Jay's POV...
I woke up before him for the first time.
The room was quiet, curtains half drawn, soft light falling across the bed. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to process how normal everything felt. Too normal.
Then I turned my head.
He was still asleep.
Keifer never looked like this when he was awake. His face was calm, almos soft. No sharp expressions, no unreadable eyes, no control in the way he carried himself. Just quiet.
My Keifer.
The thought made my lips curve a little.
I slowly sat up, careful not to wake him. But just as I was about to get off the bed, his hand moved, gripping my wrist lightly.
"Where are you going?" he murmured, voice still heavy with sleep.
"I'm not running away," I whispered.
His eyes opened slowly, locking onto mine. Even like this, half asleep, there was something intense about the way he looked at me.
"Didn't say you were," he said, but his grip didn't loosen immediately.
"You thought it."
"I don't assume. I confirm
I rolled my eyes softly. "I was just going downstairs."
A pause.
Then he let go.
"Come back," he said.
"I will."
He studied my face for a second longer before finally closing his eyes again.
And somehowm. that felt like permission.
I stepped out of the room quietly and made my way downstairs. The house felt bigger in the morning, emptier in a way that made every small sound echo.
I was halfway through making coffee when I heard voices.
Not normal voices.
Sharp.
Low.
Controlled.
I frowned slightly and followed the sound, stopping near the hallway that led to the back section of the house. I had never really gone there before.
The door wasn't fully closed.
And I don't know why… but I looked.
Inside, everything felt different.
It wasn't a room. It was more like a private training space. Minimal. Clean. Cold.
And Keifer was there.
But not the Keifer I knew.
His posture was different. Straighter. Controlled. Every movement precise, calculated. There was a man standing in front of him, older, talking about something I couldn't fully catch.
you're getting distracted," the man said.
Keifer didn't respond immediately.
Then, calmly, "I'm not."
"You are."
Silence.
Then the man continued, "This isn't a game. You don't get to be careless."
Something in Keifer's expression shifted. Not anger. Not frustration.
Something colder.
"I said I'm not," he replied, his voice low but firm.
The air felt heavier instantly.
The man stepped closer. "Then prove it."
What happened next.
I wasn't ready for it.
Keifer moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
One second he was standing still, the next he had the man pushed back, his hand gripping his collar with a force that made my breath catch.
His eyes…
They weren't the same.
There was no softness.
No teasing.
No warmth.
Just something dark. Controlled. Dangerous.
"Don't question me again," he said quietly.
That tone.
It wasn't loud.
But it was enough.
The man didn't argue.
Didn't even try.
He just nodded slightly.
And Keifer let go like it meant nothing.
Like he hadn't just completely changed the atmosphere of the room.
I stepped back immediately, my heart racing, realizing I had been holding my breath the entire time.
This wasn't the Keifer who teased me about words.
This wasn't the Keifer who watched me smile like it mattered.
This was someone else.
Someone I didn't know.
I turned quickly, trying to walk away before I got caught, but my steps slowed as my thoughts caught up with me.
How long had this been there?
How much of his life had I not seen?
I reached the kitchen again, gripping the edge of the counter lightly.
My hands felt cold.
And I hated that I didn't know why.
A few minutes later, I heard his footsteps.
Calm.
Normal.
Like nothing had happened.
I didn't turn immediately.
"Jay."
His voice.
The same as always.
I turned slowly.
He was standing there, looking exactly like he always did. Composed. Unbothered. Like the person I just saw didn't exist.
"You left," he said.
"I told you I would."
A pause.
His eyes studied my face carefully.
Too carefully.
"You saw something," he said.
It wasn't a question.
I swallowed.
"No."
He stepped closer.
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying."
"Jay."
That tone again.
Not harsh.
But firm.
And suddenly I felt like I was the one being cornered.
"I just heard voices," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"That's all."
His gaze didn't move.
Not even a little.
For a second, I thought he would push further.
Ask more.
Demand the truth.
But he didn't.
He just exhaled quietly and stepped back.
"Stay away from that side of the house," he said.
Simple.
Clear.
Final.
I frowned. "Why?"
"Because I said so."
"That's not a reason."
"It's enough."
I stared at him.
There it was again.
That wall.
The one I couldn't cross.
"You don't trust me?" I asked quietly.
His expression didn't change.
"It's not about trust."
"Then what is it about?"
Silence.
He didn't answer.
And somehow… that hurt more.
"Fine," I said softly, looking away. "I won't go there."
Another pause.
Then, more gently, "Jay jay ..."
But I shook my head.
"It's okay."
It wasn't.
But I didn't want to push anymore.
Not when I had just seen a side of him that made my heart feel… unsure.
Not scared.
Just
Uncertain.
He didn't try to stop me when I walked away.
And that made it worse.
Because now
I couldn't stop thinking about it.
About him.
About the way his eyes looked.
Cold.
Controlled.
Unfamiliar.
That wasn't the Keifer who kissed me for breaking a rule.
That wasn't the Keifer who watched me like I mattered.
That was someone else entirely.
And as I sat alone later, staring at nothing, one thought kept repeating in my mind
How much of him do I not know? 😶🌫️