Chapter 68 - Chapter 64 Sleepless Night

🌙 Chapter 64: Sleepless Night

The villa became quiet after dinner.

Not completely silent.

The ocean was still there outside, loud and endless, waves crashing against rocks like the sea itself had anger issues. Wind pushed softly against the glass windows, carrying the smell of salt and rain into the air.

But inside the villa, everything had slowed down.

Keifer was cleaning the kitchen.

Jay sat on the couch pretending not to watch him.

The problem was she'd been pretending for almost ten minutes now.

He looked… normal.

That annoyed her.

Because how could someone casually cook dinner after kidnapping a person onto a private island?

Psychotic behavior.

And yet—

The food had been good.

Very good.

Annoyingly good.

Jay sat with one leg folded beneath her while absentmindedly scrolling through her dead phone even though there was obviously no signal here.

She still hated him.

Probably.

Maybe.

Whatever.

From the kitchen, Keifer glanced at her briefly.

"You've been glaring at your phone for five minutes."

"I'm trying to mentally intimidate the signal tower."

"Is it working?"

"No. This island is poor."

Keifer snorted softly.

That stupid laugh again.

Jay hated how familiar it sounded.

The kitchen light reflected softly against the wooden walls of the villa while rain tapped lightly outside. Everything about this place felt warm in a dangerous kind of way.

Too peaceful.

Too isolated.

Too easy to think in.

And thinking was exactly what Jay tried avoiding lately.

Keifer finished cleaning after a while and walked toward the living room, drying his hands with a towel.

"You should sleep," he said quietly.

Jay immediately looked suspicious. "Why do you sound like a murderer."

"I cooked for you."

"Poison cooks too."

"That's offensive."

"It's accurate."

He sat on the couch across from her, looking tired now.

Not dramatic tired.

Real tired.

Jay noticed that too.

Unfortunately.

"You still look sick," she muttered before she could stop herself.

Keifer lifted one eyebrow slightly. "Concern?"

"Disgust."

"Ah."

"Your existence weakens my immune system."

"And yet you ate my food."

Jay clicked her tongue and looked away.

The annoying thing was—

Dinner had felt normal.

Like painfully normal.

They argued while cooking.

She insulted him three times because he kept standing too close.

He stole pieces of vegetables from the cutting board.

She almost stabbed his hand with the knife.

Domestic terrorism.

And somehow that scared her more than the island itself.

Because for small moments tonight…

She forgot to stay angry.

That realization sat heavily in her chest now.

Keifer stretched slightly against the couch before speaking again.

"There's clothes in the closet if you want to shower."

Jay frowned. "What closet."

"The one upstairs."

She stared at him suspiciously.

"…Why do you sound prepared."

Keifer suddenly looked very interested in the ceiling.

Jay narrowed her eyes.

"Keifer."

"What."

"What did you do."

"Nothing illegal."

"That answer made it worse."

He sighed dramatically before standing up. "Come upstairs."

"This sounds unsafe."

"You threaten murder every hour. I think I'm the victim here."

"You should be."

Jay followed him upstairs anyway because curiosity was stronger than survival instincts apparently.

The second he opened the door beside the bedroom—

Jay froze.

"…What the fuck."

It wasn't just a closet.

It was practically a damn store.

Rows of clothes.

Dresses.

Hoodies.

Shorts.

Shoes.

Jewelry.

Everything arranged neatly like someone had spent weeks preparing it.

Jay slowly looked toward Keifer.

"…Why are there this many clothes."

"You get cold easily."

"That doesn't explain THIS."

He scratched the back of his neck slightly now, suddenly looking less confident.

"I didn't know what you'd like."

The answer hit weirdly.

Too soft.

Too thoughtful.

Jay walked further inside slowly, fingertips brushing against fabric.

Everything was her size.

Every single thing.

Even the hoodies looked like things she'd actually wear.

That part bothered her most.

Because it meant he remembered.

Not just her size.

Her.

"You're creepy," she muttered quietly.

Keifer leaned against the doorframe. "That's not a thank you."

"I'm not thanking you for stalking my fashion sense."

"You wore black hoodies for almost two years straight."

"They're emotionally supportive."

"I know."

That stupid sentence again.

I know.

Like he noticed everything.

Jay looked away before he could read too much from her face.

"Whatever," she muttered. "I'm showering."

"Okay."

She grabbed random clothes from the rack and disappeared into the bathroom before her chest could get any tighter.

The warm water should've relaxed her.

Instead, her brain became louder.

That was the problem with quiet places.

There was nowhere to hide from your own thoughts.

By the time Jay came back downstairs wearing one of the oversized hoodies from the closet, the villa lights were dimmer.

Keifer looked up briefly from the couch.

Then paused.

Jay instantly narrowed her eyes.

"What."

"Nothing."

"You looked too long."

"You stole my hoodie."

"I'm cold."

"You look cute."

"Die."

Keifer laughed softly under his breath while Jay aggressively sat on the opposite side of the couch.

The silence between them wasn't sharp tonight.

That scared her too.

Because she was getting used to this.

To him.

Again.

Later, when they finally went to sleep, Jay realized another problem.

She couldn't.

At all.

She turned to one side.

Then the other.

Then aggressively flipped the pillow.

Nothing worked.

The sound of waves outside somehow made her thoughts worse.

She counted sheep.

Then buffaloes.

Then mentally cursed Keifer forty-seven times.

Still awake.

"Bwisit—damn it," she muttered under her breath.

Maybe milk.

Tita Gemma always said warm milk helps people sleep.

Jay groaned dramatically before forcing herself out of bed.

The wooden floor felt cold beneath her feet as she walked downstairs quietly.

The villa was dark except for faint moonlight spilling through the windows.

She reached the kitchen—

Then stopped.

Keifer was outside.

Sitting on the edge of the balcony railing like a complete psychopath.

Beer bottle in hand.

Three empty bottles beside him already.

The ocean wind moved through his hair softly while he stared into the darkness ahead.

Jay stayed quiet for a second.

Watching him.

He looked…

Lonely.

That realization bothered her more than it should've.

She almost walked away.

Then the balcony wood creaked softly beneath her foot.

Keifer glanced back immediately.

Their eyes met.

For a second neither spoke.

Then he looked away first.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked quietly.

Jay crossed her arms. "You're sitting like you have a death wish."

"Probably."

The answer came too fast.

Jay frowned slightly.

She walked closer slowly, stopping near the doorway instead of beside him.

"You're drinking too much."

"I know."

"Then stop."

Keifer stared out at the ocean again.

The silence stretched longer this time.

Then quietly—

"I missed you."

Jay's chest tightened immediately.

Annoying.

She looked away toward the waves.

"Beer makes people dramatic."

"I missed you sober too."

Worse.

That was worse.

Jay swallowed slightly before speaking again.

"You should sleep."

Keifer laughed softly under his breath.

"Can't."

"Why."

He looked down at the bottle in his hands for a second.

Then finally admitted quietly:

"My body clock's still adjusting."

Something about the honesty in his voice made Jay step closer before she could stop herself.

She leaned carefully against the balcony doorway beside him.

Close enough to hear his breathing.

Not touching.

Never touching first.

The wind outside felt colder now.

Jay rubbed her arms absentmindedly.

Then suddenly—

Keifer spoke again.

"Jay."

"What."

"Let me sleep beside you tonight."

Her breath caught slightly.

"It's cold," he added quietly. "And I haven't slept properly in days."

Jay should've said no immediately.

Instead she stood there silently like an idiot.

Because the exhaustion in his voice sounded real.

Because he looked tired.

Because part of her remembered nights before everything broke apart.

And that part scared her most.

"…Fine," she muttered eventually. "But if you annoy me while sleeping, I'm kicking you off the bed."

Keifer smiled slightly.

Small.

Real.

"Okay."

They laid down quietly afterward.

Far apart at first.

Jay faced the wall immediately because looking at him felt dangerous tonight.

The room stayed dark except for faint moonlight spilling through the curtains.

For a while neither spoke.

Then eventually—

Jay felt warmth move closer carefully behind her.

Not trapping.

Just there.

Keifer's hand rested lightly near her waist.

Gentle enough to move away from.

But Jay didn't.

Her body betrayed her immediately, relaxing slightly against the warmth before she could stop it.

Embarrassing.

"You're warm," Keifer murmured sleepily behind her.

"Shut up."

A soft laugh touched his voice.

Then silence again.

Jay closed her eyes finally.

For the first time all night, sleep slowly started pulling at her.

Then quietly—

So quietly she almost thought she imagined it—

Keifer whispered:

"I really missed you."

Jay's throat tightened painfully.

"I'm sorry."

Another pause.

"You have no idea how much."

Jay kept her eyes closed tightly.

Because suddenly they burned.

And when sleep finally reached her later that night—

Silent tears disappeared into the pillow beneath her face.

...