Chapter: The Fear I Can't Name
Jay's POV
The moment I got home, I shut my bedroom door, turned the lock, and collapsed against it.
The weight I had been carrying all day pressed down until it was impossible to breathe. My chest hurt, my throat burned, and before I could stop myself—tears spilled over.
Because I loved him.
God, I loved Keifer Watson too much.
And that was exactly why I couldn't stop shaking.
That list. The stupid, terrible list I'd stumbled on when Yuri wasn't looking. His "kill list." Half a joke. Half not. Keifer's name, scrawled like a target.
Every time Keifer smiled at me, touched me, held me—I saw that name.
And the thought of losing him… broke me in ways I couldn't even put into words.
A soft knock broke through my sobs.
"Jay?"
It was Aries. Of course it was. I quickly wiped my face with the back of my sleeve, but the second he pushed the door open and saw me curled on the floor, his eyes softened.
He didn't tease. Didn't scold. He just crouched down and pulled me into his arms.
"What's wrong?"
I shook my head, burying my face into his shoulder. "I can't—Aries, I can't lose him."
He stiffened, and I knew. He knew.
"It's about Yuri," he said quietly.
That broke me all over again. "What if he's serious? What if one day I just… I just don't see Keifer again? I can't—Aries, I can't survive that."
"Hey, hey." He pulled back, gripping my shoulders firmly, eyes blazing with the kind of protective fury only Aries had. "You listen to me. No one—and I mean no one—is going to touch Keifer. Not while I'm breathing."
"Aries—"
"I'm telling Angelo," he cut me off.
Panic shot through me. "No! If you tell him, everything will explode. Section E will never be the same."
"And what?" Aries snapped. "You'd rather keep it quiet until something happens? Until Watson actually gets hurt? Hell no."
"I—" My voice cracked. I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew he was right. I just hated it. Hated the thought of dragging Keifer into my nightmares.
Aries exhaled, softer this time. "Look. I'll tell Angelo. But only if you're involved. You won't be shut out, okay? You'll be there every step. I promise."
I bit my lip, shaking, but finally whispered, "…Fine. If I get to be there."
His relief was instant. "Good." He pulled out his phone. "We'll call Percy too. He'll know what to do."
"Percy?" I blinked.
"Yeah," Aries said grimly. "For once, that idiot's gonna be useful. Between him, me, and Angelo… we'll keep an eye on Yuri. We'll keep Keifer safe."
The way he said it—firm, unshakable—made me want to believe.
But as I leaned against Aries, clutching onto the promise, I still felt the ache in my chest. Because no matter what they swore, I knew one thing for sure:
The deeper I loved Keifer, the deeper the fear of losing him grew.