two days.
That's how long I'd been in emotional purgatory.
JayJay turned the island into a battlefield of petty vengeance and poetic justice.
She made me scrub the deck with a toothbrush.
She made me write a haiku about her socks.
She made me sleep on the couch with a towel for a blanket and a sticky note that said "Regret builds character."
And I took it.
All of it.
Because I deserved it.
Because I broke her heart.
Because I wanted her back.
But tonight?
Tonight I couldn't take it anymore.
Not the distance.
Not the silence.
Not the way she looked at me like she was still deciding if I was worth the risk.
So I lit candles.
Badly.
Burned my thumb twice.
Set the table on the deck with mango juice and her favorite chips.
No grand speeches.
No dramatic gestures.
Just me.
Trying.
I waited.
She came out in one of my shirts.
Hair messy.
Eyes tired.
Beautiful in the way that ruins me.
She sat down across from me, suspicious.
"What's this?"
"A truce," I said. "And a question."
She raised an eyebrow. "If you're about to propose with a mango, I'm leaving."
I laughed.
Then stood.
Walked around the table.
Took her hand.
And knelt.
Not because I had a ring.
But because I needed her to know I was serious.
"Jay," I said, voice shaking, "I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I love you. And I want to be yours. Officially. Loudly. Stupidly. Every day. Even when you throw spoons at me."
She blinked.
Didn't speak.
Just stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Then—
She stood up.
Pulled me to my feet.
And kissed me.
Soft.
Certain.
Like she'd been waiting for me to say it right.
JayJay POV
He asked.
Not with flowers.
Not with fireworks.
But with burnt fingers and a mango-scented apology.
And somehow?
It was perfect.
Because it was him.
Because it was real.
Because he didn't try to impress me.
He just showed up.
Messy.
Honest.
Mine.
I kissed him.
Because I was done pretending.
Because I was done punishing.
Because I was finally ready to say yes.
So I did.
"Yes," I whispered against his lips. "But if you ever lie to me again, I'm feeding you to the seagulls."
He laughed.
I didn't.
Because I was serious.
But also?
I was in love.
And for the first time in a long time—
That didn't feel like a mistake.