Ethan entered Jay's life casually.
Too casually.
He was from her department—easy smile, confident walk, the kind of guy who leaned in when he talked like the space already belonged to him.
At first, Keifer didn't notice.
Or maybe he didn't want to.
But then Ethan started showing up everywhere Jay was.
Sitting beside her in lectures.
Walking with her between classes.
Laughing a little too freely at things that weren't that funny.
Keifer noticed the way Ethan stood close.
Too close.
The way his hand brushed Jay's arm when he spoke.
The way he bent his head toward her like he was sharing secrets.
And for the first time in a long while—
Keifer felt uncomfortable.
It surprised him.
Jay had always had friends.
Guys too.
That had never bothered him before.
So why now?
One afternoon, he watched from a distance as Ethan handed Jay a coffee.
Jay smiled politely. Thanked him.
Keifer's jaw tightened.
He didn't like that smile.
Not because it was wrong.
But because it wasn't his.
"You okay?" someone asked him.
Keifer nodded automatically. "Yeah."
But his chest felt tight.
Later, Jay walked up to him, cheerful as ever.
"Ethan helped me with notes today," she said casually.
"Oh," Keifer replied, too quickly. "Nice."
She tilted her head. "You sound weird."
"I'm not," he said, defensive without meaning to be.
She shrugged it off and leaned into him like always.
That helped.
A little.
But the image of Ethan hovering near her didn't leave.
Keifer found himself watching more.
Watching who Jay laughed with.
Who stood beside her.
Who looked at her like she mattered.
And suddenly, the thought hit him—sharp and unwelcome.
What if someone else chooses her first?
The idea unsettled him deeply.
Not because he thought Jay would leave.
But because he realized—he had never considered the possibility before.
Ethan laughed at something Jay said, leaning in again.
Keifer stepped forward without thinking, slipping an arm around Jay's shoulder naturally.
Jay glanced up, surprised. Then smiled.
Ethan stepped back slightly.
Good.
The relief Keifer felt startled him.
Later that night, he admitted it to himself quietly.
He didn't like feeling this way.
Didn't like the knot in his chest.
Didn't like the way insecurity crept in whenever Ethan was near her.
Jay wasn't his to claim.
He knew that.
But the thought of someone else stepping into her space—
Laughing with her.
Standing close.
Being there—
Made something twist inside him.
And for the first time, Keifer understood this wasn't about Ethan at all.
It was about fear.
Fear of losing a place he'd always assumed was his.
Even if he'd never named it.