Chapter: Don't Say You'll Lose Me
(Jay's POV)
I hate cramps.
No.
I despise them.
Aries ditched me.
On a date.
With Ella.
"Family emergency," he said.
Yeah. Emergency romance.
So here I was — walking toward the school gate slowly while trying not to fold in half like a dying shrimp.
Keifer noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
He always does.
"You're walking weird," he said casually.
"I'm walking fine," I snapped.
Another cramp hit.
I grabbed my stomach so hard I almost stopped breathing.
His expression changed instantly.
"Jay."
"I said I'm fine."
I was not fine.
He didn't argue. He just stepped closer and gently held my arm as we walked.
The sky was already turning orange. The streets were quieter. And without Aries around being loud and dramatic, everything felt… softer.
Too soft.
That's when moodswing number one hit.
I suddenly felt like crying.
For no reason.
Actually— for too many reasons.
He stopped near his bike.
"Sit," he said.
"I don't need—"
"Sit."
I glared at him.
Then sat.
Because if I stood any longer, I would collapse.
He crouched in front of me slightly.
"Where does it hurt?"
"Lower."
His eyebrow lifted.
"Stomach," I muttered.
He nodded, took off his jacket, folded it, and placed it gently against my stomach.
Warm.
I didn't expect that.
"You keep this in your bag?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"For me?"
"For when you pretend you don't need help."
I looked away quickly.
Why is he like this?
Why does he make it harder to act strong?
Another cramp hit and this one was worse.
I clenched my stomach and leaned forward.
Without thinking—
I grabbed him.
And hugged him tightly.
Like really tightly.
My face pressed against his chest.
His body went still for half a second.
Then his arms wrapped around me automatically.
"Jay?" he asked softly.
And then moodswing number two hit.
Fear.
Sudden.
Sharp.
"What if…" My voice came out smaller than I expected.
He lowered his chin slightly to hear me better.
"What if Yuri really marries me?"
Silence.
I felt his arms tighten slightly around me.
"The engagement," I continued, words rushing out. "What if it's not just a threat? What if it's real? What if the business matters more than what I want?"
He didn't interrupt.
That made it worse.
"What if one day they force it and I can't escape?" My fingers gripped his shirt tighter. "What if I completely lose you?"
There.
I said it.
The thing that's been clawing at my chest.
For a few seconds, he didn't move.
And that scared me.
Then he gently pulled back just enough to look at me.
His eyes weren't soft.
They were intense.
"Look at me," he said quietly.
I did.
"You think I'll just stand there and watch someone take you?"
"It's not that simple."
"I don't care."
His jaw tightened.
"If they try to make that marriage happen, they'll have to go through me."
"This isn't a drama scene," I whispered. "It's business. Contracts. Families."
"And I'm not a background character," he replied.
My eyes stung.
Stupid hormones.
Stupid fear.
"What if I become a burden?" I asked suddenly. "What if all this mess ruins your life too?"
His expression shifted.
Not angry.
Not jealous.
Just serious.
"You don't get to decide that for me."
I blinked.
"You don't get to push me away to protect me. That's my choice."
I didn't realize tears were falling until he wiped one away with his thumb.
"I'm not scared of Yuri," he said quietly.
"I am," I admitted.
That was the first time I said it out loud.
Not scared of his gun.
Not scared of his threats.
Scared of the power behind him.
The past.
The contracts.
The unknown things Percy hinted at.
Keifer leaned his forehead lightly against mine.
"Even if the whole world signs a paper," he murmured, "it doesn't mean you belong to them."
"But what if I lose you in the process?"
His hands moved to hold my face gently.
"You won't lose me."
"You can't promise that."
"I just did."
My breath hitched slightly.
"Jay," he continued softly, "I'm not with you because it's easy. I'm with you because it's you."
That broke something inside me.
In a good way.
I hugged him again, tighter.
Another cramp hit.
I winced.
He sighed lightly.
"Okay," he said, shifting tone slightly. "Crying, dramatic, existential crisis version of you needs to go home."
I weakly hit his chest.
"Shut up."
He helped me onto his bike carefully, making sure I leaned properly.
As he started the engine, he said quietly—
"If Yuri thinks a contract scares me, he doesn't know me at all."
I rested my forehead against his back as we rode.
Still scared.
Still confused.
But a little less alone.
And for now…
That was enough.