Jay's POV
The house was quiet now, but the air still felt heavy, thick with everything that had happened.
I stayed in the living room, slumped against the couch, arms wrapped around my knees. The anger had faded, leaving a hollow ache in its place. My chest still burned from every word Keifer had said. My mind kept replaying it, over and over, like a recording I couldn't pause.
Percy sat beside me, close enough that I could feel his warmth, but careful not to crowd me. His eyes never left mine, steady and calm, a quiet anchor.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low, careful.
I shook my head, letting out a bitter laugh. "Do I look okay? He called me a piece of… I don't even want to say it again."
He flinched slightly at my words but stayed silent. Instead, he reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "He can't define you," he said simply. "Not now, not ever."
I swallowed, trying to steady my voice. "And yet everyone in this house… they just stood there."
Percy tightened his grip on my shoulder. "No. They didn't stand there. They just… needed a moment. They're trying to process it, just like you. But I won't leave. Not tonight."
The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled. I buried my face in my hands, letting him hold me while I cried. For hours, perhaps, the world shrank to the two of us.
Mom knelt a few feet away, trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tita hovered behind her, unsure whether to comfort her or me.
"I—" Mom started, voice breaking. "I should have told you sooner. I should have protected you…"
I shook my head, bitter. "Protected me? By staying silent? By letting him—"
"Enough," Percy said firmly, not harshly, just steady. "You don't need to fight everyone right now. Just breathe."
I let his words sink in, even as anger still lingered like smoke. My mind wandered to Keifer, imagining him walking away, thinking he had won. But I knew I hadn't lost—not really.
Hours passed. The living room became dim, lit only by the soft glow of a single lamp. Mom finally sank to the floor beside me, hands clasped together, silent. Tita sat quietly across the room, her eyes red but firm. Percy stayed where he was, silent, patient.
Eventually, I leaned back against the couch, exhaustion weighing me down. "I don't want to talk to anyone," I admitted. "Just you. That's enough."
Percy nodded. "Then that's enough. I'm not going anywhere."
I closed my eyes, letting the comfort of his presence wash over me. The world outside could wait. The whispers, the judgment, the lies—they could all wait. For now, this house, this room, Percy's steady presence—that was all that mattered.
But even in the quiet, a small spark of something else stirred: planning. Thinking. I wasn't done yet. Not with Keifer, not with Section E, and not with the lies that had surrounded me for so long.
Tonight, I was quiet. Tonight, I healed. But tomorrow… tomorrow, they would see me different.