JAY'S POV
I wasn't supposed to hear it.
Their voices were loud enough that I stopped in the hallway outside the room.
"…She's going to hate us," Denzel said.
A chair scraped against the floor.
"Jay will never forgive this," Felix added.
My hand paused on the door handle.
Forgive what?
Edrix scoffed. "Then what do you want to do? Just tell her the whole plan?"
Plan.
The word settled in my chest like a stone.
Before I could think about it, I pushed the door open.
"Tell me what?"
The room went silent so fast it almost made me laugh.
Four boys staring at me like they'd just seen a ghost.
Eman looked the most guilty.
"What plan?" I asked.
No one answered.
My eyes shifted to the one person who wasn't avoiding my gaze.
Keifer.
He leaned against the table, arms crossed, expression completely blank.
"You sure you wanna hear it?" he asked.
His voice was cold. Almost bored.
Something in my chest tightened.
But I nodded anyway.
"Say it."
For a second, no one moved.
Then Keifer spoke.
"I used you."
The words didn't sound real.
Like they were meant for someone else.
"The whole Section E knows it," he added.
I waited.
For anger.
For the sting of betrayal.
For something.
But all I felt was… empty.
Four pairs of eyes were watching me.
Waiting.
Expecting me to explode.
Instead, a laugh slipped out of my mouth.
Small. Light.
"Oh."
I shrugged like it didn't matter.
"That's it?"
Confusion flashed across their faces.
"It's fine," I said.
My voice sounded strangely calm.
"Really."
No one believed me.
I could see it in their eyes.
But I didn't stay long enough to let them look deeper.
I turned around and walked out.
My steps were steady.
Slow.
Controlled.
Only when the door closed behind me did my smile finally disappear.
And suddenly—
Breathing felt a lot harder than it should.