🌙 Chapter 66: Fever
Jay knew something was wrong the moment the villa became quiet.
Not normal quiet.
Wrong quiet.
Keifer was never quiet for this long.
Usually he annoyed her every fifteen minutes minimum. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes just by breathing too confidently.
But this morning?
Nothing.
No sarcastic comments.
No dramatic sighs.
No "good morning" that sounded way too soft.
Just silence.
Jay sat on the kitchen counter eating cereal straight from the box while staring suspiciously toward the hallway upstairs.
The ocean outside looked calmer today. Sunlight reflected across the water beautifully while wind moved softly through the curtains.
Everything felt peaceful.
Which honestly should've been her first warning sign.
She checked the time again on the useless clock near the wall.
Still nothing.
"…Did he die," she muttered.
A pause.
Then another thought:
"…Can people die from overconfidence?"
Jay grabbed the cereal box and walked upstairs slowly.
Not because she cared.
Obviously not.
She just needed confirmation that the idiot was alive.
That's all.
The bedroom door stayed slightly open.
Jay knocked once against the wood.
No answer.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Keifer."
Still nothing.
Now genuinely suspicious, she pushed the door open further.
And froze.
Keifer was asleep.
Not unusual.
What WAS unusual was the fact that he looked terrible.
Sweat covered his forehead slightly. His breathing looked heavier than normal, eyebrows pulled together faintly even in sleep like his body was uncomfortable.
Jay immediately walked closer.
"…Oi."
No response.
She touched his forehead.
Then immediately pulled her hand back.
"Holy shit."
Burning.
Actually burning.
Jay stared at him in disbelief for a second.
"You dumbass."
Of course he got sick.
Yesterday he spent half the day in the ocean, then stayed awake drinking beer outside like some depressed movie character.
Now his body finally gave up.
"Keifer."
This time she shook his shoulder lightly.
He groaned quietly before opening his eyes slowly.
And somehow—
Even sick, he still looked annoyingly handsome.
Life was unfair.
"You look ugly," Jay informed him.
Keifer blinked tiredly at her before mumbling:
"That's mean."
"You have fever."
"You noticed."
"You're sweating like a dying Victorian child."
A weak laugh escaped him.
Then he closed his eyes again immediately.
Jay crossed her arms.
"…Don't do that."
"Do what."
"Act unconscious dramatically."
"I'm literally sick."
"You're still dramatic."
Keifer looked too exhausted to argue properly.
That bothered her more than expected.
Usually he always had energy. Even after emotional conversations. Even after fights.
Seeing him quiet like this felt strange.
Wrong.
"Did you take medicine?"
A pause.
Then softly:
"…Forgot."
Jay stared at him blankly.
"You forgot."
"I was sleepy."
"You're unbelievable."
He made a weak noise that almost sounded like laughing.
Jay clicked her tongue aggressively before turning around.
"Stay there."
"Where else would I go."
"Don't test me."
She walked downstairs quickly, irritation growing with every step.
Why was SHE the one taking care of him now?
This was emotional manipulation.
Probably.
Still, ten minutes later she returned upstairs carrying:
medicine
water
cold towel
thermometer
and remaining annoyance
Keifer looked half asleep again when she entered.
Jay shoved the medicine toward him immediately.
"Drink."
"You sound abusive."
"You drugged me first. This is revenge healthcare."
Keifer actually smiled slightly at that.
Small.
Tired.
Jay hated that her chest reacted to it instantly.
He swallowed the medicine slowly before leaning back against the headboard again.
Jay sat near the edge of the bed reluctantly while placing the cold towel on his forehead.
Keifer closed his eyes immediately.
The room stayed quiet for a while.
Only waves outside.
Only wind.
Only the sound of his breathing slowly evening out.
Jay looked away toward the window.
"This is your karma," she muttered.
"For what."
"For existing."
"You still stayed."
The words came softly.
Too softly.
Jay's fingers tightened slightly around the towel.
"That's because if you died here I'd go to prison somehow."
"You'd miss me."
"No."
"You hesitated."
"I was thinking of stronger insults."
Keifer's lips twitched faintly.
Then silence again.
Jay hated silence lately.
Silence let thoughts grow.
And right now her brain kept noticing stupid things:
how pale he looked
how tired his eyes seemed
how warm his hand felt accidentally brushing hers earlier
It annoyed her deeply.
"You should sleep," she muttered eventually.
"Stay."
The word came quietly.
Without teasing.
Without confidence.
Just tired honesty.
Jay looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And suddenly he didn't look like the confident Keifer everyone knew.
He just looked exhausted.
Human.
Like someone who'd been carrying too much guilt for too long.
That feeling in her chest returned again.
The dangerous soft one.
"Fine," she muttered eventually. "But if you snore, I'm leaving."
"I don't snore."
"You breathe arrogantly."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does to me."
Keifer smiled weakly before his eyes slowly closed again.
A few minutes passed quietly.
Jay thought he'd fallen asleep already.
Then suddenly—
"Jay."
"What."
Another pause.
Then softly:
"I really thought I lost you."
Her chest tightened instantly.
She looked down at her hands quietly.
Keifer continued speaking slowly, voice rough with fever and exhaustion.
"In London… every time my phone rang, I kept hoping it was you."
Jay swallowed slightly.
The ocean outside crashed harder against the shore now, louder somehow.
"I kept checking places you liked," he admitted quietly. "Like somehow you'd magically appear there."
Jay looked away immediately.
Because hearing things like this felt dangerous.
Especially when he sounded this honest.
"I hated myself there," he murmured. "Everything reminded me of you."
Her throat tightened painfully.
And the worst part?
Part of her understood exactly what he meant.
Because even angry— even hurt— even trying to move on—
She looked for him too.
In music.
In crowded hallways.
In empty seats beside windows.
In silence.
Jay pressed the cold towel against his forehead again to distract herself.
"You talk too much when you're sick."
"Probably."
"Shut up and sleep."
Keifer smiled faintly without opening his eyes.
"Yes ma'am."
The room slowly became quieter afterward.
His breathing steadied.
The fever medicine finally started working.
And somehow—
Without realizing it—
Jay stayed there the entire afternoon.
.....