s I LJay-Jay POV
I swallowed hard.
"I don't know what you saw," I said quietly, my voice shaking despite how much I tried to steady it. "But what you think happened… isn't what actually happened."
Kiefer looked at me, confused, hurt, angry—all at once.
So I sat down.
And I told him the truth.
*Flashback*
The changing room door slammed shut behind me.
At first, I didn't think anything of it. I reached for the handle.
It didn't move.
I frowned and tried again.
Nothing.
"Hello?" I called out lightly. "Is someone there?"
No answer.
I knocked. Once. Twice. Harder.
Still nothing.
That's when I noticed it—my phone.
It wasn't in my hand.
It wasn't on the bench.
My heart skipped.
"No… no, no, no," I whispered, searching around quickly. I remembered having it earlier. I was sure of it.
I knocked again, louder this time. "Hello! Someone locked in here!"
Silence.
Minutes passed.
I leaned my forehead against the door, breathing slowly. They'll come back, I told myself. Someone will notice.
Time dragged on.
The room felt smaller. Hotter.
I looked at the wall clock.
Too much time had passed.
"Please," I whispered, pressing my palm against the door. "Kiefer's waiting for me…"
My voice cracked.
The air felt thick, heavy, like it was pressing down on my chest. I slid down to the floor, still in the dress Sienna had given me. I hadn't even changed back.
My head was still spinning when the door finally opened.
Fresh air hit my face like freedom itself.
I didn't even think—I stood up so fast my legs almost betrayed me. In front of me was a guy I'd never seen before, wearing a staff badge and looking equally confused and concerned.
"Miss… what are you doing locked in here?"
Sir. If I knew, I wouldn't be fighting a door like it owed me money.
"I—uh—long story," I said, rubbing my arms. "The door was locked. From the outside."
He frowned. "That's not supposed to happen."
Well, congratulations. It happened.
He looked at me properly now. "How long were you in there?"
I glanced at the wall clock and swallowed.
"…Long enough to question my life choices."
His eyes widened. "You don't look so good. Do you need a doctor? Or the hospital?"
"No!" I said quickly. "I just need to get back to my villa. My… people are waiting."
One person. Tall. Angry. Probably ready to start World War Three.
He nodded. "I'll walk you back. It's late."
I hesitated. Stranger danger and all that. But honestly? The locked room already tried to kill me today. I was done being scared.
"Okay," I said. "But if you kidnap me, just know my friends are dramatic."
He laughed. "Noted."
We started walking.
The night breeze felt good against my skin, and for the first time since being locked in, my chest didn't feel so tight.
"So," he said casually, "rough night?"
I scoffed. "I was locked in a dressing room, lost my phone, almost fainted, and missed a very important dinner."
"Romantic," he said.
"Oh absolutely," I replied. "Ten out of ten. Would not recommend."
That made him laugh again, and I realized something strange—
I felt… lighter.
Why am I joking? I almost died in there. Jay-Jay, get serious.
As we walked, a group of guys passed us and threw playful looks.
One of them whistled.
"Ey, bro, you stealing someone's girlfriend?"
I froze.
Excuse me???
Before I could react, the guy beside me replied calmly,
"Nah. I'm just returning lost property."
I blinked.
"…Lost property?"
He leaned closer and whispered, "You were found in a locked room. That qualifies."
I snorted despite myself.
Okay. Fine. That was funny.
Another guy laughed. "Careful, bro. She looks dangerous."
"Oh, I am," I said sweetly. "I fight doors for fun."
They laughed and walked off.
I shook my head. "You joke too much."
He shrugged. "It helps people breathe again."
I looked at him, surprised.
Okay… that was actually nice.
We reached the villa gates, lights glowing softly. Everything looked normal—too normal—for how chaotic my night had been.
I stopped walking.
"This is me," I said. "Thanks. Really."
He nodded. "Anytime."
Silence fell.
Then my brain finally caught up.
Hold on.
I stared at him.