( Jay's pov )
I reached home at the same time as keifer
He looked at me as if he wanted to say something
" jay , remember keifer ? You used to date him" mama said with a smile
" yes " I replied calmly
( later )
The hallway felt too quiet.
Everyone else was downstairs preparing things for the engagement, laughing, talking, moving around like everything in this house was perfectly normal.
But the moment I stepped into the corridor, I knew someone was behind me.
"Jay."
His voice.
I closed my eyes for a second before turning around.
Keifer stood a few steps away from me, hands in his pockets, shoulders tense. He looked different than the boy I once knew—older, sharper, calmer.
But his eyes still held the same storm.
"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.
My chest tightened, but I kept my face calm.
"What is there to talk about?"
His jaw flexed slightly.
"Us."
The word hit harder than I expected.
Five years ago I would've given anything to hear him say that.
Now it just hurt.
"There is no 'us,' Keifer," I said.
He took a small step closer.
"I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I've spent the last five years trying to fix myself."
"For what?" I asked softly.
His brows furrowed.
"For you."
A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
"For me?" I repeated. "You didn't change for me, Keifer. You changed after I left."
He went still.
"You had five years," I continued quietly. "Five years to realize what you lost."
His eyes searched mine desperately.
"I did realize," he said.
"Too late."
The silence between us grew heavier.
"You think I didn't regret it?" he asked, voice rough. "You think I didn't
miss you every day?"
I looked at him for a long moment.
Then I said the one thing that shattered the moment completely.
"Missing me doesn't change the fact that you broke me."
The words hung in the air like glass.
I watched something in his expression collapse.
He nodded slowly, like he deserved it.
"Yeah," he whispered.
For a second I almost reached for him.
Almost.
But I didn't.
Instead I stepped past him.
And walked away.
( Later That Night)
The bar was loud.
Music pulsed through the air, people laughed around us, glasses clinked together.
Hannah was talking excitedly beside me, Liam was joking about something, but the noise suddenly faded the moment my eyes landed across the room.
Keifer.
He was sitting alone at the bar.
For a second I didn't even recognize him.
His tie was loose, his hair messy like he had been running his hands through it for hours. A bottle sat in front of him, already half empty.
Keifer Watson — the calm, controlled future CEO everyone respected — looked completely broken.
My chest tightened.
"Jay?" Noel asked quietly beside me. "What's wrong?"
I didn't answer.
Because Keifer suddenly spoke.
"I'm sorry, Jay."
My breath caught.
He wasn't talking to anyone.
Just staring down at the glass in his hand.
His shoulders shook slightly as he laughed bitterly.
"I'm so stupid," he muttered.
He wiped his face with his hand, but when he looked down again, a tear slipped from his eye.
My heart stopped.
I had never seen Keifer cry before.
Not once.
"You loved me," he whispered hoarsely. "And I treated you like you didn't matter."
Another tear slid down his cheek, landing on the bar.
"I thought I had time," he continued, voice breaking. "I thought she'd always stay."
My fingers tightened around my glass.
"But she left," he said quietly.
The words hit me like a punch to the chest.
"And suddenly everything made sense."
He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling.
"I lost her."
My eyes burned.
"I lost the only person who ever loved me like that."
His voice cracked completely now.
"God… Jay…"
Another broken laugh escaped him, but it sounded more like a sob.
"I didn't deserve you."
Tears were falling freely now, and he didn't even try to stop them.
"I pushed you away… I made you feel like you weren't enough."
My vision blurred.
The worst part was hearing the next words.
"I'd do anything to fix it," he whispered.
"But she's probably happier now."
He wiped his eyes roughly, shaking his head.
"She probably found someone better."
His voice dropped into a painful whisper.
"Someone who didn't break her heart."
I felt something inside me crack.
Because he had no idea I was standing only a few steps away.
Watching him fall apart.
"God… I miss you," he whispered again.
For a long moment I just stood there.
Keifer's head was lowered against the bar, his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to wipe the tears from his face.
The sight made my chest ache.
Five years ago Keifer had been the strongest person I knew. Calm. Proud. Impossible to break.
And now…
He looked completely shattered.
"Jay?" Noel's voice pulled me back.
"You okay?"
I forced myself to breathe.
"I… need to take him home."
Hannah frowned. "Jay—"
"He can barely stand," I said softly.
They all looked toward the bar.
Keifer had buried his face in his hands again, his shoulders trembling.
Liam sighed quietly. "Alright."
Noel studied my face for a moment, like he understood something the others didn't.
"You sure you'll be okay?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah."
After a moment they left, disappearing into the night outside the bar.
And suddenly it was just me…
And him.
I walked slowly toward the counter.
"Keifer," I said quietly.
He lifted his head slightly, his eyes red and unfocused.
For a second he stared at me.
Then he laughed weakly.
"Great," he muttered. "Now I'm hallucinating."
My throat tightened.
"You're drunk," I said softly.
"No kidding."
He tried to stand.
And almost collapsed.
I caught his arm quickly before he fell.
"Easy," I whispered.
He leaned against me heavily, too tired to fight it.
"Come on," I murmured. "Let's get you home."
Outside, the cold air wrapped around us immediately.
Keifer stumbled slightly beside me, his weight resting on my shoulder.
"Jay would hate this," he mumbled.
My chest tightened painfully.
"Yeah," I whispered.
"She probably would."
Getting him into the car took effort.
Once he was inside, he leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.
For a few seconds there was silence.
Then suddenly—
"I ruined her."
The words came out broken.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"She loved me," he whispered.
His voice cracked.
"And I treated her like she didn't matter."
A tear slid down his cheek again.
"I should've protected her."
Another shaky breath.
"Instead I was the one who hurt her."
My vision blurred.
He covered his face with his hands.
A quiet sob escaped him.
"I hate myself for that," he whispered.
"I hate the person I was."
His shoulders started shaking again.
The sound of him crying filled the quiet car.
Not loud
Not dramatic .
Just raw, painful sobs he couldn't hold back anymore.
"She believed in me," he choked out.
"She always believed in me."
His voice broke again.
"And I still broke her heart."
Tears slipped down my own cheeks now.
Because hearing him say those words…
felt like reopening every wound I had tried to heal.
"I wish I could go back," he whispered.
"I'd change everything."
His voice dropped into a broken whisper.
"I'd never let her leave."
The car stopped in front of the house.
But for a moment neither of us moved.
Because Keifer was still crying beside me.
And hearing him like this…
hurt more than anything he said before.
When I helped him out of the car, he leaned heavily against me as we walked inside.
Halfway up the stairs he suddenly stopped.
"Jay…" he whispered.
My heart froze.
"Yeah?" I asked softly.
His voice trembled.
"I'm sorry.
The words were quiet.
Fragile.
"I'm wish she knew how sorry i am "
A tear slipped down my cheek.
Because he was apologizing…
to the girl he thought wasn't there.
I helped him into the guest room and sat him down on the bed.
Just as I was about to leave—
His hand suddenly grabbed mine.
Weak.
But desperate.
"Don't go," he murmured.
His eyes were half closed, his voice slurring slightly.
"Please… don't leave again."
My heart shattered.
Because even drunk…
Even barely conscious…
The one thing he was afraid of most…
Was losing me again.
And the worst part was—
A small piece of my heart still wanted to stay.