Keifer held Jay tightly, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.
Her confession hit him harder than he expected. Not because he was shocked, but because it confirmed what he already feared.
He didn't want to be the kind of man who came into her life only to hurt her again.
He slowly pulled back and looked at her face, his eyes searching her like he wanted to memorize every detail.
"Jay…" he whispered, his voice low and rough. "You shouldn't have had to go through that."
Jay's eyes were still wet, but she nodded.
"I know," she whispered. "But I did."
Keifer's jaw tightened.
He took a deep breath and tried to speak, but the words didn't come out easily. He looked away for a moment, then returned his gaze to her.
"I need you to know something," he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion.
Jay blinked, surprised.
"What?" she asked softly.
Keifer looked down, as if he was gathering his courage.
"I wasn't always… like this," he began. "I wasn't always someone who could care this deeply."
Jay frowned slightly, confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Keifer's eyes darkened.
"I used to be someone who didn't trust anyone," he said. "Someone who believed everyone left eventually."
Jay's heart tightened.
"Why?" she asked.
Keifer's voice became quiet, almost painful.
"Because I was abandoned," he said. "When I was younger, I had someone I loved… someone I trusted with everything."
Jay's eyes widened.
Keifer continued, his voice steady but with a hint of bitterness.
"He left," Keifer said. "He walked away like I meant nothing."
Jay's chest tightened. She didn't know why, but something about the way he said it made her feel the pain he had carried for so long.
"I promised myself I would never let anyone hurt me again," Keifer continued. "So I built walls. I kept people at a distance. I didn't let anyone get close."
Jay's eyes softened.
"So that's why you distanced yourself from me?" she whispered.
Keifer looked at her, his expression torn.
"Yes," he said. "I thought if I didn't let myself feel, I wouldn't get hurt."
Jay's voice shook.
"But you did feel," she whispered. "And you did get hurt… even before you knew it."
Keifer's eyes flickered with pain.
"I was scared," he admitted. "I was scared that if I let myself care for you… you would leave too."
Jay's heart clenched.
"You think I would leave?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Keifer nodded slowly.
"I saw how your life is," he said. "I saw how you're trapped. I saw how you were forced to stay in a marriage that doesn't love you. And I thought… if you can't even choose yourself, then what makes me think you would choose me?"
Jay swallowed hard.
She looked down, feeling the weight of his words.
Then she lifted her head and looked at him again.
"I don't want to leave you," she said, her voice steady now. "I want to be with you."
Keifer's eyes widened slightly, as if he wasn't expecting her to say it so clearly.
Jay continued, her voice filled with emotion.
"But I'm married," she said. "And I don't know how to get out."
Keifer's expression turned serious.
"I know," he said. "And I will help you."
Jay stared at him, surprised.
"You will?" she asked.
Keifer nodded.
"I won't let you face this alone," he said. "I won't let you go back to that life."
Jay's eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were different. They were tears of relief.
Keifer stepped closer and held her face gently.
"You deserve better," he whispered. "And I'm going to give you that."
Jay nodded, her heart pounding.
For the first time in a long time, she felt hope.
And for the first time, she believed she might actually be able to escape.