Hex POV
The door opened.
And there she was.
Jay.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
The room.
The noise.
The people.
The weight of the last two days.
All gone.
"Jay!" I heard my own voice break as I ran toward her.
I didn't care who was watching. I didn't care who thought I was weak.
The moment I reached her, I crashed into her arms.
And she held me.
Tight.
I made it back. I actually made it back.
Her hands came up to my face, checking me like she always does when I fall, when I get hurt, when I pretend I'm fine.
Then her fingers stopped.
On my cheek.
The slap mark.
Her expression changed.
It wasn't soft anymore.
It was cold.
Dangerous.
"Who hit you?" she asked quietly.
I clenched my jaw. "Who else? It was Nathan."
For a split second, I saw Nathan Reyes panic from the corner of my eye.
"Hey! Not me! His father! Nathan Navarro!"
I almost smirked despite everything.
Wrong Nathan, Jay.
She turned back to me.
"How did he kidnap you? And why did you run away?"
Why did I run away?
My gaze slowly shifted.
To her.
To Trisha.
The woman who gave birth to me.
The woman who left.
The woman who came back when I became useful.
I didn't speak loudly.
I leaned into Jay's ear and whispered.
"She found out I'm Night Byte. She wanted to use my skills for her family. And after that… she was going to hand me over to Nathan Navarro."
I felt Jay go still.
Cold still.
She stepped away from me.
And walked toward Trisha.
The slap echoed through the room.
For a moment, even I was stunned.
Jay never hesitates when she's protecting someone.
And right now—
She was protecting me.
"What kind of mother are you?" Jay demanded.
I didn't stop her.
I didn't defend Trisha.
Because every word Jay said?
Was true.
Then suddenly—
Trisha rushed toward me.
"Charles!" she cried, hugging me tightly.
My entire body stiffened.
Her arms felt wrong.
Unfamiliar.
Heavy.
"Please come back! Do you know how worried I was?"
Worried?
Worried?
Something inside me snapped.
"Let go of me."
She didn't.
"Please, baby—"
"I SAID LET GO!"
I pushed her.
Hard.
She stumbled back.
Everyone froze.
I didn't care.
"Don't call me that," I said, my voice shaking with anger.
"You abandoned me," I continued, voice trembling with anger. "You left me. You didn't care where I went. You didn't care who I was with. And now suddenly you're worried?"
Her lips trembled. "I was trying to protect you—"
"Protect me?" I laughed bitterly. "By planning to use me? By handing me over to my father?"
Her face drained of color.
"I heard you," I continued. "That morning. I followed you home. You said I'd be useful. That I could help you. That I'd make things easier."
Silence filled the room.
"You don't get to pretend now," I said coldly. "You're not my mother. A mother doesn't abandon her child and then come back when he becomes valuable."
Tears streamed down her face.
But I felt nothing.
No softness.
No guilt.
Just anger.
"You don't get to come back when I'm valuable," I said coldly. "You don't get to play mother now."
Angelo finally stepped in.
"You should leave before things get worse."
She looked at me one last time.
I didn't move.
Didn't soften.
Didn't break.
When the door closed behind her, the room felt lighter.
But also heavier.
Jay stepped forward.
And hugged me again.
This time I didn't hold back.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly.
For two days, I stayed strong.
For two days, I didn't cry.
For two days, I told myself I didn't need anyone.
But right now?
I let myself breathe.
She chose me.
Not because I'm Night Byte.
Not because I'm useful.
Not because I'm valuable.
Just because I'm me.
And for the first time in a long time—
That was enough.
POV: Keifer
The moment we stepped inside, I saw her.
Jay.
She looked furious.
Not loud-furious.
Not dramatic-furious.
The quiet kind.
The dangerous kind.
Hex ran to her like she was the only safe place left in the world.
And she caught him.
Without hesitation.
Like she always would.
Something twisted in my chest.
Not jealousy.
Not exactly.
Just… something heavy.
Because I knew that look on Hex's face.
That relief.
That trust.
That she's-my-home expression.
And I hated how much I wished someone would look at me like that.
Then Jay noticed the mark on his cheek.
Her entire aura changed.
Her hands were still gentle when she held his face, but her eyes?
Cold.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
"Who hit you?" she asked.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
I swallowed.
That wasn't a question.
That was a warning.
When Hex said it was his father, I felt anger too.
But not like hers.
Hers wasn't just anger.
It was protective.
Possessive.
Like someone had touched something that belonged under her protection.
And then—
Hex said it.
About his mom.
About being used.
About being handed over.
I saw Jay go still.
That was worse than her yelling.
When Jay goes still, someone's about to pay. She walked toward Trisha.
Slow.
Controlled.
Every step deliberate.
I knew what was coming.
I should've stopped her.
I didn't.
SLAP.
The sound cracked through the room.
My heart jumped, but I didn't move.
Because I understood.
I understood why she did it.
She wasn't slapping a woman.
She was slapping someone who tried to hurt Hex.
And that was enough for her.
When Jay spoke, her voice shook with anger.
"He's your son! Not your investment!"
I looked at her differently in that moment.
Not just the girl I liked.
Not just the stubborn, reckless, loud Jay.
But someone fierce.
Someone who protects what she loves.
And that scared me.
Because I realized something.
If I ever hurt her—
She wouldn't hesitate to cut me out the same way.
When Trisha hugged Hex and he shoved her away, I clenched my fists.
Hex never pushes people.
He shuts down.
He walks away.
He doesn't explode.
But today?
He exploded.
And Jay didn't stop him.
She let him speak.
She stood behind him.
Supporting him.
Silent.
Steady.
That's what real support looks like.
Not control.
Not interference.
Just presence.
When Trisha finally left, the air felt lighter.
But Hex didn't look lighter.
He looked tired.
Jay stepped forward and pulled him into her arms again.
And he melted into her.
That hurt.
Not because I wanted to be in his place.
But because I wanted to be the one she leaned on like that.
Just once.
I looked away.
I didn't trust my face.
David nudged me slightly.
"You okay?" he muttered.
I nodded.
I wasn't.
Jay rested her chin on Hex and whispered something.
I didn't hear it.
But I saw the way her expression softened.
That softness?
That's the version of her I fell for.
Not the temper.
Not the sarcasm.
Not the chaos.
The softness she only shows when she cares too much.
And the worst part?
She doesn't even realize how much she cares about him.
I exhaled slowly.
Hex is my friend.
Jay is the girl I like.
And right now?
She would burn the world for him.
The question is—
Would she ever choose me to?
Or am I just standing here…
Watching?