JAY JAY POV
I was just about to take the last bite of my sandwich—the only thing that had gone right today—when a familiar voice pierced through the quiet of the rooftop.
"Jay!"
I looked up to see Mia rushing toward me, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling with that typical gossipy energy. She was moving so fast she didn't even notice the statue sitting right next to me.
And believe me, Jare had officially turned into a statue. The Second he saw her, his breathing stopped, his sandwich was forgotten, and his brain probably short-circuited.
"OMG Jay! Did you get to know the surprise Ben and Robin were talking about? Was it a car? A trip? A giant cake?!" Mia asked, practically bouncing on her heels.
I stared at her, then at the school gate in the distance. "Mia... don't you have school? Why are you here in the middle of the day?"
"Well, I snuck out! Boring kasi," she said, waving her hand dismissively like escaping school was a daily hobby. "But forget about that! Tell me na, what is the surprise? Don't keep me in suspense, Jay-Jay!"
I didn't say a word. I just slowly, dramatically tilted my head and pointed my finger at the guy sitting to my right.
Jare cleared his throat, but it sounded more like a choked sob. He slowly raised his hand and gave a weak, awkward wave.
"Hi, Mia," Jare said, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Mia froze.
And when I say froze, I mean she literally looked like someone had hit the pause button on her life. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, and the color drained from her face faster than water down a sink.
Who wouldn't freeze? It wasn't just a guest. It wasn't just my brother. It was the guy who had broken the "no dating Jay-Jay's friends" rule years ago. They used to date, and from the look on Mia's face, those memories were currently hitting her like a 10-wheel truck.
Leche. I thought having my brother here was going to be my protection? Now I'm the third wheel in a romantic horror movie.
"J-Jare?" Mia stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"In the flesh," I muttered, taking my last bite of the sandwich. "The 'surprise' has arrived, Mia. And apparently, he brought all his baggage with him."
I looked at both of them—Jare looking like a kicked puppy and Mia looking like she wanted to jump off the roof.
Mia looked like she was ready to set a world record for the 100-meter dash just to get away from Jare's gaze.
"Jay, I think I have to go back to my school," she said, her voice frantic as she checked her watch (which I'm pretty sure was upside down). "And one more thing! Me and mama and papa, we're going somewhere for two weeks. So I won't be coming by for a while. Same goes for Ben and Robin—they're coming with me."
She reached out and gave me a quick, suffocating hug. My brain processed the words, and a cold heavy feeling settled in my stomach. Two weeks? Everyone was leaving? Ben, Robin, Mia..
"What about me?!" I asked, clinging to her arm like a lost kid. "I also want to come! Don't leave me here with these crazy people!"
I was already imagining myself packing my bags, escaping the Ulupong texts and the Section E drama, when a hand landed on my shoulder.
"You can't go, Jay," Jare said quietly.
The playfulness was gone. His voice was deep, serious—the voice he used when he was being a "Mariano" and not just my annoying brother.
"It's dangerous," he added, his eyes meeting mine with a look that told me he wasn't joking
"Yeah, he is right. Be careful, Jay... we will get you something!" Mia said, her voice trailing off as she practically sprinted toward the exit.
I stood there, staring at the spot where she was just standing.
I turned my heavy gaze back to Jare. He was staring at the doorway, his expression unreadable.
"Mind to tell me why you two broke up?" I asked, crossing my arms. I wanted to see him squirm. I wanted one piece of the puzzle that made sense.
But of course, the universe is a hater.
RINGGGGGGG!
The school bell shrieked, echoing through the rooftop like a victory siren for Jare.
"We need to go to class!" Jare blurted out, a look of total relief flitting across his face. He didn't even wait for me to respond; he just started rushing toward the stairs like his pants were on fire.
Idiot. He is totally shifting the topic.
I rolled my eyes so hard it actually hurt and trudged back to Section E. My stomach was full of sandwich, but my head was full of questions that were making me dizzy.
As soon as I stepped into the classroom, the noise and chaos died down for a split second
Keifer was there.
He was leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed, staring at me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were speaking volumes. London. Tomorrow. You will be mine.
The memory of the music room, the taste of our salty tears, and the way he held me like he was afraid I'd vanish... it all came crashing back. I tried to look away "I don't care girl"
I was supposed to be, but my eyes had other plans.
They started to get wet again.
Leche. Why am I so weak when it comes to this guy? Why can't I just be a "Canvas" and be blank?
I quickly sat down and buried my face in my arms on the desk, hoping the wooden surface would just swallow me whole. My brother was behind me
I just wanted the day to end. But in Section E, when the sun goes down, that's usually when the real monsters come out to play.
The final bell rang, sounding more like a starting pistol than an end to the day.
"Jay, I'm gonna be at Percy's house. If you need anything, just call me and I will try to get you out of Angelo's house," Jare said. He leaned in and kissed my forehead—a rare moment of real 'Kuya' sweetness that actually made my heart ache. "And don't worry about the engagement. Kuya will take care of it."
He pointed at himself with a confident smirk. I couldn't help it; I let out a small laugh despite the mess my life was in.
"Thanks," I muttered.
I could feel Section E hovering behind me like a pack of wolves. I didn't even have to look to know Keifer was staring at the back of my head
But the moment was shattered when Aries came skidding toward us, his face pale and his breathing ragged.
"Did you see Ella?" he asked, his voice tight with a panic I hadn't seen from him in a long time.
I shook my head, my stomach dropping. "No, why?"
Aries turned to the rest of the guys. "What about you guys? Did anyone see her?"
"Wait... I think I saw Ella and Yuri heading toward the forest," Calix piped up.
Pakk! Denzel immediately smacked him on the back of the head, but the damage was already done.
"WHAT?!" Aries yelled.
He didn't wait for an explanation. He didn't wait for a plan. He just turned and bolted toward the forest at the edge of the school grounds. That place was creepy enough during the day, but with the sun starting to dip, it looked like a mouth waiting to swallow someone whole.
"Aries! Wait!" I shouted.
Jare and I didn't even trade looks—we just moved. We started running after him, our footsteps thudding against the grass.
I could hear another set of footsteps behind us. Heavy, steady, and familiar. I knew it was Keifer.
The world seemed to stop moving. The only sound was the heavy breathing of the guys behind me and the rustle of leaves. We were standing in the shadows, hidden by the thick brush, watching a scene that felt like it was ripped straight out of a tragic movie.
"Do you really love Jay-Jay?" Ella's voice was trembling, cutting through the cold air.
"Is this what you want to talk about?" Yuri replied, his voice defensive, sharp.
"Yuri, please answer my question."
A long silence followed. My heart was thumping so hard I was afraid they'd hear it. I felt Keifer's presence behind me, stiff and cold like a statue.
"Yes. I do," Yuri said.
I felt a sudden, scorching glare directed at the back of Yuri's head. It wasn't just Keifer—it was the combined heat of every complicated emotion in this forest.
"Does Aries know about this?" Yuri asked.
Beside me, I heard a faint, sickening sound of teeth grinding. I looked at Aries out of the corner of my eye. His jaw was so tight I thought it might shatter. He didn't know. He had been kept in the dark while his ex best friend and the girl he loved played this twisted game.
The conversation between them spiraled. Ella was begging, her voice thick with years of repressed pain. And then, she dropped the bomb that leveled everything.
"I never loved Keifer. I loved you, Yuri."
I froze. My breath hitched in my throat. I looked at Keifer, expecting him to be shocked, but he didn't move. His eyes were calm, dark, and knowing. He knew. He had always known that he was just a shield, a pawn in a bigger game.
"Why are you telling me this now?!" Yuri's voice was rising, filled with a mix of anger and disbelief as Ella revealed the truth about his mother—the threats, the business in Korea, the forced separation.
It was a classic rich-family nightmare, the kind that ruins lives before they even start. Ella was sobbing now, her body shaking with the weight of the secret she had carried for so long.
"I only loved you, Yuri!"
I felt something wet hit my hand. I looked up, confused, thinking it had started to rain. But when I looked at Aries, my heart broke.
Tears were streaming down his face. Aries... the Joker, the one who always had a laugh, was crying. He really loved her. He had given her everything, only to find out he was a second choice to his own friend.
"Liar!" Yuri yelled.
"Yuri, please... I loved you," Ella whispered.
That was it. The breaking point.
I felt Aries' body lurch forward as he stood up from the brush
"Ella Dianne," he said, his voice sounding like it was being dragged over broken glass.
Ella and Yuri jumped back, their faces turning ghost-white as they saw us emerging from the shadows. Aries moved like a man possessed, his fist balled and ready to collide with Yuri's face—the face of the friend who had unknowingly stolen his world.
But Keifer moved faster. He stepped in, his arms locking around Aries, holding him back with brute strength.
"Aries! Please, Aries!" Ella wailed, trying to reach for him.
"Do you still have feelings for him?" Aries asked. It wasn't a shout. It was a plea for a lie, for anything to stop the bleeding in his chest.
Ella didn't answer. She just stood there, her silence louder than any scream.
"Aries... please," Ella tried to grab his hand, but he recoiled as if she were made of fire. He pushed her away, his eyes filled with a pain so deep it made my own eyes sting.
"It's... not like that," she stammered.
"Let me go, Watson," Aries growled, struggling against Keifer's grip. His voice was raw, dangerous. "Let. Me. Go."
Keifer didn't. He held on tighter, his own expression grim. He knew that if he let go
Just then Jare punched Yuri for Aries
Seriously what is with Jare punching Yuri
"YURI" Ella screamed going to Yuri to see if he was fine or not
"What the fuck Jay who is he?" Ella asked turning to me angrily
"Wow Jay having 3 men running after you must be having fun" Ella said to angrily
"What are you talking about?" I asked Ella
"You know what I'm talking about Keifer, Yuri and now him" She said pointing at Jare
"What the fuck Ella?" Aries screamed at Ella
"Are you calling my sister a player" Aries screamed at her
"Aries please listen to me I was just saying what was truth" Ella said turning to Aries with pleading eyes
Aries got away from Keifer's grip "Talk to my sister like that again and I will forget your a women" he said pointing a finger at Ella
"Aries" Ella said
"For your information, she is my twin sister!" Jare barked, stepping up beside Aries. The two of them looked like a wall of pure Mariano-driven fury. "You're lucky you're a woman, or else—"
I moved quickly, grabbing Jare's hands and shaking my head. Stop. Just stop. The air was already thick enough with misery; we didn't need more blood on the grass.
Aries turned his gaze back to Ella, and the anger fled, replaced by a look of agonizing betrayal. "Why did you do this to me, ha? You told me you were forced! You told me you needed help! You used me"
"Aries, please listen—"
"Go be with whoever you want," Aries interrupted, his voice suddenly hollow. He let go of her completely, his hands dropping to his sides like lead weights. "I don't care about you anymore. I'm done."
He turned around and started to walk back toward the school. His steps were heavy, uneven. He looked like a man who had just had his entire world pulled out from under him.
"Aries!" I cried out.
I ran to him, catching him just as he stumbled. I grabbed his arm, steadying him because he looked like he was about to collapse right there in the dirt. His body was shaking
Leche. This wasn't a romance anymore. This was a massacre. I held onto Aries tight, glaring back at the chaos we were leaving behind. Keifer was watching us, Ella was sobbing on the ground, and Yuri was still clutching his jaw.
Jare followed close behind us, his eyes still sharp and alert, acting like a bodyguard while I basically dragged Aries' limp spirit toward the parking lot. The tension was thick enough to choke on.
Aries suddenly stopped and turned his head slightly toward my brother. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he'd aged ten years in the last ten minutes.
"I heard about it... you and Jenna having twins," Aries said, his voice barely a rasp.
I froze. Leche. Even in the middle of his own heart being ripped out, Aries was still piecing together the Mariano family secrets.
Jare's expression didn't change, but his jaw tightened. "We will talk later," he said firmly. It wasn't a brush-off; it was a promise.
Aries just gave a slow, tired nod. We reached his car, and for the first time, I was the one opening the door for him. He slumped into the passenger seat like a puppet with its strings cut and I took the driver's seat—thankfully, my brothers had made sure I knew how to handle a wheel, even if my nerves were fried.
The drive was quiet.
Very quiet.
The only sound was the low hum of the engine and the occasional sniffle that Aries couldn't quite hide. I looked at him through the corner of my eye. He was staring out the window, watching the city lights blur into long, jagged streaks of gold and red.
This wasn't the Aries I knew.
The Aries I knew was supposed to be mad. He was supposed to be grump
But this Aries? He was just... hollow. No temper, no jokes about constellations, no barking orders. Just a guy staring at the window like he was looking into a void.
It scared me more than his shouting ever could.
"Aries," I whispered, my voice barely reaching over the hum of the engine. "Do you want to get some ice cream? Or maybe we can go to the arcade and you can punch a machine until your hand hurts?"
I was trying. Leche, I was trying so hard to bring back the old Aries.
He didn't even turn his head. His eyes were fixed on the dark house in front of him, his silhouette framed by the dim glow of the streetlights.
"Just go home na," he said, his voice so quiet it was almost swallowed by the wind.
The way he said it—using that soft, dismissive 'na'—hit me harder than Jare's punch had hit Yuri. It was the sound of a person who had given up. No more horoscope talk, no more bossing me around, no more protecting me. He just wanted to be alone in the dark with his shattered heart.
"But Aries—"
"Go, Jay. Please," he interrupted.
I bit my lip, the metallic taste of worry filling my mouth. I wanted to jump out of the car, hug him, and tell him that Ella wasn't worth the stars in his eyes but I stayed clam because he needed space