Chapter: Don't Come Near Me Again
(Jay's POV)
Hospitals smell strange.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Too white.
I hated it.
The bandage on my head felt tight, and every time I moved even slightly, a dull pain spread across my temple.
Mom had finally convinced everyone to step outside for a while so I could "rest."
But resting was impossible.
My mind kept replaying everything.
Yuri grabbing my wrist.
The pain when I hit the sofa.
The blood on my hand.
And that feeling…
That terrible panic.
I hugged the blanket tightly.
I didn't want to remember.
I didn't want to think.
The room felt too quiet.
Then suddenly…
The door opened.
I thought it was Mom.
But when I looked up—
My heart stopped.
Standing at the door was Keifer.
For a moment I couldn't breathe.
He looked different.
The same face.
The same eyes.
But something about him felt heavier… colder… like the world had changed him.
He looked at me like I was the only thing in the room.
"Jay."
Just hearing my name in his voice made my chest tighten.
And suddenly all the pain I had tried to bury came rushing back.
Anger.
Hurt.
Betrayal.
I threw the blanket aside and stood up from the bed.
"You."
He took a step forward.
"Jay, listen—"
"DON'T."
My voice shook.
But I didn't care.
"What are you doing here?"
His expression softened.
"I came to see you."
That sentence broke something inside me.
"You don't get to do that."
His eyes filled with something I couldn't read.
"I heard what happened and—"
Before he could finish…
My hand moved on its own.
SLAP.
The sound echoed in the quiet room.
My palm stung.
His head turned slightly from the force.
But he didn't step back.
He didn't get angry.
He didn't even defend himself.
He just stood there.
Looking at me.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Tears blurred my vision.
"You don't get to come here," I said, my voice shaking.
"You don't get to pretend you care."
He whispered quietly,
"I never stopped caring."
That was the final straw.
My chest hurt so much I could barely breathe.
"You liar!"
My fists hit his chest weakly.
"You said you used me!"
"You said I meant nothing!"
The words came out broken between sobs.
"I tried to forget you!"
I hit him again.
"But you keep showing up!"
And then suddenly…
My strength disappeared.
Before I even realized what I was doing…
I grabbed his shirt and hugged him tightly.
My face buried into his chest.
I was crying uncontrollably now.
"I hate you," I whispered through tears.
His arms slowly wrapped around me.
Carefully.
Like he was afraid I would disappear.
"I know," he murmured softly.
That only made me cry harder.
Because the warmth of his arms still felt familiar.
Still felt safe.
And I hated that.
I pushed him away suddenly.
"Don't touch me."
He froze.
I wiped my tears angrily.
"You lost the right to hold me."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Jay—"
"No."
My voice became colder.
Stronger.
"You left."
"You broke me."
"You made me feel like I was nothing."
He looked like the words physically hurt him.
Good.
Because I had lived with that pain for months.
I stepped back toward the hospital bed.
"Whatever you came here to say…"
My voice trembled again.
"…I don't want to hear it."
He took a step forward instinctively.
I immediately pointed at him.
"Don't."
The room became silent.
Tears were still falling down my face.
But my voice was firm.
"Don't come near me again."
The words hung between us.
Heavy.
Final.
For a moment he didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even breathe.
Then slowly…
Keifer nodded.
A small, painful nod.
Like he understood something.
Something that couldn't be fixed anymore.
And just like that…
The distance between us felt bigger than any ocean.