Jay stopped pretending on the fourth night.
She sat on the floor by the window, the city lights blurred by the glass, her knees pulled close to her chest. She wasn't crying. She wasn't panicking. She was just… tired of lying to herself.
Every thought led back to him.
Keifer's calm voice.
The way he waited.
The way he made space without ever making her feel small.
She pressed her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes.
"I miss you," she whispered.
The words felt dangerous. Honest. Real.
She had told herself she was just grateful. That she just enjoyed his company. That it was comfort, not attachment. But comfort didn't ache like this. Comfort didn't leave a hollow space behind when it was gone.
She cared.
And deeper than that—she wanted him.
Not in a reckless way. Not in desperation. She wanted him in her days, in her silences, in the quiet parts of her life where she finally felt like herself.
The realization didn't bring excitement.
It brought fear.
Because wanting meant risking pain again. It meant trusting someone after learning how deeply neglect could scar.
Jay hugged herself tighter.
"I don't know what to do with this," she murmured.
She was still married. Still tied to a life that had never chosen her. And yet, here she was—her heart leaning toward someone who had never asked her to give it.
That night, Jay made herself a promise.
She wouldn't run from the feeling.
She wouldn't act on it blindly.
But she wouldn't deny it either.
For the first time, she allowed herself to say the truth without flinching.
I have feelings for Keifer.
And once spoken—even silently—it didn't feel wrong.
It felt… right.
Keifer came back on the fifth day.
Jay didn't know at first.
She was at the café, seated at her usual table near the window, a book open but unread in front of her. She hadn't come expecting anything anymore. She had learned how dangerous that could be.
The bell above the door rang.
She didn't look up.
Not immediately.
But something shifted in the air—something familiar, grounding, steady. Her chest tightened before her mind caught up.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze.
Keifer stood just inside the doorway, travel bag slung over his shoulder, jacket still on. He looked tired—but the same. Calm. Present.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then his eyes found hers.
And something in his expression softened—like relief he hadn't realized he was carrying.
"Hey," he said quietly, walking over.
Jay's fingers curled against the edge of the table. Her heart was suddenly loud, unmanageable.
"Hey," she replied, just as softly.
He set his bag down beside the chair. "I was out of town. Work came up suddenly."
She nodded. "I figured."
There was a pause. Not awkward—but heavier than before.
"I should've told you," Keifer added, his voice gentle. "I'm sorry."
The apology landed deeper than she expected.
"It's okay," Jay said quickly. Then stopped herself. Looked at him properly. "I mean… I noticed you were gone."
Keifer studied her face, something thoughtful in his eyes. "Yeah?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I did."
He didn't smile. Didn't tease. He just nodded, like that mattered.
They sat down across from each other, the familiar distance between them—but everything felt different now. Jay was acutely aware of him: the way his sleeves were rolled up, the faint tiredness in his eyes, the way he leaned forward slightly when she spoke.
And Keifer noticed it too.
Not the feelings—he didn't know those yet.
But the change.
Jay wasn't pulling away anymore.
She wasn't guarded. She wasn't hiding in politeness.
She was… present.
"You look different," he said carefully.
Jay's breath caught. "Different how?"
"Like you're not running," he said. Then, gently, "But if that's wrong, you don't have to explain."
She held his gaze longer than she ever had before.
"I'm not running," she said honestly.
Keifer didn't push. Didn't ask what that meant.
But something settled between them—unspoken, fragile, real.
As they talked about small things again, Jay realized her hands had stopped trembling. The ache she'd carried for days eased—not disappeared, but softened.
He was back.
And now, she knew.
Keifer didn't know what had changed inside her.
But Jay did.
And for the first time, she wasn't afraid of her own heart.