Study, Secrets, and the Smell of Burnt Toast

Study, Secrets, and the Smell of Burnt Toast

JAY JAY POV

The house was suspiciously clean.

Which meant one thing:

he was trying to behave.

To the world, Keifer was calm. Collected.

The kind of guy professors liked and classmates feared.

He spoke in facts, moved like a shadow, and rarely raised his voice.

But with me?

He was a pokki.

Clingy.

Dramatic.

Emotionally chaotic in the most annoying, adorable way.

"Did you vacuum?" I asked, stepping over a suspiciously spotless rug.

He shrugged. "Didn't want your friends to think I live in a tech cave."

"You do live in a tech cave."

"Not today."

The doorbell rang.

Keifer straightened like he was about to host a diplomatic summit.

Lila and Eric stepped in, notebooks in hand, tension tucked behind polite smiles.

Keifer greeted them with a nod.

Cool.

Calm.

Like he hadn't just begged me for five more kisses ten minutes ago.

I rolled my eyes.

This boy.

Keifer was supposed to be studying.

We all were.

But instead of solving equations, he was solving the mystery of how many forehead kisses he could sneak in before Eric combusted.

I was mid-sentence, explaining a stats formula to Lila, when Keifer leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

I blinked. "Keif—"

He grinned. "Motivation."

Eric looked up from his notebook.

His jaw didn't move.

But his eyes did.

They flicked to Keifer's hand on my knee, then to my face, then back to his notes.

I swallowed.

Keifer didn't notice.

Or maybe he did and didn't care.

I turned back to my laptop, trying to focus. But then I saw it.

Keifer's notebook.

Half-filled with actual notes.

Half-filled with my name.

Jay.

Jay Jay.

J.J.

Little hearts.

Jay Jay Mariano Waston

I stared. "Keifer."

He looked up, innocent. "What?"

"You're doodling."

"I'm multitasking."

"You're doodling me."

He leaned in, voice low. "You're my favorite subject."

Lila coughed. Eric stood up. "I need water."

He walked to the kitchen, fast.

I watched him go, heart twisting.

Keifer kissed my cheek again.

I smiled.

But something in me tugged.

Because Eric had looked at me like I was the answer to a question he hadn't dared to ask.

And I didn't know what to do with that.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LILA POV

Keifer kissed Jay's forehead again. Soft. Unapologetic. Like it was normal. Like it was his normal.

Jay didn't even flinch. She just smiled, nudged him with her elbow, and went back to her notes.

I stared at my textbook, the words blurring. I'd never seen Keifer like this. Not in class. Not in the halls. Not even in passing.

He was always calm.

Untouchable.

The kind of guy who made you feel like you were interrupting something important just by saying hi.

But with Jay?

Clingy.

Soft.

Doodling her name in the margins of his notebook like a lovesick teenager.

I glanced at the page.

Jay.

Jay Jay.

J.J.

Little hearts.

Jay Jay Mariano Waston

I looked away. Swallowed the ache.

I liked him.

Before I knew it.

Before I saw it.

Now I was just trying not to fall apart in a living room that smelled like cinnamon and memories I'd never get to make.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ERIC POV

Keifer kissed her again.

Forehead.

Cheek.

Temple.

Jay laughed, shoved him lightly, but didn't move away.

I stared at my notes.

Pretended to read.

Pretended not to see.

But I saw everything.

The way she leaned into him.

The way he looked at her like she was the only thing that made sense.

The way her name filled his notebook like it was the only word he wanted to write.

Jay Jay.

J.J.

Little hearts.

I closed my book.

Stood up. "I need water."

No one stopped me.

No one asked if I was okay.

Because I wasn't supposed to be.

Because I wasn't him.

I stood in the kitchen, staring at the sink.

Trying to breathe.

Trying not to feel.

But I'd looked at her like she was the answer.

And she'd looked at him like he was the whole equation.

The night was quiet. Streetlights flickered. Leaves rustled. And Lila walked beside me like she was waiting for the right moment to detonate.

"So you like Jay," she said, casual as a grenade.

I blinked. "What are you talking about?"

She glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. "Eric."

"I don't—"

"You do," Lila said.

I kept walking, but my steps slowed.

"I can see the look in your eyes," she continued. "It says 'I love Jay.'"

I stopped. Turned to her. Met her gaze.

"Well," I said, voice low, "I can say the same thing about you."

She blinked. "What?"

"You like Keifer."

Her mouth opened. Then closed. Classic Lila move—pretend confusion, stall for time.

"You think you can hide it," I said. "But I see it. Every time he talks to Jay. Every time he looks at her like she's the only person in the room."

She looked away. "It's not the same."

"It is."

"I have an idea," Lila said.

We were halfway down Maple Street, the streetlights casting long shadows behind us.

I glanced at her. "What?"

She hesitated. Then: "You like Jay. And I like Keifer. What if we... I don't know... break them up?"

I stopped walking. Stared at her. Waiting for the punchline.

It didn't come.

"You're serious?" I asked.

She shrugged, but her eyes were sharp. "They're not perfect. You saw it too. Jay flinched when he kissed her in front of us. Keifer doesn't even notice how much she's pulling away."

"She's not pulling away," I said, but it came out weak.

Lila tilted her head. "Isn't she?"

I didn't answer.

Because part of me wanted to believe she was right.

That maybe Jay wasn't as sure as she looked.

That maybe Keifer wasn't as perfect as he seemed.

"I like that idea," I said, before I could stop myself.

Lila smiled.

Not sweet.

Not cruel.

Just... determined.

We didn't shake hands.

Didn't pinky swear.

Didn't say "deal."

But it was a pact.

Unspoken.

Sharp-edged.

Built on heartbreak and hope.

"I'll talk to Jay," I said, voice low.

Lila nodded. "I'll get Keifer alone."

We kept walking.

One mile.

Two hearts.

Four intentions.

________________________________________________

Hey besties 💌 I've got an update—one good, one bad.

🔻 Bad news first: I'm only unloading one chapter today 😭

✨ But the good news? I started a brand new book 📖💥

It's called The Quiet Between Us (Jayfer) — and yes, it's full of emotional chaos, slow-burn tension, and the kind of heartbreak that lingers in silence 🥀

Go check it out and tell me if your heart survives Chapter One 😌💔