Chapter: Silence is the Worst Punishment
(Keif's POV)
The house had never felt this quiet before.
Not even when everyone was sleeping.
Not even during the rare moments when Keigan and Keiran weren't fighting.
But right now…
The silence felt heavy.
Because Jay wasn't talking to me.
And somehow that felt worse than when she chased Cin with a knife.
At least then she was still interacting with me.
Now?
She was ignoring me completely.
I stood at the bottom of the staircase, staring at the closed door of my room upstairs.
Behind that door…
Jay was inside.
Probably angry.
Probably thinking.
Probably imagining ten different ways to murder me.
Cin leaned against the kitchen counter eating chips like he was watching a reality show.
"Bro."
I glared at him.
"What."
He shrugged.
"You messed up."
Aries was sitting on the couch with Ella, shaking his head slowly.
"You should've told her earlier."
"It never came up."
Cin snorted.
"Your girlfriend literally interrogates you about everything. It would've come up eventually."
I rubbed my face.
"I didn't think it mattered anymore."
Ella spoke softly.
"But it matters to her."
That made my chest tighten slightly.
Yeah.
It probably did.
Not because of the girl in the photo.
But because Jay hated feeling like she didn't know something important about me.
Aries stood up and patted my shoulder.
"Go fix it."
Cin raised his chip.
"And good luck surviving."
I glared at him again.
Then I turned and walked upstairs.
Each step felt heavier than usual.
When I reached the hallway…
I stopped in front of my bedroom door.
Closed.
Silent.
I knocked.
"Jay."
No response.
I knocked again.
"Barracuda."
Still nothing.
I sighed and slowly opened the door.
The room was dim.
The curtains were slightly closed, letting only a little sunlight in.
And Jay…
Was sitting on the bed.
Curled up.
Still wearing my hoodie.
The album was lying beside her.
But she wasn't looking at it.
She was staring at the wall.
Her face expressionless.
That hurt more than if she had been yelling.
I stepped inside quietly.
"Jay."
Nothing.
She didn't even look at me.
I closed the door behind me and walked closer.
"Jay."
Still nothing.
She simply turned her head away slightly.
Ignoring me.
I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Are you really going to ignore me?"
Silence.
I leaned back on my hands.
"Okay… you can ignore me."
Still nothing.
"But at least listen."
Jay didn't react.
I glanced at her.
Her arms were wrapped around her knees.
Her chin resting on them.
Eyes distant.
I hated that look.
Because it meant she was overthinking.
"Zoya was from years ago," I said quietly.
No response.
"She doesn't matter anymore."
Jay's fingers tightened slightly on her hoodie sleeves.
But she still didn't look at me.
I sighed again.
"Jay."
Nothing.
"Barracuda."
Still nothing.
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Jay, say something."
Finally…
She spoke.
But her voice was quiet.
Cold.
"You didn't answer me earlier."
I blinked.
"What?"
She slowly turned her head.
Her eyes met mine.
And there it was.
The hurt.
"You didn't answer me when I asked who she was."
My chest tightened.
"I did."
"After I yelled."
I stayed silent.
Jay looked away again.
"That means you didn't want to tell me."
"That's not true."
"Then why didn't you?"
I didn't have a good answer.
And she knew it.
Jay laughed softly.
But it wasn't a happy laugh.
"So there are things about you I don't know."
"Jay—"
"And you didn't want me to know."
"That's not what it is."
She finally looked at me again.
"And what is it then?"
I hesitated.
Wrong move.
Because Jay immediately looked away again.
"See?"
Her voice became softer.
"You're doing it again."
I moved closer.
"Jay, listen—"
"No."
She shook her head.
"I don't want to listen."
"Jay."
"I don't want to talk."
I sighed.
"You're being dramatic."
She turned toward me instantly.
"I'm being dramatic?"
"Jay—"
"I ask you one simple question and you can't answer it."
"It wasn't simple."
"Yes it was."
"No it wasn't."
"IT WAS."
Her voice echoed through the room.
Downstairs—
Cin shouted.
"ROUND TWO!"
Ella yelled back.
"SHUT UP CIN."
Jay looked away again.
Her eyes slightly glossy now.
"You know what… forget it."
My stomach dropped slightly.
Because when Jay said that…
It never meant forget it.
It meant she was hurt.
And trying not to show it.
She stood up from the bed.
"I'm going downstairs."
I stood up immediately.
"Jay."
She walked toward the door.
I grabbed her wrist gently.
She froze.
"Let go."
"No."
"Keif."
"Not until you listen."
She tried to pull her hand away.
"Let go."
"No."
She turned to glare at me.
"I said let go."
"And I said listen."
Jay scoffed.
"I don't want to."
I stepped closer.
"Too bad."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Keifer."
"Yes."
"If you don't let go I swear—"
Before she could finish—
I pulled her closer.
And kissed her.
Hard.
Jay froze instantly.
Her eyes wide.
She tried to push me away at first.
But I didn't let her go.
The kiss was deep.
Frustrated.
Messy.
Like all the words we were arguing about suddenly disappeared.
Jay's resistance slowly weakened.
Her hands that had been pushing my chest slowly slid upward.
Grabbing my hoodie.
And then…
She kissed me back.
Just as fiercely.
Like she was still angry.
But didn't want to stop either.
The room went completely quiet.
The world outside disappeared.
After a long moment…
I finally pulled back slightly.
Both of us breathing heavier.
Jay stared at me.
Her cheeks slightly flushed.
"You're annoying."
I smirked slightly.
"You kissed me back."
She rolled her eyes.
"That doesn't mean I forgive you."
I leaned closer again.
"Liar."
Her arms crossed.
"I'm still mad."
"Sure."
"I am."
"Okay."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're not taking this seriously."
"Oh I am."
"Then explain."
I sighed softly.
Then gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Zoya was my first girlfriend."
Jay stayed quiet.
"But she was also my worst mistake."
Jay blinked slightly.
I continued.
"That was years ago."
"She left."
Jay frowned slightly.
"Left?"
I nodded.
"For someone else."
Jay's expression softened just a little.
"And after that… I stopped caring about things like that."
She looked at me carefully.
"…until?"
I smiled slightly.
"Until you showed up."
Jay tried to stay serious.
But I saw the corner of her lips twitch.
"You're cheesy."
"Very."
She sighed softly.
Then finally…
She leaned her forehead against my chest.
Still pretending to be annoyed.
But no longer pulling away.
I wrapped my arms around her slowly.
Pulling her into a hug.
"Still mad?"
She mumbled into my hoodie.
"…maybe."
I kissed the top of her head.
"Liar."
She poked my stomach weakly.
"Shut up."
But she didn't leave my arms.
And honestly…
I had no intention of letting her go anyway.