Keifer's POV:
I followed her silently, every step measured, heart hammering like it had a rhythm of its own. When she turned a corner and I gently grabbed her wrist, guiding her into the relative privacy of one of the empty condos in the building, her body stiffened.
Before I could even speak, her hand shot up—and slapped me. Hard. The sting was sharp, burning across my cheek, but I didn't flinch. I could see the fire in her eyes—the mix of anger, hurt, and disbelief.
Her chest heaved. "Don't. You don't get to corner me. Don't you dare think you own me, Keifer!"
I studied her for a long moment, every line of tension in her body, every flicker of emotion in her gaze. "I don't," I said finally, almost whispering. "But I can't stand seeing you like this… like you're falling apart because of me, or because of anyone else."
Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "Then why? Why are you doing this? After everything?"
"I'm doing this because I care," I admitted, voice dropping lower. "Because seeing you like this—lost, angry, betrayed—it burns me alive. You think I don't know what I've done to you? You think I don't feel every tear you've shed, every time you hate me or Section E or even me? I've lived with it every day since I… since everything happened."
She took a step back, eyes narrowing, lips trembling. "You have no right—no right to act like you care after everything you've done. You made me fall for you. You made me trust you. And you… you broke me, Keifer. You let everything happen just because of them—Aries, Ella, everyone else. You made me hate my own friends, hate myself!"
I felt a pang in my chest, but I kept my tone steady, almost too calm for the storm inside me. "I know," I admitted, raw. "I can't undo the past. I can't erase what I did. But I can be here. I can fix what's left. I can fight to make it right—even if it takes everything in me."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Fix what's left? You think you can fix this with words?"
"I don't think," I said. "I know. You're the one person I'd burn the world for, Jay‑Jay. And if I have to, I'll start with myself."
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You don't even know what that means."
"Maybe not," I said, stepping closer, "but I'm willing to learn. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for you to see that none of it—none of it—was about making you hurt. Not really."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, fists still clenched, lips pressed tight. "You don't get to tell me that, Keifer. Not now. Not ever."
I swallowed, holding my ground, letting my gaze meet hers without flinching. "Then let me show you."
Her tearful glare didn't waver. The room felt smaller, tighter, the air thick with unspoken words. I could feel the tension, the fury, the betrayal—but beneath it all, I could also see the flicker of the girl I knew: stubborn, fearless, unwilling to bend.
And I wouldn't let her go, not now, not ever....
Jay's POV:
The moment he started speaking, my chest tightened, and my blood boiled. Every word from him felt like salt on a wound that hadn't healed—not because I didn't want to hear him, but because I didn't want him to think he could fix this with words.
"You—you think I don't know what I've suffered?!" I shouted, voice breaking, hands shaking as I pointed at him. "Do you even hear yourself, Keifer? You ruined everything! You made me hate the only people I trusted, twisted my world upside down, and all because of your stupid games with Aries, Ella… and yourself!"
He stepped closer, but I refused to back down. "Don't come near me!" I yelled, taking a step back, my eyes blazing. "I—I don't need you to save me, I don't need your excuses, and I sure as hell don't need you acting like I should forgive you just because you say you care!"
Keifer's jaw tightened, eyes darkening, but I wasn't done. "You made me feel… special, you know? Like maybe someone in this world cared about me. And then… you broke me! And now you want me to just—what—accept that everything is fine because you say so?!"
I could see the tension ripple through him, the fight he was holding back, the guilt pressing down on him—but that didn't matter. I wasn't done with my rage.
"You know what?" I screamed, my hands trembling. "I'm done! Done with the lies, done with the games, done with you!"
I shoved him hard, the force enough to stagger him back, and without looking, I turned on my heel.
My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as I ran through the party hall, the balloons and music blurring around me. I didn't care who saw, who noticed. I didn't care about the shocked faces of Section E or anyone else.
I needed space. Needed air. Needed to get as far away from him as possible.
"You're—you're impossible!" I yelled over my shoulder, voice echoing, even though he didn't answer. I felt my chest heave with every step, tears hot on my cheeks, but I didn't stop. Not until the party hall faded behind me, and I was out in the cool night air, my hands clutching my chest, trying to steady the storm inside me.
I didn't look back. Not once.....