Kiefer (POV)
She didn't say anything. I knew she was broken. But her silence… that terrified me more than anything else.
Everyone around us was talking, asking questions, trying to fill the void, but my eyes never left Jay Jay.
Before I even realized it, Yuri's fist hit me.
"I never expected such behavior from you," he spat.
Damn this roster… he never missed a chance to get attention.
But what he said… was true.
He thinks he can have a shot at Jay Jay if I'm not here.
If she even stops loving me… I know exactly how to make her fall for me again.
And the thought made my chest tighten, my hands clench, and a dark grin tug at my lips.
Because she belonged to me, in every way that mattered.
"Why, Yuri? You can have her now…" I said, laughing coldly, letting the words drip like poison. "You don't have to worry about me anymore; she'll love you."
Then—smack.
Jay slapped me.
The sharp sting made my cheek burn, and for a moment, I almost tasted blood in my mouth.
How could this girl be this strong?
That slap… it freaking hurt.
"Don't talk about me like I'm some piece of cloth… something you can pass to anyone," she said, her voice breaking, trembling under the weight of her own pain.
"I… I loved you, Kiefer, with everything I had. I don't know how to stop loving you anymore. You said you're mine, and I'm yours. So why… why are you doing this to me? Out of everyone… why are you hurting me like this? It hurts so much here," she whispered, her hand pressing against her chest, pointing to where her heart ached.
"Even when everyone told me not to choose you… It was always you. I thought I had finally found happiness… that I could be happy with you. What did I do to you? What did I do to deserve this pain…? It's killing me, Kiefer," she sobbed, clutching her chest as she sank to the floor.
She trembled, breaking apart in front of me, shattered into a million pieces… and I… I had caused it all.
Then the tears finally fell. She had been trying so hard to hold them back until now.
But she was breaking right in front of me. And seeing her like that destroyed me.
I had promised myself that I would never make her cry.
I had promised myself that no matter what happened, I would protect her.
But now...
I was the one tearing her heart apart.
Then she collapsed onto the floor.
"J-Jay," C-IN called out, kneeling beside her, glancing up at me as if expecting me to do something. Everyone else was rushing to her side, panic written across their faces.
But I couldn't move. I couldn't break. Not here. Not now.
Then she looked at me.
Her eyes… they were pleading, begging me to understand.
I had always been the first to reach her, the first to sense when something was wrong. I could read her like an open book.
I wanted—no, needed—to pull her into my arms and tell her that I was hers, that I had always been hers.
But I couldn't.
Not here. Not now.
If I let myself, everyone around us would start suspecting and asking questions I wasn't ready to answer.
So I held back, swallowing the desperate ache in my chest, forcing myself to stay calm while my heart screamed for her.
C-IN's voice snapped me back. "She's hyperventilating!"
My legs felt like they were glued to the floor. I couldn't move.
When C-IN tried to loosen her collar to help her breathe, something inside me snapped. Jealousy, rage, helplessness—I shoved his hand away.
"What are you doing?!" I demanded, my voice rough.
"I'M HELPING HER TO BREATHE, KIEFER!" C-IN shouted back, his face red with frustration. It was the first time I'd ever heard him shout at me. He had always been too scared to even meet my eyes.
Of course, he would be angry. She was like his sister.
And then I saw her… struggling for air… gasping, trembling. Everyone was trying to help.
All because of me.
Because of my mistakes.
I'm the same as my father. The same cruelty, the same selfishness. He killed Mother… and I… I keep hurting the girl I love.
I keep thinking only about myself.
And C-IN's voice dragged me back to the moment.
"Do something, KIEFER… she'll listen to you!" he shouted, his urgency cutting through the chaos.
I snapped.
"I'm here… look at me… hey… hey… "Don't close your eyes," I said, lifting her gently. She was light as a feather, trembling, one hand clutching her knees, the other barely supporting her neck.
"Keep breathing… I'm here," I whispered, holding her close.
Her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine. "Kiefer," she murmured, her voice shaky.
And then it hit me—I didn't even realize I was crying.
I couldn't take it anymore.
I wanted her… desperately, more than anything in the world.
I was terrified of losing her.
I couldn't even breathe without her.
I needed her.
I'm with you… So don't even think about leaving me alone," I whispered, pressing my forehead gently against hers and brushing a soft kiss against her temple. Every word carried the weight of every fear, every regret, every ounce of love I had ever felt for her.
I immediately carried her to the nurse's office.
By the time we got there, Felix had already explained everything to the nurse.
I gently laid Jay down on the soft bed while the nurse quickly put an oxygen mask over her face and checked her breathing.
She told all of us to wait outside.
So we walked out of the room.
The hallway felt suffocating.
No one said anything.
No one looked at me.
After a few minutes, the nurse stepped out of the room and looked at us seriously.
"She was anxious about something," she said quietly. "She's weak... she hasn't been eating properly. And she took sleeping pills that put even more stress on her body."
Her face hardened.
"She was literally trying to kill herself."
Those words hit me so hard that I stopped breathing for a second.
"I don't know what's going on in her life," the nurse continued, "but she needs a break. She can't take this anymore. Make sure she eats something and gets enough rest."
Then she walked away.
For a moment, no one moved.
I'll cook for her," Eman said suddenly, his voice shaking. "Her favorite adobo... she'll eat it when she wakes up. Help me, guys."
One by one, everyone followed him to cook for her.
The same boys who hated doing any kind of work were now holding pans, trying to make something she loved.
That was the kind of effect Jay had on people.
She changed every single one of us without even trying.
She made us softer.
Better.
And somehow, she became the heart of all of us.
Everyone left except C-IN.
He stood in front of me, staring at me as I owed him the truth.
"You love her, don't you?" he asked.
But it was not really a question.
He already knew.
"I can't explain everything right now, C-IN," I said quietly, unable to meet his eyes.
He was the same age as Keigan. I had always looked at him like a younger brother.
"I don't know, Kiefer... but you're going to regret this decision," C-IN said before walking away.
His words stayed with me long after he disappeared down the hallway.
I went back inside the room.
Luckily, the nurse was gone.
Quietly, I walked toward Jay's bed.
She was sleeping peacefully now, her breathing finally calm.
For the first time all day, she looked like she was not hurting.
I sat beside her and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and the tip of her nose softly, like I was afraid she would disappear if I touched her too hard.
Then I took her hand and pressed it against my face, desperate to feel her warmth.
And that was when the tears finally fell.
I leaned closer to her and whispered, careful not to wake her.
"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry."
My voice broke.
"I lied to you. I love you. I love you so much, and I'm never going to stop loving you."
I held her hand tighter against my face.
"I would choose you every second, every day, every month, over and over again. So... don't hate me too much."
A tear slipped down my cheek.
"Every time I tell you that I love you, I fall even deeper. Harder. I did not fall for you all at once. I fell for you in every breath, every smile, every moment I spent near you."
I looked at her sleeping face and let out a shaky breath.
"And I never looked back. I never wanted to."
I closed my eyes for a second before speaking again.
"I know I'm asking for too much when you're already hurting because of me... but please don't give up on me."
My thumb brushed gently across her hand.
"Even if loving me hurts... even if loving you hurts me too... I'm ready to take it. Because if it did not hurt, then maybe I would never understand just how much you mean to me."
I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.
"So when I come back... even if you hate me, even if you kick my ass, I am never leaving you again."
A small smile touched my lips through the tears.
"So be ready, Mrs. Watson."
"You got yourself an annoying, obsessed husband."
I brushed a strand of hair away from her face and looked at the oxygen mask covering her lips.
"I want to kiss you properly... but this stupid oxygen mask is in the way," I muttered.
I leaned closer, tempted to kiss her again.
Then I heard Eman's voice from behind me.
"Can you give this to her?" he asked quietly, holding out a container. "Just say you bought it from the shop... otherwise she won't eat it."
Before I could answer, I heard footsteps coming closer.
My body tensed immediately.
If anyone saw me here like this, everything would fall apart.
Then a voice came from beside me.
"What are you doing here?"
I turned quickly.
It was Yuri.
"Nothing," I said, stepping away from Jay's bed. "I'm just checking on her."
He looked at me for a moment, like he did not believe a single word I said.
"We need to talk to you," he said seriously.
Not just him.
Everyone must have been waiting for me.
We walked out into the corridor in silence.
"Kiefer... tell me something," Yuri said suddenly. "You kissed her, didn't you?"
I could not help it.
A wide grin spread across my face before I could stop myself.
Yuri stared at me for a second and sighed.
"I knew it," he muttered, shaking his head. "Your face is literally glowing."
For the first time in days, I almost laughed.
But then Yuri looked at me seriously.
"But Kiefer... why are you hiding things from me? I'm your best friend. Just because we like the same person doesn't mean you're not my friend anymore," Yuri said, his voice filled with concern.
"It's a mess I need to clean up myself," I said quietly before walking back into the classroom.
The second I stepped inside, everyone looked at me.
"Tell us, Kiefer... why did you lie?" Eman asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"We all know you love her," David said. "Don't even try to lie to us. You literally cried earlier."
"I don't love her," I said coldly.
"Don't even try fucking lying to us," Felix snapped immediately.
"She didn't mean anything to me," I said.
The second those words left my mouth, a fist slammed into my cheek.
I barely had time to react before I hit the floor.
I looked up.
I did not even know who the guy was.
Before I could get up, another punch landed across my face.
People started shouting.
Section E rushed forward to pull him away, but he kept coming at me like he wanted to kill me.
Then Percy suddenly stepped in.
"Jare... stop it!" Percy shouted, grabbing him and trying to pull him away. "If you kill him... Jay will kill you."
"This asshole..." Jare growled, struggling against Percy's grip. "How dare he hurt her?"
I stayed on the floor for a second, tasting blood in my mouth.
So this was Jare.
My brother-in-law.
When I looked at him properly, I noticed it immediately.
He had the same nose as Jay Jay.
The same eyes when he was angry.
And somehow, seeing that only made the guilt inside me worse.
My thoughts were interrupted when Yuri suddenly spoke.
"Jay's not in the nurse's office."
For a second, nobody moved.
Then panic hit all of us at once.
"What do you mean she's not there?" Jare snapped immediately.
Yuri looked confused for a second before glaring back at him.
"And who are you?"
"Edrix," I said sharply, cutting them both off. "Check the school CCTV right now."
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely think straight.
Percy was here, so she did not have anyone to take her home.
Her bag was still in class.
That meant she had to still be somewhere in the school.
"Look at you," Rory muttered bitterly. "You keep saying you don't care about her, but you're the one panicking the most."
I ignored him.
A few minutes later, Edrix looked up from the footage with a worried expression.
"I can't find her," he said. "I checked everything. She's not on any of the cameras."
He turned the screen toward us, showing footage from different hallways and exits.
Nothing.
No Jay.
"Tell everyone to search the entire school," I said immediately, already heading for the door.
"Tell everyone to search the entire school," I said immediately, already heading for the door.
"I'm not done with you," Jare warned, glaring at me.
Then we heard Percy scream.
"JARE!"
His voice was so loud that it sent a chill through my entire body.
Something was wrong.
Everyone ran toward the sound.
And then I saw her.
Jay Jay was lying in Percy's arms, completely still, like all the life had been drained out of her.
There was blood on her hand.
So much blood.
For a second, my mind went blank.
I could not hear anyone around me.
All I could see was my mother.
Her cold body.
The way she looked when she died.
And now Jay was lying there the same way.
Just minutes ago, I had seen her breathing.
If I had known...
If I had just stayed with her...
I pushed through Section E, shoving past everyone until I finally reached her.
"Hey... hey, look at me," I begged, hoping she would answer me.
I reached for her.
But Jare shoved my hand away.
"Don't you dare touch her," he snapped.
C-IN was trying to stop the bleeding with shaking hands.
Jare rushed toward his car and tried to start it, but the engine would not turn on.
I did not think.
I just moved.
I lifted Jay into my arms and carried her to my car, putting her carefully into the passenger seat.
I looked at her pale face, at the blood staining her skin, and something inside me broke completely.
I'm going to save you.
I'm not losing you the way I lost my mother.
I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
Then I looked at her.
"I'm not letting you die on my watch," I said, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.
"Kiefer..." she whispered weakly under her breath.
But I heard it clearly.
My heart nearly stopped.
"Are you okay?" I asked immediately.
Of course, she was not okay.
She was pale.
Shaking.
Barely conscious.
But hearing her voice was enough to make me feel alive again.
She turned her head slightly toward me, her eyes filled with pain.
"Why are you acting as if you care again?" she asked in a broken voice. "Is this also part of your plan?"
She still thought I was trying to hurt her again.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and drove as if my life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
The speed climbed from one hundred to one hundred twenty.
I swerved between cars, barely slowing down even when the lights turned red.
Nothing mattered except getting her to the hospital.
"Didn't you promise me you'd stay with me?" I asked, my voice rough with anger, fear, and desperation. "Then why... why would you do this to yourself?"
"Jay..." I called softly.
She turned her head slightly toward me.
Then she smiled.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Why are you smiling?" I asked, irritation clear in my voice.
"After two days..." she whispered weakly, her voice trembling. "You finally said my name again."
Her eyes slowly met mine.
"Even after everything... my name still sounds beautiful when it comes from your lips."
Another tear rolled down her face.
"And I still like it."
Love really makes people stupid.
She was barely holding on, and she was still saying corny things that made my heart hurt.
"Jay... I'll say your name a million times if that's what you want," I whispered, holding her hand tightly, needing her to know that I was still here.
Then suddenly, she reached for me.
She wrapped her arms around my head.
For a second, I could not see clearly.
A loud horn blasted through the air.
I jerked the steering wheel.
The car slid across the road.
And then—
Everything happened too fast.
A truck slammed into our side.
Glass shattered everywhere.
Jay's body was thrown forward, her head hitting the dashboard.
Then everything went silent.
For a few seconds, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears.
When I finally opened my eyes, I saw her arms still wrapped around me.
Still protecting me.
Even now.
Even in that moment.
She was ready to die for me.
My hands shook as I cupped her face and tapped her cheek lightly.
"Jay... hey... look at me."
Then I felt something warm and wet on my fingers.
Blood.
Her blood.
It was running down the side of her head.
My heart stopped.
I pulled her into my arms and ran toward the hospital entrance.
Everything around me was spinning.
My leg hurt. My head hurts. I could barely breathe.
But none of that mattered.
I just had to get her inside.
I had to save her.
Then I felt her trembling hand against my cheek.
I looked down at her.
She was staring at me through half-open eyes.
And then she kissed me.
Softly.
Weakly.
Like she was pouring every feeling she had left into that one kiss.
Like she was trying to say goodbye without saying the words.
Then her lips brushed against mine one last time as she whispered, "I never regretted loving you."
My chest felt like it was being ripped apart.
"Jay... no..."
Her body went limp in my arms.
Her lips turned pale.
Her skin felt colder by the second.
"Hey, don't scare me," I shouted, my voice breaking. "Don't you dare close your eyes. Jay! Look at me... look at me!"
I ran into the hospital carrying her, screaming for help like a madman, while the blood on my hands reminded me that I might already be too late.
"Doctor! Doctor!" I shouted, carrying her through the hospital doors.
Everything happened so fast after that.
Nurses rushed toward us.
Someone pulled her from my arms and placed her on a stretcher.
"Head injury! She's losing too much blood!"
They wheeled her away toward the ICU while I stood there covered in her blood, unable to think, unable to breathe.
Then one of the nurses stopped in front of me with a clipboard in her hand.
"We need you to fill these forms," she said quickly. "What is she to you?"
My hand was shaking so badly I could barely hold the pen.
"She's my wife," I said without hesitation. "Jasper Jean Mariano Watson."
I signed the papers with trembling fingers.
The nurse looked at me again, finally noticing the blood running down my arm and the cuts on my face.
"You're bleeding too. You need treatment."
"Check on my wife first," I said immediately, my vision already starting to blur. "She lost too much blood."
"She'll be alright," the nurse said softly. "They've already started treatment."
The moment I heard those words, my body finally gave up.
The fear, the pain, the shock—it all crashed into me at once.
My knees hit the floor.
Everything around me faded into darkness.
And I collapsed.
Thank you for loving my writing. Honestly, I hesitated before posting, but after reading your comments, I felt so happy. I knew many of you were waiting for this story, and that means so much to me.
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