Keifer POV
The hallway outside the clinic felt unusually quiet. Too quiet.
I walked in, my shoes clicking against the tile floor, a tight knot of worry twisting in my chest. Felix and Ci-N's chatter from earlier still echoed faintly in my mind, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered except Jay.
"She's been hurt again," Matteo muttered, standing by the nurse's station, his brows tight with concern. "I got here before anyone else."
I didn't respond. I didn't need to. I could see her immediately through the glass door of the clinic room—laying on the bed, her hair slightly messy, her expression pale, the soft rise and fall of her chest slow and steady. My jaw clenched.
"She fell down the stairs," Matteo said, glancing nervously at me. "I—"
I stepped inside before he could finish. "I got it," I said coldly, but my heart was racing. My fists were tight at my sides. This wasn't just any fall. I knew Jay. And she wasn't just fragile—she was untamed. She always fought back.
Yet this… this could have been worse.
I moved closer to the bed, observing her silently. Her hands were limp at her sides, and the faint twitch of her eyelids told me she was semi-conscious, still caught between sleep and pain. I wanted to say something. I wanted to scold Matilda and Freya for daring to interfere—but that could wait.
"What happened?" I asked Matteo sharply, though my eyes never left Jay.
"She… tripped," Matteo replied carefully. "I tried to catch her. Nurse says she's okay, just needs rest."
I exhaled slowly. "Fine. Then let's make sure she stays okay."
The nurse looked at me, eyebrows raised. "You're… very attentive."
"Because someone has to be," I muttered, ignoring her.
I sat slightly beside the bed, careful not to touch her too roughly. Jay's breathing was uneven; her cheeks were flushed, but not from heat. I gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead.
"You're lucky," I whispered under my breath, more to myself than to her. "You could've broken your arm—or worse."
Her eyes fluttered, catching mine briefly. A faint frown appeared. "Keifer…" she murmured weakly, but then her eyelids drooped again.
I frowned. "She's stubborn," I muttered. "She doesn't even want to admit she's hurt."
The nurse intervened, pulling a syringe from a tray. "This will help her rest. Just a mild sedative."
I nodded. "Do it. She needs it."
Jay's voice cracked slightly. "I… I don't need—"
"You do," I interrupted quietly, firmly. "I'm not asking."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and I saw her shoulders tense. But the nurse quickly administered the injection. Within moments, Jay's body relaxed, her eyes drooping fully, and her head lolled gently to the side.
I stayed there, watching her. My hand hovered near hers, almost wanting to hold it but restraining myself. My mind was a storm.
Why does this matter so much? I thought, clenching my jaw. She's just a classmate. Just a girl.
And yet, every time I saw her like this, weak, hurt, fragile… something inside me twisted. I hated seeing her like this. Hated it more than anything.
Matilda and Freya. They'd tried something. I could feel it. The lingering tension, the whispers earlier—it was all them. And they'd failed. They didn't know who they were dealing with.
I leaned back slightly, my eyes never leaving her. "Next time," I murmured softly, almost to myself, "I'll make sure you're untouchable."
The nurse cleared her throat. "Keifer… she's stable. You can… leave her to rest now."
I nodded silently. My eyes softened slightly, but the protectiveness never left. Slowly, I stood, making sure to adjust the blanket around her shoulders. My gaze lingered on her sleeping form.
I realized something then. Something I had been ignoring for far too long.
She wasn't just untamed. She wasn't just fearless. She wasn't just clever.
I was… falling for her.
Head over heels.
Completely, utterly.
And nothing—no prank, no fight, no scheming girl like Matilda—was going to change that.
I turned toward the door, silently vowing I'd never let her get hurt like that again. Not by anyone. Not by fate. Not by me, not even by herself.
Jay was safe. For now.
And I would make sure of it.
End of Chapter 43 📖🔥