Silence.
Soft.
Heavy.
Jay stood there.
Eyes on him.
Heart racing.
Keifer waited.
Not rushing.
Not speaking.
Just… watching her.
Jay took a breath.
Deep.
Unsteady.
"Keifer…"
Her voice was low.
Different.
He responded softly.
"Hmm?"
She looked down for a second.
Then back at him.
"I don't want time anymore."
Keifer blinked.
"What?"
Jay stepped closer.
"I mean it."
"No more waiting."
Confusion crossed his face.
"Jay… what are you saying?"
She shook her head.
"I was wrong."
"I thought I needed time…"
"But I don't."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"But?"
Keifer asked gently.
Jay swallowed.
"I don't want to lose this."
A pause.
Then clearer…
"I don't want to lose you."
Keifer froze.
Completely.
Her words…
Landed deep.
Jay continued.
Fast now.
Before she could stop herself.
"When papa said you were going on another date…"
"I felt…"
She struggled.
To explain.
To admit.
"…it hurt."
Keifer's eyes softened.
Jay laughed weakly.
"I got jealous."
"Really jealous."
She looked at him.
No hiding now.
"I hated it."
"I hated the thought of someone else sitting with you…"
"Talking to you…"
"Laughing with you…"
Her voice broke a little.
"And I realized…"
A pause.
A long one.
"I don't want that."
Keifer stepped closer.
Slowly.
Listening.
Carefully.
Jay met his eyes.
Full honesty.
"For the first time…"
"I don't want to run."
"I don't want to delay."
"I don't want to risk losing something… before even trying."
Her fingers clenched slightly.
"So…"
She took one last breath.
"No more time."
"I'm ready."
Silence.
Deep.
Real.
Keifer didn't speak immediately.
He just looked at her.
Processing.
Feeling.
Understanding.
Then slowly…
He smiled.
Soft.
Warm.
"You're serious?"
Jay nodded.
"Yes."
"No jokes."
"No drama."
"Just… truth."
Keifer let out a quiet breath.
Almost like relief.
"You know…"
He spoke slowly.
"I was trying to understand my feelings."
Jay stayed still.
Listening.
"But every time I thought about saying no…"
"I couldn't."
He looked at her deeply.
"And now I know why."
Jay's heart skipped.
"Why?"
Keifer stepped even closer.
Close enough to feel her breath.
"Because of you."
Jay's eyes softened.
A small smile forming.
"So…"
Keifer continued.
"No more time?"
Jay shook her head gently.
"No more time."
Keifer smiled.
"Then don't lose me."
Jay smiled back.
"I won't."
A quiet moment passed.
No rush.
No chaos.
Just… them.
And this time…
They weren't confused.
They weren't running.
They chose.
Each other.