The mansion was quiet. The only sounds were the faint rustle of leaves outside and the occasional creak of the floorboards. Jay couldn't sleep, her mind replaying the events of the last few days, the relief of finally having Keifer back, and the guilt that weighed heavily on her chest.
Drawn by a feeling she couldn't explain, she walked through the dimly lit hallways and stepped onto the balcony. There, she saw him—Keifer—sitting in the shadows, a glass of alcohol in his hand, staring out at the city lights. The moonlight glinted off his sharp features, highlighting the tension in his posture.
"Keifer…" she whispered softly, approaching him.
He didn't look at her at first, swirling the liquid in his glass, lost in thought. Then, slowly, his head tilted toward her, eyes dark and intense.
"You felt the same, didn't you?" he asked quietly, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of pain.
Jay froze, heart tightening. "Felt the same?"
Keifer's eyes bore into hers. "When you left… after that night. That night we… you ran away, Jay. Did you feel what I felt? The fear? The uncertainty? The hurt?"
Jay's throat tightened, tears welling in her eyes. "Keifer… I…"
He shook his head slowly, bitterly. "The only difference is… I came back. I tried to find you. I searched everywhere, contacted everyone, even people I shouldn't have, just to see you, to know you were safe… And you left. You didn't come back to me."
Jay felt the tears spill over, burning her cheeks. "Keifer, I'm so sorry… I was scared. I didn't know how to face you… I didn't know how to explain. I… I didn't mean to leave you like that. Please, believe me."
Her voice cracked as she moved closer, hands trembling. "I… I was afraid of losing you. I didn't realize how much I hurt you by running away."
Keifer's expression softened slightly, though the pain lingered in his eyes. He set the glass down and opened his arms slowly. "Jay… I don't want to hear excuses. I just…" He exhaled sharply. "I just needed to know… that you're here now. That you're mine, and I'm not losing you again."
Jay didn't hesitate. She threw herself into his arms, clinging to him, sobbing softly into his chest. "I'm here, Keifer… I'm yours. I'm never leaving again. I swear."
He held her tightly, pressing his forehead to hers, letting the warmth between them soothe the storm of emotions. "You scared me," he admitted, voice low, raw. "But… you're here now. That's all that matters."
Jay pulled back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry… for everything. I should have stayed. I should have faced it. But I was too afraid."
Keifer cupped her face, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Jay… I'm not angry anymore. I was hurt, yes—but now I just want you. Only you."
She hugged him again, tighter this time, and whispered, "I love you, Keifer. I've always loved you."
For a long moment, they just held each other, letting the quiet night wrap around them, the city lights twinkling in the distance, the past finally fading into the safety of their embrace.
And in that embrace, all the fear, the guilt, the tension—they melted away. Only the undeniable truth remained: they belonged to each other, and nothing could take that away.