Chapter: When the Storm Finally Fell Silent
(Keif's POV)
The entire drive back to my house was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence.
The heavy kind.
The kind that felt like something had broken and no one knew how to fix it.
Jay sat beside me in the passenger seat, curled into herself.
Her forehead pressed against the window.
Her hands gripping the sleeve of my hoodie like it was the only thing holding her together.
She hadn't spoken since we left.
Not to Aries.
Not to me.
Not to anyone.
But I could hear her breathing.
Shaky.
Uneven.
And every few minutes… her shoulders trembled slightly.
She was trying not to cry.
That somehow hurt more to watch.
In the backseat, Aries sat quietly beside Ella.
Even he wasn't saying anything.
For once, Aries had no teasing remarks.
No sarcastic comments.
Just silence.
Because we all knew what had happened today had shattered something inside Jay.
When we finally reached my house, I parked the car and turned off the engine.
For a moment… no one moved.
Then I looked at her.
"Jay…"
She didn't respond.
Her eyes were still staring at nothing outside the window.
I gently reached over and touched her arm.
"Jay."
Slowly… she blinked.
Like she had just come back to reality.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"…Are we here?"
"Yeah."
She nodded slowly.
But she didn't move.
So I got out of the car, walked around, and opened her door.
She still sat there for a moment.
Then she slowly stepped out.
But the moment her feet touched the ground—
Her legs almost gave out.
I caught her immediately.
"Hey."
She grabbed my shirt instinctively, holding onto me tightly.
Not like someone who wanted comfort.
Like someone who was afraid to fall apart.
And then it happened.
The first tear slid down her cheek.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds her entire face crumpled.
"Keif…"
Her voice broke completely.
And suddenly she started crying.
Not quietly.
Not softly.
She was sobbing.
Her whole body shaking.
Her hands clutching my shirt tightly.
"Why… why didn't anyone tell me…?"
Her voice cracked between sobs.
"Why did everyone lie to me…"
I wrapped my arms around her immediately.
Pulling her against my chest.
"It's okay."
But she shook her head violently.
"No it's not!"
Her voice trembled.
"I thought Aries was just my cousin!"
Her tears soaked my hoodie.
"My whole life I believed that!"
Her breathing became uneven.
"Why would they hide that from me…"
I gently held the back of her head, letting her cry against me.
Aries and Ella quietly walked inside the house, giving us space.
Jay continued crying for several minutes.
And every sob felt like it was tearing through my chest too.
"I hate them…"
She whispered weakly.
"I hate all of them…"
Her voice sounded so broken.
"I don't want to see them again…"
I didn't argue.
Right now she didn't need explanations.
She just needed someone to hold her together.
Eventually I lifted her into my arms.
She didn't protest.
She just buried her face into my neck, still crying softly.
I carried her inside the house.
Up the stairs.
Straight to my room.
The house was quiet.
Keigan and Keiran were probably downstairs with Aries and Ella.
But right now the only thing that mattered was Jay.
I laid her gently on my bed.
But the moment I tried to step back—
She grabbed my wrist tightly.
"Don't go…"
Her voice was weak.
Almost like a child asking not to be left alone.
"I'm not going anywhere."
She slowly shifted closer and curled into me.
Her arms wrapping around my waist.
Her face pressing against my chest.
Like she needed to feel that I was really there.
And then the crying started again.
But this time…
It was quieter.
Soft broken sobs.
"I feel stupid…"
She whispered between tears.
"Everyone knew except me…"
My hand gently moved through her hair.
"You're not stupid."
"But I am…"
Her voice cracked again.
"I didn't even recognize my own brother…"
I pulled her slightly closer.
"That's not your fault."
She didn't respond.
For a long time she just cried.
Her tears soaking into my shirt.
Her breathing slowly becoming slower.
Quieter.
Her grip on me weakening little by little.
Eventually…
Her sobs turned into small sniffles.
Then silence.
I looked down.
Jay was asleep.
Still curled against me.
Her hand gripping my shirt loosely even in her sleep.
Her face still wet from tears.
But finally… she was resting.
The storm had exhausted her.
I gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
And whispered softly—
"I'm here, Jay."
Her fingers tightened slightly in her sleep.
Like she heard me.
And slowly…
The room finally fell quiet.