The fever had finally started to leave him.
The sharp heat that had taken over his body for days was fading, like a storm that had finally calmed down.
His skin was no longer burning.
His eyes were clearer.
He still looked weak—more fragile than the CEO I knew—but he was finally himself again.
He woke up slowly, blinking like he was waking from a long dream.
He turned his head toward me.
"Jay…" he murmured.
I sat up immediately.
"Hey," I said softly, smiling.
He smiled back—small, tired, but real.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
He paused, then said quietly, "Better."
I exhaled in relief.
"You scared me," I admitted.
His eyes softened.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."
I shook my head. "Don't ever apologize for being sick."
He looked at me for a moment.
Then he suddenly pulled me closer.
It was sudden.
Almost like a reflex.
His arms wrapped around me tightly.
He held me like he was afraid I'd disappear.
I froze for a moment.
Then I hugged him back, feeling his warmth against my body.
He buried his face into my shoulder.
"I missed you," he whispered.
My heart squeezed.
"I missed you too," I replied.
He stayed quiet for a moment, like he was trying to control himself.
Then he whispered, "I hate being weak."
I stroked his hair gently.
"I know," I said. "But you're not weak."
He pulled back slightly and looked at me with serious eyes.
"You don't understand," he said.
"What?" I asked.
He swallowed.
"When I'm sick… I feel useless," he admitted.
I held his face gently.
"You're not useless," I said.
He looked down, and I saw his vulnerability.
"I hate needing someone," he confessed.
I smiled softly.
"You don't have to hate it," I said. "Because you're not alone."
He looked up at me.
Then, without warning, he pulled me closer again.
And this time, he didn't let go.
The Clingy Side of Him
After that morning, Keifer became different.
Not in a bad way.
But in a way that made my heart feel full.
He was clingy.
He held my hand even while we were watching TV.
He sat close to me at the dining table, like he was afraid I might disappear.
He leaned on my shoulder while we worked.
He even asked me to sleep next to him like a child who needed comfort.
It was sweet.
And I couldn't deny that it made me feel loved.
He became more affectionate than usual.
He would brush his fingers against my arm.
He would rest his head on my lap.
He would whisper my name like it was the most important thing in the world.
And I realized something:
He wasn't being clingy because he was weak anymore.
He was being clingy because he didn't want to lose me.
The Day He Finally Admitted It
It was a quiet afternoon.
I was sitting on the couch, reading some documents.
Keifer was lying beside me, his head on my lap.
He looked at me with soft eyes.
"Jay," he whispered.
"Yes?"
He took a deep breath.
"I… I don't want you to leave," he said.
My heart stopped.
I looked at him.
He looked down, embarrassed.
"I know I'm not perfect," he continued. "I can be cold. I can be controlling. I can be difficult."
I smiled.
"You're not difficult," I said.
He shook his head.
"You don't understand," he whispered. "I'm scared."
I touched his face gently.
"Scared of what?" I asked.
He swallowed.
"Scared that one day you'll get tired of me," he said. "Scared that one day you'll leave."
My eyes widened.
I felt my heart break.
Because I knew he had never said this before.
Not even once.
I pulled him closer.
"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.
He closed his eyes.
"I know," he whispered back. "But I still fear it."
I held him tighter.
"You don't have to fear anything," I said. "Because I love you."
He opened his eyes.
And in that moment, I saw a new side of him.
A side that was vulnerable.
A side that needed love.
A side that needed me.
The Promise
That night, he sat beside me on the bed.
He looked at me like he was searching for words.
Then he said, "Jay…"
"Yes?" I asked.
He took my hand.
"I promise you something," he said softly.
I held my breath.
"What?" I whispered.
He looked into my eyes.
"When I'm better," he said, "I'm going to be the man you deserve."
My heart squeezed.
"I don't need you to be perfect," I said.
He smiled faintly.
"I know," he whispered. "But I want to be better for you."
I leaned in and kissed him gently.
He kissed me back like he had been waiting for that moment.
And for the first time, I saw the real Keifer.
Not the CEO.
Not the controlling man.
But the one who loved me with everything he had.
The Calm After the Storm
After that night, everything became peaceful again.
The house felt calm.
The air felt lighter.
Keifer recovered completely.
But he didn't go back to being distant.
Instead, he became closer.
He became more loving.
More attentive.
More open.
He still ran his company like a king.
But at home, he became mine.
And I became his.