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Chapter 13 - List

Chapter: The List

The next day, things finally felt… calmer. Almost.

Drew showed up to school looking like a kicked puppy, and of course, Keifer being Keifer, didn't just ignore him. They talked outside Section E before first period, voices low but sharp enough for me to catch bits.

"I'll give you another shot," Keifer said firmly. His jaw was tight, his eyes ice. "But you're not allowed anywhere near Jay until I say so. Got it?"

Drew nodded quickly. "Got it."

Something in my chest loosened at that. At least… that bridge wasn't completely burned. I almost smiled, until I realized—

Yuri.

He'd been quiet all morning. Too quiet. And if there was one thing I knew about Yuri Ignacio, it was that silence from him was never a good sign.

By lunch, the whole section was loud as usual—David making dumb jokes, Felix gossiping like it was his job, Keifer's arm draped securely around my chair—but I felt it. A pair of eyes, watching. Waiting.

I excused myself, muttering something about the restroom, but halfway down the hall, a voice called my name.

"Jay."

I froze.

Yuri stood by the music room, leaning against the doorframe like he'd been waiting. His usual smugness was gone. He looked… tired. Heavy.

"I need to tell you something," he said, voice low.

My stomach twisted. No. No, I couldn't—

Not here. Not now. Not with the image of that list still burned into my head.

"I—" My throat closed. "I can't—"

Before he could say another word, I turned and bolted.

Keifer found me not long after, sitting stiff in the back of the car. He didn't start the engine right away. Just looked at me, concern etched into every line of his face.

"Jay," he said gently, "what's going on?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me." His hand reached for mine, steady, grounding. "You've been running from something for weeks. I need to know."

The dam broke. Tears burned hot as they spilled, my voice cracking. "I found it, Keif. That day we were at Sir Avlin's house—I found Yuri's notebook. His list. And your name was on it."

His breath caught.

"I tried to ignore it, I really did," I whispered. "But what if—what if he really does it? What if I lose you? I can't—I can't survive that, Keifer. I can't lose you too."

He pulled me into him before I could finish, arms wrapping tight around my shoulders, my face buried in his chest.

"You're not losing me," he murmured fiercely, pressing his cheek against my hair. "Not now, not ever. Do you hear me, Jay? I'm not going anywhere."

I clung to him, sobbing harder.

"We'll tell Angelo," he said firmly. "We'll make a plan. But we're not going to be harsh. We'll handle it carefully, together. You're not alone in this anymore."

When he finally pulled back, his hands were still holding mine, his eyes red but determined.

"Hand in hand," he whispered.

And so, when we walked into the house later—his fingers tangled with mine—I didn't feel quite as scared. Not when he was right there.

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