Jay sat alone in the garden, the evening sun casting long shadows across the manicured lawns. Her tea had gone cold, forgotten. Her mind was anything but still.
Why do I feel like this? she thought, staring at the fountain. He's with her. He confessed. He chose her. And yet… my chest hurts like it's mine he's claiming.
The words she had thrown at him during their fight kept replaying in her mind: "We're still haters."
She hated herself for it. Every time she remembered how harsh she'd sounded, how final it had felt, she felt a tight knot of guilt and regret.
Keifer appeared at the edge of the garden, calm as always, though his presence made her heart skip in a way she despised.
"Jay," he said softly.
She looked up, taking a deep breath. "Keifer… about your confession… what you said today." Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide.
He stepped closer, eyes steady. "Yes?"
Jay's chest tightened. "When you… when you said you love her… I just…" She paused, unable to form the words. I just keep hearing what I said. 'We're just haters.' Did that… did that ruin everything? Did I push him away from me forever?
Keifer didn't answer immediately. He stood there, silent, letting her words hang between them. The wind rustled through the trees, the faint sound of the fountain filling the quiet.
Then, slowly, he smiled. That calm, knowing smile he always gave when he had the upper hand—not in a cruel way, but in a way that made her heart twist and ache at the same time.
"Yes," he said softly.
Jay blinked, confused, her pulse racing. "Yes…?"
"Yes," he repeated, eyes locking with hers. A strange warmth lingered there, unspoken yet undeniable. "What you said… about us being haters… I remember. I never forgot."
Her breath caught. She opened her mouth, but no words came.
He tilted his head slightly, that small, infuriating smile still playing on his lips. "But it's fine. Everything's fine, Jay."
Her heart swirled with emotions she couldn't name—guilt, longing, insecurity, and something else… something dangerous that made her want to lean into him, despite everything.
And in that moment, Jay realized just how complicated things had become. How much she actually felt. How much she still wanted him—even if she didn't fully admit it yet.