The apartment was dark.
Not intentionally—Jay hadn't bothered to turn the lights on. The city outside provided enough glow, enough life. She sat on the edge of her bed, phone resting beside her, untouched for nearly an hour.
She had stopped running from it.
Slowly, she picked it up.
1 voicemail.
No more excuses.
She pressed play.
For a second, there was only static.
Then—
"Jay…"
Her breath caught.
It had been years. Nine of them. And yet her body reacted before her mind could catch up—heart stuttering, fingers tightening around the phone.
"It's me."
Keifer's voice was lower than she remembered. Rougher. Like it had been worn down by time and sleepless nights
.
"I saw the news."
A pause. She could hear his breath in the background, uneven, like he wasn't sure if he should keep going.
"You look… fine."
Jay let out a small, silent laugh that didn't reach her eyes.
"I won't take much of your time," he continued. "I just—"
Another pause. Longer this time.
"I just needed to know you're okay."
That was all.
No apology.
No explanation.
No demands.
Just concern—arriving nine years too late.
The voicemail ended.
Jay stared at the screen, her reflection faintly visible in the glass. Her chest felt tight, heavy, like something had settled there and refused to move.
"So that's it," she whispered.
She didn't cry.
Instead, she sat there, listening to the silence that followed his voice. It felt louder than the voicemail itself.
She replayed it.
Once.
Then again.
Not because she wanted to hear what he said—but because she needed to remember how his voice sounded. To remind herself that it was real. That he was real.
She locked the phone and placed it beside her.
Outside, the city breathed steadily, indifferent to the quiet shift happening inside her.
Keifer Watson hadn't apologized.
He hadn't explained.
But for the first time in nine years…
He had reached out.
And Jay Mariano didn't know which hurt more—the past he never fixed, or the present he had finally entered.
Hey folkss thank you so much for completing the goal💗, as i promised here is the next chapter
And shout out to Jahnavi_chauhan 💘
For next chapter i need
40comment 🌕
And don't think im greedy😭 understand my situation its my board exam that why im asking for more comments 🫠