Keifer's POV:
The door slammed behind her, leaving a hollow silence that swallowed everything.
I stood there, still catching the echo of her footsteps fading down the hallway. Each one hit like a pulse in my head—fast, uneven, disappearing.
For a second, I didn't breathe.
Her voice still rang in my ears—"You don't get to care! You don't get to act like you still have a place in my life!"
The sting from her slap was still there, burning across my cheek, but the real pain wasn't skin-deep. It sat heavy in my chest, clawing from the inside out.
I pressed my palms to my face, trying to block it all out—the noise, the guilt, the goddamn image of her eyes right before she shoved me away.
I never meant for it to go this far.
I never meant to lose her.
I walked to the window, looking down. The night outside buzzed faintly with city lights, and somewhere far below, I caught a glimpse of her figure darting through the parking lot, her heels clicking against the pavement.
Every part of me screamed to go after her. To stop her. To just tell her everything—how I wasn't the same person who broke her.
But she wouldn't believe me.
And maybe she shouldn't.
My hands curled into fists. I punched the wall once, the sound echoing sharp against the quiet.
Blood smeared across my knuckles, but the pain grounded me.
I leaned my forehead against the wall, closing my eyes.
"Damn it, Jay…" I whispered. "You think I wanted this?"
The memories wouldn't stop coming.
Her laughter when she was with Section E. The way she used to roll her eyes when I teased her. The way she'd say my name—soft, half-annoyed, half-fond.
And then the look she gave me tonight—like I was the villain in her story. Maybe I am.
My reflection in the glass window looked back at me—tired, angry, broken.
The great Keifer Watson, the one everyone followed, couldn't even keep the one person who mattered.
Outside, a gust of wind rattled the balcony door, snapping me back. I exhaled roughly and ran a hand through my hair.
She was gone. Again.
And this time… she didn't look back.
I turned away from the window, walked to the table, and grabbed the glass that was sitting there—someone must've left it earlier during the party.
The drink burned down my throat, but it didn't help.
Nothing would.
I looked around the empty room—balloons deflated, laughter muffled from the next condo over. The place smelled like sugar and smoke and something fading.
Her presence still lingered here, haunting, untouchable.
For a long time, I just stood there, staring at the door she'd run through.
"You said I don't get to care…" I murmured. "But what if that's all I've got left?"
My voice cracked on the last word. I swallowed hard, pressing my hand to my chest as if I could hold everything inside—regret, rage, love.
Then I sank onto the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor.
If she thought I was done fighting for her… she was wrong.
But not tonight.
Not like this.
Tonight, she needed to hate me.
And I—
I needed to let her.
Because if I didn't, I'd break the little pieces of her that were still standing....
Jay's POV:
I ran.
I didn't care where I was going—all I knew was that I had to get away. Away from Keifer, from his words, from that look in his eyes that tore through every wall I'd rebuilt.
The city lights blurred into streaks as my heels clattered against the pavement. My lungs burned, my heart felt like it was splitting open, and my vision—God—my vision was just a mess of tears and streetlights.
"Stop, Jay!" someone called from far behind, but I couldn't.
Not this time.
I turned the corner blindly—and headlights flared.
A car.
Too close. Too fast.
My body froze. I couldn't even scream.
Then—
Strong hands yanked me back, spinning me into the safety of someone's chest. The car honked, skidded past, the sound ripping through the night.
"JAY!"
The voice—steady, familiar.
Stella.
I looked up, breath hitching, and there she was—hair messy from the wind, eyes wide and terrified.
She gripped my shoulders, shaking slightly. "Are you out of your mind?! You could've been—" She stopped when she saw my face. The tears, the trembling. Her anger melted instantly.
And then I broke. Completely.
My knees gave out, and she caught me before I hit the ground.
"Stella…" My voice cracked. "I can't— I can't do this anymore…"
She held me tighter, rubbing my back as I sobbed into her shoulder. Every word poured out of me—the fight, Keifer, Yuri, everything.
The lies, the guilt, the pain of still loving someone who'd broken me.
Stella didn't interrupt. She just stayed there, silent, arms around me like she was holding every piece that threatened to fall apart.
When I was finally too exhausted to cry, she whispered softly, "Let's go home, okay?"
I nodded weakly. She guided me to her car, buckled me in, and drove—slowly, carefully, like one wrong turn might shatter me all over again.
By the time we reached home, I was barely conscious. The moment my feet hit the floor, the world tilted.
"Jay!" Stella called out, catching me before I fell again.
I heard voices—David, Cole,Percy—running toward us. Someone lifted me, another voice shouting for a doctor.
Everything became a blur.
Cool hands pressed a damp cloth to my forehead.
The doctor's calm but serious tone: " She's exhausted — mentally, emotionally. The panic attack was triggered by prolonged distress. She needs complete rest… and no more emotional strain."
Then silence.
-Stella's POV:
Jay lay motionless on the bed, her face pale, lashes wet from the tears that hadn't stopped even after she'd passed out. The doctor had just left, his words still ringing in the air like a warning bell:
"She's exhausted — mentally, emotionally. The panic attack was triggered by prolonged distress. She needs complete rest… and no more emotional strain."
Complete rest??
How could someone like Jay — someone who'd carried the weight of betrayal, love, and loss — ever find that?
I tucked the blanket around her, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. My chest ached just looking at her — my strong, stubborn, brilliant girl who'd been forced to grow thorns just to survive.
David stood near the window, fingers tapping against his arm restlessly. "This can't keep happening, Stella. She's barely hanging on. And now this?"
Cole was pacing, anger radiating off him. "Keifer did this. That bastard—"
"Enough." Percy's voice cut through the room.
He had arrived a few minutes ago, breathless and pale, the text from Stella having barely explained what had happened.
He looked between all of us, his usual playful demeanor nowhere in sight. "We can't keep blaming him without understanding why. But I swear to God, if he's the reason she ends up like this again…" His jaw tightened.
"She told me everything," I said quietly. "About the fight, about what he said, what Yuri said… She broke completely tonight. She couldn't even breathe."
Percy exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "Jay doesn't cry easily. If she reached this point, then it's bad. Really bad."
Cole leaned forward on the table, voice low and controlled. "Then we talk to him. Tonight."
David frowned. "And say what exactly? He's already twisted up enough."
"We tell him what he needs to know," Cole said. His tone carried that edge — the calm before a storm. "He's been acting out of anger, guilt, and pride because of something he doesn't even understand."
Stella glanced at him sharply. "Cole… you're not planning to—"
He met her gaze. "It's time he knows about Kaizer."
The room went silent. Even the air felt heavier.
David's eyes widened. "Kaizer… his father?"
Cole nodded. "Yes. The reason everything between him, Jay, and that goddamn Section E turned into this chaos. The reason Keifer's been living in denial and anger for years."
Percy leaned back against the wall, processing. "You're saying this mess… all of it… started with his father?"
Cole's voice softened, but the weight of it was unmissable. "Jay doesn't know the whole truth. Neither does Keifer. But if we don't tell him now, this guilt, this pain—it's going to destroy them both."
Stella finally stood, brushing her palms together like she was bracing herself. "Then let's do it. The longer we stay quiet, the more she'll suffer."
Cole nodded and turned to David. "Text him. Tell him we need to meet. Half an hour. At the old pier."
David typed fast, thumb trembling slightly as he reread the message before pressing send.
✉️> Half an hour. Meet us at the old pier. It's about Jay… and about Kaizer.
The sound of the message whooshing away filled the silence.
Percy looked over at Jay — still unconscious, her fingers curled loosely on the blanket. His eyes softened. "She doesn't deserve this," he murmured. "Any of it. She just wanted peace."
Cole's voice was quiet but firm. "Then we make sure she gets it."
For a long moment, no one moved. The clock ticked. Rain started pattering softly against the windows.
And then Cole grabbed his coat.
"Let's go," he said.
"It's time Keifer hears the truth...."