*Continuation of Flashback*
Keifer's POV
Her hands are still cold in mine.
Not just cold — trembling.Even after everyone has left, after Dane stopped the security guards with some excuse, after Shun practically ran away like his legs forgot how to function… Jay's fingers won't stop shaking.
And the worst part?
They're shaking because of me.
I know it.I felt it the moment I said those words, the moment I pulled her into my arms like I needed her to stay breathing.Maybe I really did.
"You're mine," I whispered.And I meant every syllable.But I also felt her flinch when I said it.
Not from fear of me hurting her — never that — but fear of what I almost did.
I could've broken that guy's nose.I could've slammed his head against the concrete.I could've scared Jay more than Shun ever could.
The thought burns through my chest like a blade.
"Jay…" My voice cracks before I can stop it. "Look at me."
We're sitting on one of the shaded benches behind the science wing — far from the courtyard, far from the whispers, far from the way the crowd stared at us like we were a drama scene come to life.But even here, hidden under the canopy of old trees, she refuses to lift her head.
Her hair is covering her eyes.Her knuckles are white where she grips the hem of her skirt.Her knees are pulled toward her chest, like she's trying to make herself smaller.
Like she's trying to disappear.
I swallow the rising panic.
"Jay, please," I try again, softer this time. "Look at me."
Slowly — painfully slowly — she lifts her head.
And my heart stops.
She's not crying loudly.She's not making a sound at all.
Silent tears streak down her cheeks, falling like something she's desperately trying to hide.
She doesn't sob.She doesn't shake.She doesn't break.
She just… quietly collapses in on herself, as if she's used to crying like this.As if this is normal for her.As if she's done it too many times.
The sight nearly kills me.
"Jay…" My voice comes out uneven. "My Queen, don't— don't do that. Don't cry alone. Not in front of me."
She looks away again.
And I can't stand it.
I kneel in front of her, ignoring the dirt, ignoring the ache in my knees.I pry her hands gently from her skirt and hold them between mine.Her palms are ice.
"I scared you," I whisper. "Didn't I?"
Her lips part, but no words come.
She doesn't want to admit it.She doesn't want to hurt me.
And that makes the guilt crash harder.
"I'm sorry," I say, and it's the truest thing I've ever said. "Jay, I'm so damn sorry. I shouldn't have touched him. I shouldn't have—"
"You weren't wrong."
Her voice is barely audible, like a thread about to snap.
But it hits me harder than any shout would've.
I look up sharply.Her eyes are still wet, still shining, but she's staring at me with something that twists my chest — guilt, confusion, something unsteady and fragile.
"He shouldn't have talked to me like that," she continues softly. "He shouldn't have… touched me."
I clench my jaw. The memory flashes — Shun's hand reaching for her wrist, Jay freezing, that split second before her fear turned into panic.
I wanted to break him.I still do.
"But," she whispers, and the word breaks, "you could've gotten hurt, Kei."
Hurt?
I laugh, disbelieving.
"Hurt? Jay, Shun can't even throw a proper punch."
"But the school could've blamed you," she insists, the panic returning to her voice. "The guards could've stopped you, or— or expelled you, or banned you from visiting me—"
Ah.
There it is.
She wasn't scared of my anger.She was scared of losing me.
And that realization floors me.
I lean closer, brushing her tear-stained cheek with my thumb.She closes her eyes but doesn't pull away.
"I don't care about their rules," I tell her quietly. "I only care about you."
"Kei…"
"I mean it," I whisper. "If someone hurts you — even once — I can't just stand there. I won't."
Her lip trembles.I feel her pulse shaking against my palm.
"Keifer," she says brokenly, "people were recording you. They're saying things about you now. About us."
"Good," I growl before I can stop myself. "Let them talk. Let them know you're mine."
She stiffens.
The word hangs heavy between us.
Mine.
For a moment, I fear I said too much again.That I overstepped, scared her, pushed her into a corner she didn't want.
But then she whispers:
"It didn't scare me."
I blink.
Her gaze meets mine slowly, carefully, like she's afraid of her own honesty.
"It didn't scare me," she repeats. "It made my heart… do something weird."
Something warm spills through me, sharp and uncontrollable.
"Jay," I breathe out, relief flooding me so fast my chest hurts. "My Queen…"
She tries to wipe her tears but her hands are still trembling.I catch them gently, press my lips softly to her knuckles.
"You don't need to hide from me," I murmur. "Not your fear. Not your tears. Not anything."
Her breath hitches.
"I wasn't crying because of you," she whispers. "I was crying because… because you almost got in trouble because of me."
I shake my head."No. I almost got in trouble because someone touched what's mine."
Her cheeks flush, even through the drying tears.
"Kei…"
"I'm here," I say again, grounding each word as I cup her face. "I'm always here. Even when you break. Even when you're scared. Even when you push me away."
She swallows.
"Don't push me away," I add, voice barely above a whisper. "Not like before."
Something shifts in her expression — something deep, something wounded, something I can't name yet.
But before I can ask, she leans forward.
Just slightly.
Enough for her forehead to touch mine.
Enough for me to feel the warmth she tries so hard to hide.
Enough for me to know she hears me.
Her silent tears stop falling.But her hands tighten around mine, as if holding on is the only thing keeping her steady.
"Stay," she whispers, barely audible. "Just… stay a little longer."
My chest squeezes painfully.
"Always," I whisper back, pulling her hands to my chest. "I'm not going anywhere."
Not now.
Not ever.
Jay-Jay's POV
Keifer doesn't move.
Even when I whisper "stay," even when my forehead touches his, even when I know I'm asking for something I shouldn't — he doesn't hesitate for even a second.
He just stays.
Like the world isn't waiting outside this little hidden corner.Like the whole campus didn't just see the most terrifying version of him.Like I'm the only person in his universe right now.
His hands are warm around mine.Too warm.It feels like they're melting something cold and hard that's been stuck inside my chest for years.
I don't know what to do with that feeling.
"Jay…" he murmurs softly. "Talk to me."
I can't.Not yet.My mind is still replaying everything — Shun's hand grabbing my wrist, the crowd whispering, Keifer's eyes darkening in a way I've only seen once before, the way his fist almost—
I squeeze my eyes shut.
And then there's the other part.
The part that terrifies me just as much.
The part that felt… safe the moment Keifer stepped between us.The part that felt warm when he said I was his.The part that feels like it's falling — fast, stupidly, helplessly — every time he looks at me like I'm the only thing that matters.
"Jay," he whispers again, fingers brushing my cheek. "You're thinking too much."
Of course I am.
He almost punched someone.For me.
I should feel afraid.I should feel ashamed.I should be angry at him.
So why does my heart ache in this strange, almost beautiful way?
"I made you worried," I mumble instead, pulling my hands gently from his grasp. "Everyone was staring. They were recording. They'll post things. They'll say—"
"They'll say I protected my girlfriend," Keifer cuts in sharply, like he doesn't even need to think about it. "Good."
I freeze.
I forgot.
He told my entire school I was his girlfriend.
I don't even know how he said it, whether he yelled it in the courtyard or calmly announced it just to make Shun shut up — but it's out there.Everyone knows.
Everyone.
My chest tightens.
"That's not— I mean, that's—" I stop. Words get tangled in my throat. "Keifer… you didn't even ask me."
He leans back slightly, eyes narrowing as if offended on my behalf.
"I shouldn't have to ask to protect you," he says quietly. "And you… didn't say no."
I open my mouth.
Close it.
He's right.I didn't say no.Not when he held my hand.Not when he pulled me to his chest.Not when he whispered "you're mine."
And definitely not when he said he was my boyfriend.
I didn't fight it at all.
Why?
"Jay." His voice softens again, as if sensing the spiral building in my head. "Look at me."
I hesitate.
"Jay-Jay," he says, and that nickname — the one only he says with that stupid warm tone — snaps my attention right to his eyes.
He smiles faintly.Barely there.Soft enough to make my heart do that weird painful flutter again.
"Good," he murmurs. "Stay with me."
I feel my cheeks warm.
Why does he do this?Why does he say things like that?Why does he look at me like—
"Keifer," I whisper, my voice barely steady, "you could've hurt him."
"I could have," he admits, unapologetic. "I wanted to."
"Keifer—"
"He touched you."
The way he says it is low, dangerous, like the memory alone is enough to ignite his temper again.
But then he does something unexpected.
He inhales.
Deeply.
Like he's trying to calm himself for my sake.
"And you were scared," he adds gently. "That's what broke me. Not him. You."
My throat tightens.
"I wasn't scared of you," I say instantly.
His eyes widen — just slightly.Like he wasn't expecting that.
"Not even a little?" he murmurs.
"No," I whisper. "I… was scared that something would happen to you because of me."
Silence.
Keifer stares at me like he's hearing something impossible.Like I said something backward, something that doesn't make sense in his world.
Then he laughs.Soft, breathy, disbelieving.
"Jay, my future wifey," he says slowly, shaking his head. "Why are you always scared of losing people?"
My breath stutters.
He doesn't know.He doesn't know anything about the real reasons, the childhood incident, the promises broken and taken and hidden.
But he still sees me.
More than he should.
More than I want him to.
"I'm not—" I start, but my voice cracks.
He moves before I can continue.
One hand cups my cheek.The other slides gently behind my head, guiding me forward.
Not forcing.
Just holding.
Just giving me something to lean on.
Something I didn't know I needed.
"Cry if you want to," he whispers. "I won't look away."
"I'm not crying," I say, even though my voice betrays me.
"I know," he says with a faint smile. "But if you start, I'll still be here."
Something inside me breaks.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Quietly.
Like a thread snapping.
Like something I've been pretending not to feel finally spilling out.
"Keifer…" My voice shakes.
His arms wrap around me instinctively, pulling me gently against him.Not too tight.Just enough to make me feel held.
Safe.
Real.
"You're trembling again," he murmurs, lips close to my ear. "I've got you."
And I hate it.
I hate how much I need this.I hate how good it feels.I hate how his voice feels like warmth after years of cold.I hate how my heart isn't listening to my logic anymore.
But more than anything…
I hate that part of me is happy he fought for me.
Happy he claimed me.
Happy he said I was his.
My silent tears start again — slower, softer.
Keifer tightens his arms around me.
"Don't feel guilty," he whispers, like he can read my mind. "Don't ever feel guilty for needing me."
A shiver travels down my spine.
Because I do need him.
More than I should.
More than is safe.
More than is fair.
And that terrifies me more than Shun ever could.
Keifer's POV
Jay thinks she hides her cries well.
She doesn't.
Not from me.
She buries her face in my shoulder, trying to be quiet, trying to be strong, trying to pretend the tremors in her body are from the cold or the stress or anything else except what they really are.
But I feel every shake.
Every sharp inhale.
Every silent tear that dampens my shirt.
And something inside my chest tightens painfully, because I know — she never cries like this with anyone.She never lets anyone see her fall apart.
Except me.
I press my chin lightly against the top of her head.
God.I almost hit that guy.I almost broke him in front of the entire school.
If Jay hadn't said my name… if she hadn't grabbed my arm…
I don't trust myself to think about what would've happened.
She sniffles quietly, and that tiny sound slices through me sharper than any blow I've ever taken.
I loosen my hold only enough to see her face.
Her eyes are glassy.Her lashes wet.Her skin flushed from crying.
Beautiful, even like this.Especially like this.
"Jay," I breathe, brushing a tear with my thumb. "You know I hate seeing you cry."
"I-I wasn't—"Her voice cracks, and she looks away in embarrassment.
I tilt her chin back gently.
"Don't lie to me," I whisper. "Not about this."
She swallows hard.
Her hands grip my jacket — tightly — like she doesn't want me to step even one centimeter away.
She probably doesn't realize she's doing it.
But I do.
And I swear, if the world ended right now, I'd still remember the feeling of her holding onto me like this.
I take a slow breath, trying to calm the storm still simmering inside me.
I'm not proud of how close I came to losing control.I'm not proud that she had to stop me.I'm not proud that she was trembling because of something I did.
But the memory of Shun touching her—
My jaw clenches again.
I hated it.I hated it more than I knew I could hate something.
When I looked at that bastard, all I could see was Jay's wrist in his hand.Her flinch.Her fear.
And I saw red.
"I scared you," I say quietly.
Jay's eyes widen, surprised.
"I wasn't scared of you," she whispers immediately, and my heart stutters in a way I'm not used to. "I was scared… for you."
That does something to me.
Something deep.Something raw.
I almost laugh — not because it's funny, but because she still doesn't understand what she does to me.
"Jay-Jay," I say her name softly. "You worry about everyone else before yourself. Even the person who almost threw a punch in front of the whole campus."
"You could get in trouble," she mumbles. "And it would be because of me. Everything today happened because of me."
There it is.
The guilt.
The thing she carries like a second skin.
I exhale slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm.
"Nothing that happened was your fault," I say firmly.
"But I—"
"Jay." My tone sharpens. She freezes. "Look at me."
She lifts her gaze reluctantly, eyes still shiny with tears.
"Even if he confessed a hundred times, even if the whole school stared, even if you cried…"I take her hands, turning them over gently, like I'm memorizing the shape of them."…none of that is your fault."
She tries to pull her hands away, but I hold them carefully — not tight, but steady.
"But Keifer… you almost—"
"I almost hit him," I finish for her. "And if I did, that would be on me. Not on you. Never on you."
Her lip trembles again.
I run a thumb over the back of her hand slowly, trying to ground her.
"And Jay," I add quietly, "if anyone ever touches you like that again, I'm not promising I'll react better."
Her breath catches.
I'm not saying it to sound dangerous.I just know myself.When it comes to her, I don't think clearly.I don't feel calmly.She's the only person who makes me lose control in a way that feels… inevitable.
She looks overwhelmed, and I soften my voice.
"Hey," I whisper. "Breathe."
She does, a little shakily.
I pull her closer again, letting her fit against me like she belongs there — because she does. She always has.
"You… you shouldn't say things like that," she whispers. "People will misunderstand."
"Only if they're idiots."
She lets out a half-laugh, half-sob.
Good.If she's laughing even a little, she's coming back to me.
"Keifer?" she says softly.
"Mm?"
"Why did you… fight so hard today?"
The answer is simple.
Because you cried.Because he touched you.Because you're mine.Because I—
But I can't say all of that yet, not like that.
So I lean down and press my forehead against hers.
"Because I couldn't stand the look on your face," I whisper. "The second he grabbed you… you looked like you were breaking."
Her breath hitches.
"I'll never let anyone do that to you again," I murmur. "Not while I'm breathing."
She closes her eyes, a fresh tear escaping.
I wipe it away immediately.
"Don't cry anymore," I say softly.
"I can't stop," she admits. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"There's nothing wrong with you," I tell her firmly. "You're overwhelmed. And you're allowed to be."
Jay opens her eyes, staring straight into mine.
She looks vulnerable.Soft.Real.Beautiful.
And mine.
God, mine.
I cup her cheek again, thumb brushing her skin gently.
"If you want to cry," I say, "cry into me."
Something in her breaks — again — but this time it's quieter.Softer.Like she's finally letting herself collapse instead of fighting it.
She buries her face in my chest, and I wrap my arms around her fully.
This time, I don't hold back.
This time, I hold her the way I've wanted to for years — tightly, protectively, like she's the only thing keeping me alive.
Her silent tears warm my shirt again.
And I whisper into her hair, so soft she almost doesn't hear it:
"I'm right here, Jay. And I'm not going anywhere."
She trembles.
I pull her even closer.
And for the first time since the courtyard, I feel her let go.
Just a little.
Just enough.
Jay-Jay's POV
I didn't even realize I was crying until the wind stung my cheeks.
Keifer had led me all the way to the far edge of campus—the quiet little garden between the abandoned art building and the parking lot—without saying a word. He kept my hand in his the whole time, his grip warm, steady, but trembling just enough that I knew he was barely holding himself together.
And I… I couldn't breathe.
Everything replayed in my mind on a loop—Shun's smirk, Keifer's deadly calm smile, the sound of bodies slamming against stone, the crowd screaming. My heart kept jerking in my chest like it didn't understand which emotion to obey: fear, guilt, relief, hurt, love.
Love.
The word itself made my throat tighten.
Keifer finally stopped walking when we reached a shaded bench beneath an overgrown bougainvillea. The purple petals were scattered everywhere like someone had prepared the place for a confession. He didn't sit. Instead, he turned toward me with an expression so raw I had to look away.
"Jay," he said softly.
That was all it took for my lungs to collapse. My knees buckled, and before I could hit the ground, he caught me—arms sliding around my waist, pulling me tight against his chest.
I didn't even think. My hands fisted into his shirt, my forehead pressing into him as sobs tore out of me in shaking bursts I couldn't stop. He held me through every one. No hesitation. No fear. Just Keifer, warm and solid, grounding me like I would float away without him.
"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I'm so sorry, Kei, I—"
"Don't." He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. His thumb brushed away a tear I didn't even feel fall. "Don't apologize for something someone else did to you."
"But I—"
"Jay." His voice sharpened just slightly. "No."
That one word silenced me completely.
He guided me gently to sit on the bench, but instead of sitting beside me, he knelt in front of me. His hands came up to cup mine, lifting them, holding them like they were something fragile.
I stared at our joined hands, at the way my fingers trembled inside his steady grip.
"I almost hit him," Keifer said quietly. "I wanted to. I haven't felt that—angry—in years."
I swallowed, unable to look away from him. "Because of me."
"Because someone scared you," he corrected. "Because someone made you feel unsafe. I told you, Jay… when it comes to you, I don't—" He paused, shaking his head slightly, jaw clenching. "I don't think straight."
My heart broke a little at that. "You could've gotten expelled."
"I don't care."
"You should care!"
"Not when it's about you."
The honesty in his voice hit me like a punch. My chest tightened painfully. I opened my mouth to argue, but the words dissolved into another wave of tears. I tried to wipe them away, embarrassed, but Keifer caught my wrist gently.
"Hey," he murmured. "Look at me."
I did.
And instantly regretted it.
His eyes—dark, fierce, unbearably soft—held so much emotion I felt stripped bare. There was anger still, the leftover lightning of it, but there was something deeper beneath it. Something terrifying. Something beautiful.
"You have to tell me when you're scared," he whispered. "You can't keep that inside. Not with me. I'm here, Jay. I'm always here."
My throat closed. "I didn't want to bother you."
His expression twisted. "You think you're a bother to me?"
I shook my head quickly, but he leaned closer, voice lowering.
"You're the only person I want to be bothered by."
Something hot and trembling blossomed in my chest.
He lifted a hand and cupped my cheek, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "You cried," he said, his voice cracking in the smallest, most human way. "In front of him. Because of him."
"I was scared you'd hurt him," I whispered.
"I was scared I'd hurt him too." His gaze flickered to my lips before darting back to my eyes. "I was scared I'd cross a line I couldn't come back from. And then—" He exhaled shakily. "And then you said my name."
"Kei," I whispered unconsciously.
A shiver ran through him.
"That," he said softly, "is the only thing that can stop me. The only thing."
My heart might have actually stopped beating.
Before I could process anything else, he leaned forward slightly, pressing his forehead to mine. His breathing was uneven. Mine was a mess.
"Jay," he murmured, "tell me to stop."
I didn't know what I was supposed to feel. I didn't know if the pounding in my chest was panic or need or both. All I knew was that I didn't want him to move away.
"I'm not scared of you," I whispered.
"Then tell me to stop," he repeated.
"I don't want you to."
He inhaled sharply.
His hands slid to the sides of my face again, holding me gently, reverently—even though his fingers trembled.
And then he kissed me.
Soft at first, barely there, just the ghost of a touch. Testing. Asking. Giving me a chance to pull away.
I didn't.
I leaned in instead.
That was all it took.
Keifer's breath hitched as he deepened the kiss—still gentle, still careful, but full of the emotion he'd been swallowing down all day. His thumbs brushed my cheekbones as if memorizing every inch. His lips were warm, desperate, apologetic, claiming and giving all at once.
My hands slid up to his shoulders, pulling him closer, grounding myself. I didn't care that I'd been crying. I didn't care about the crowd that saw us earlier. I didn't care about Shun or the whispers or anything outside this moment.
It was Keifer.
My Keifer.
He pulled away only when breathing became a necessity, resting his forehead against mine again, eyes closed.
"I'm yours," he whispered hoarsely. "But more than that—Jay… you're mine."
My chest ached, but not with fear.
With something deeper.
Something I couldn't run from anymore.
And for the first time today, my tears weren't from panic.
They were from the terrifying, overwhelming realization that I believed him.
And that I wanted to.
Jay-Jay's POV
Keifer doesn't speak for a while. He just holds me.
His arms are wrapped around me like he's afraid I'll vanish if he loosens even a little. My forehead is pressed against the soft fabric of his hoodie, and his chin rests on the top of my head. The world around us steadies slowly, breath by breath, like he's lending me pieces of his calm one inhale at a time.
And yet, beneath all that quiet, I can feel it—the trembling.
Not mine.His.
His fingers twitch slightly where they rest on my back. His breath hitches once, almost too quiet to notice. His heartbeat is steady—but just a little too fast.
I've never seen Keifer truly shaken before.
Not like this.
Not because of me.
When he finally pulls back, it's just enough to see my face. His eyes search mine with this devastated gentleness that makes my chest ache.
"Let me see," he murmurs, his thumb brushing under my lower lip. "Did he… did he hurt you?"
His voice is low, controlled… but the restraint is fragile, like a glass thread about to snap.
I shake my head. "No. I'm okay."
He closes his eyes for a second. Just one second. But it's enough to make me feel the storm inside him.
When he opens them, they're softer. But also a little bit haunted.
"Jay." His hands cradle my face again, firmer this time. "You have to tell me when something like this happens. Do you understand?"
There's frustration in his tone—but it's not aimed at me. It's fear. Pure, raw fear.
"Keifer, I didn't think—"
"I don't care what you thought." His voice cracks. "I care about you."
I freeze.
Not because of the words—I've heard them before.But because of the way he says them.
Quiet. Fierce. Like a vow.
"I care," he repeats, softer now, rougher. "More than I should. More than is good for either of us, probably. But I do."
My breath catches.
He lets out a shaky exhale and pulls me down so I'm sitting on the bench again. Then he kneels in front of me—again, like he did earlier—but this time, it's not frantic or angry.
It's gentle.Intentional.
He takes my hands in his, lifting them to his lips. His mouth brushes over my knuckles lightly, like he's trying to kiss away whatever fear is left inside me.
"I hate that you were scared." His voice drops to a whisper that feels like it wraps around my heart. "I hate that he made you cry."
"I didn't cry," I lie automatically.
His eyes flick up. "Jay."
I sigh. "Okay. Maybe a little."
His brows pull together in that expression I only see when he's fighting the urge to break something. But instead of tension, he releases a soft breath and presses my hand against his cheek.
"You're allowed to cry," he says quietly. "Just… not alone."
Something inside me cracks.
Because I don't cry in front of people. I don't break in front of people. I don't show fear, or confusion, or weakness.
But with him…
With him, it's different.
"Keifer…" My voice wavers. "I just feel so… guilty."
"Guilty?" He looks genuinely confused. "For what?"
"For almost letting you hurt him. For you feeling this much because of me. For— for everything that happened today."
His thumb strokes my cheek slowly. "No. Don't you dare take responsibility for his behavior."
I look away. "But if I'd told you earlier—"
"Jay." The way he says my name makes me meet his eyes. "I'm glad I was there."
My breath stutters.
"I'm glad," he repeats, quieter. "Because if you were scared, and I hadn't been there to stop it—" He breaks off, jaw tightening. "I don't want to think about that."
He shifts closer, his knees brushing against mine. His hands move to my thighs, warm and steady, grounding me back into my own body.
"Listen to me," he whispers. "You're safe with me. Always."
The sincerity in his voice makes my chest tighten painfully. I feel something spill over inside me—something hot, something overwhelming.
Fear.Relief.Love.All tangled and sharp and confusing.
When tears start sliding down my cheeks, I try to hide them—look away, wipe them quickly—but Keifer catches my chin gently and turns my face back toward him.
"Jay-Jay," he breathes. "It's okay."
His thumbs brush the tears away—slow, careful, like he's handling something fragile.
And then he leans forward and presses the softest kiss to the corner of my wet eye.
My breath catches.
Another kiss follows, just below the first tear track. Then another, near the edge of my cheekbone.
Each one is slow.Patient.Reverent.
By the time his lips reach the corner of my mouth, I'm trembling.
Not from fear.
From how much I trust him.
When he finally presses his lips to mine, it's not like the earlier kiss—desperate and heated. This one is quiet. Deep. A slow pouring of everything he feels into the space between us.
I melt into it.
His hands cup the back of my neck, his forehead rests against mine, our breaths mingle in the tiny distance between us.
"Jay," he whispers into my lips. "I almost hurt him. Because he hurt you."
His voice cracks again. "I can't— I can't stand seeing you cry."
I swallow hard, touching his cheek. "Keifer… I'm okay now."
He exhales shakily, as if those words physically ease something inside him.
And then—
He pulls me into his chest again, burying his face in my shoulder.
"You're mine," he murmurs, voice trembling with something raw and real. "And I will never let anyone touch what's mine."
The words settle inside me, warm and terrifying and comforting all at once.
And for the first time today…I let myself believe him.