Keifer's POV
The rain outside was still raging.
Rain pounded against the roof of the gym storage room.
Thunder echoed across the sky.
But somehow…
The sound didn't feel as overwhelming as before.
Maybe because of the warm hands covering my ears.
Jay's hands.
I stayed still for a moment.
Her fingers were gentle but firm, blocking the noise just enough to calm the chaos in my head.
Then suddenly—
She leaned closer.
And something soft touched my cheek.
A peck.
My eyes widened slightly.
"What was that for?" I asked.
Jay shrugged like it was nothing.
"Distraction."
I stared at her.
"…That's a weird distraction."
She tilted her head.
"Did it work?"
I hesitated.
"…Maybe."
She smiled slightly.
And somehow… that smile made the storm feel quieter.
My body was finally starting to relax.
The shaking slowly faded.
The thunder outside continued but it felt farther away now.
My head felt heavy.
Exhausted.
Without really thinking, I shifted slightly and rested my head on her lap.
Jay looked down at me.
"…Comfortable?"
I closed my eyes.
"…Don't make it weird."
She chuckled softly.
I heard her mutter quietly,
"President of the school… scared of thunder."
"…Don't tell anyone," I mumbled.
"Your secret is safe," she replied.
My breathing slowly became steady.
But I wasn't actually asleep.
Not yet.
I just kept my eyes closed.
Listening.
After a moment Jay sighed.
"Well…"
"Since you're not awake…"
"I'll tell you a story."
I almost opened my eyes.
A story?
But I stayed still.
Then she began.
"Once upon a time… there was a princess."
Her voice was soft.
Calm.
Like she was talking more to herself than to me.
"She was very stubborn."
"And very angry."
I listened carefully.
"People said she had the worst temper in the kingdom."
I almost smiled.
That sounded familiar.
Then her voice grew quieter.
"The princess had a friend."
"A prince."
"They grew up together."
"He always tried to calm her down."
The storm rumbled outside.
But I barely noticed it anymore.
"Then one day…"
"The princess lost control of her anger."
I felt something change in her voice.
Something heavy.
"Because of that…"
"The prince got hurt."
My eyes almost opened.
"And he… died."
My chest tightened slightly.
I stayed silent.
Listening.
"After that the princess hated herself."
"She thought she was a monster."
"She promised she would never lose control again."
Her voice softened even more.
"So she left her kingdom."
"And tried to live a normal life somewhere else."
Then she whispered quietly,
"That's the end of the story."
Silence filled the room.
Only the rain tapping against the window remained.
I slowly opened one eye.
Jay was leaning back against the wall now.
Her eyes closed.
Asleep.
But I knew she wasn't really sleeping yet.
My mind was spinning.
Who was the prince?
Was it really a story?
Or… was it her past?
The way she told it didn't sound like imagination.
It sounded like a memory.
I stared at her quietly for a moment.
Then another thought crossed my mind.
Freya.
I almost laughed in my head.
Of all the revenge plans she could make…
She locked us in here.
If she knew what actually happened…
She would probably explode.
Thanks for that, Freya.
I slowly lifted my head from Jay's lap.
Carefully.
Trying not to wake her.
She didn't move.
I stood up quietly and reached into my jacket pocket.
My phone was still there.
I turned it on.
The screen lit up.
7:00 PM
I blinked.
"Wow," I whispered quietly.
We had been here a long time.
I opened my messages and typed quickly.
To: Aries
Come to the school storage room after the rain stops.
Bring the keys.
I hit send.
Then I switched the phone off and slid it back into my jacket pocket.
For a moment I just stood there.
Looking down at Jay.
Her hair slightly messy.
Her breathing slow.
She looked… peaceful.
Completely different from the girl who nearly strangled someone yesterday.
I shook my head slightly.
"You're strange," I murmured quietly.
Just then—
CRACK!
Lightning flashed across the sky.
Then—
BOOM!
Thunder exploded again.
My entire body froze.
The fear rushed back instantly.
"…Jay."
Without thinking I immediately dropped back down.
Right onto the mat.
Right back onto Jay's lap.
She stirred slightly.
But didn't wake up.
I gently took her hand again.
Then placed it over my ears like before.
Blocking the sound.
"…Nice," I muttered quietly.
The rain continued outside.
But now it sounded softer again.
My eyes slowly closed.
And this time…
I actually fell asleep.
Right there.
With my head resting on Jay's lap.
And her hand covering my ears.
While the storm slowly faded away.
End of Chapter 26 ⛈️