Keifer's POV
I woke up in the hospital.
Body aching.
Head pounding.
Bandages tight.
The first words I whispered were her name.
"Jay… Jay-Jay…"
But she wasn't there.
Not in the hospital.
Not anywhere I could reach.
My heart twisted.
Percy and Section E must have taken her home.
I needed to find her.
Now.
Her house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Moonlight spilled through the windows.
Kuya Angelo wasn't home.
Aries was asleep.
Midnight.
The world outside seemed distant.
Her maids were downstairs, cleaning.
They recognized me.
No questions.
No interruptions.
They silently let me pass.
I climbed the stairs slowly.
Every step careful.
Every breath quiet.
Her room.
There she was.
Sleeping.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
Even in sleep, she stole my breath.
Navy blue night suit.
Silky hair, short, glistening under the moonlight.
Skin glowing naturally.
Every line perfect.
Every breath delicate.
I froze.
I couldn't even move.
She looked… more than beautiful.
More than pretty.
I had no words.
No way to express how she made my chest tighten, my heart hammer, my entire being ache.
I stepped closer.
Heart pounding.
Every instinct screaming: protect her.
Every fiber of me wanted to hold her.
Never let her go.
But I didn't.
I just watched.
Her eyelashes resting softly.
Her lips slightly parted.
Her hair falling over her forehead.
Even in sleep, she was breathtaking.
I slowly lay down on her bed, careful not to wake her.
Beside her.
So close.
Yet so far.
I whispered softly.
"My Jay… I can't explain why I've been like this.
I never meant to hurt you.
I never meant to scare you.
But every moment… every second… I've been thinking of you.
Even when I pretended not to care… it was only because I wanted to protect you.
I wanted to keep you safe.
I… I love you, more than I can ever say."
Her chest rose and fell.
Soft.
Steady.
I wanted to hold her hand.
To feel her warmth.
But I didn't.
I just lay there, silent.
Watching.
Protecting.
Being near her was enough.
Even if she didn't know.
Even if she couldn't see me.
Even if I couldn't tell her everything.
Every moment, I whispered more.
More words I could never say aloud.
More confessions I could never voice.
"My Jay… you are everything… my heart… my reason… my world…
I will never let anyone hurt you.
Ever.
Not now.
Not ever."