(Keifer's POV)
The silence started immediately.
Not slowly.
Not awkwardly.
Just… there.
Percy tried first.
"Honey—"
She walked past him.
Didn't even look.
"…okay," he muttered.
Calix turned to Mica.
"You're not serious, right?"
She smiled at him.
Soft.
Sweet.
And said nothing.
"That's worse," he sighed.
Cin looked around.
"THIS IS TORTURE."
"No one asked you," Blaster said.
"I'M SUFFERING."
"Good."
Chaos on one side.
Silence on the other.
And in between—
her.
Jay didn't say a word.
Not to anyone from our side.
Not even once.
But she wasn't quiet.
She was laughing with Freya.
Talking to Ella.
Teasing Honey.
Like nothing changed.
Except it had.
Because she didn't look at me.
Not once.
I noticed it immediately.
Of course I did.
I walked past her once.
She shifted.
Just slightly.
Moved before I reached her.
Like she knew.
I stopped.
Turned slightly.
She didn't.
Just kept talking.
"…so dramatic," Freya was saying.
"They are," Jay replied.
I almost smiled.
Almost.
"Kitchen," Aries said from behind.
Right.
Punishment.
We moved in.
Bad idea.
"What do we even make?" Blaster asked.
"Food," Percy replied.
"Wow," Cin said.
"Very helpful."
"I am helpful."
"You're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No."
"Yes."
"…stop," Aries muttered.
I leaned against the counter slightly.
Didn't speak much.
Didn't need to.
My attention wasn't here.
It was outside.
She was sitting with them.
Leg folded.
Laughing at something Freya said.
Still not looking here.
"KEIFER—ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?" Percy snapped.
"No."
"WOW."
"Focus," Aries said.
"I am focused."
"You're not."
"I am."
"You're staring outside."
"…so?"
Cin leaned over dramatically.
"Ohhh—he's gone."
"Shut up."
Eman walked in then.
Looked at the mess.
Paused.
"…move."
No one argued.
Not even Percy.
Within seconds—
things started making sense.
Finally.
I stepped aside.
Still looking out.
She moved again.
Stood up.
Walked a little further away.
On purpose.
I exhaled slowly.
Fine.
I walked out.
Straight toward her.
She noticed.
Of course she did.
But didn't react.
I stopped in front of her.
Close enough.
She looked up.
Met my eyes.
For a second.
Then—
looked past me.
Like I wasn't there.
That hit more than it should've.
I didn't move.
Didn't step back.
Just stood there.
She shifted slightly.
Almost spoke.
Then stopped.
Looked away again.
I tilted my head slightly.
Mouthed—
you're enjoying this.
She glanced at me again.
Just once.
Then mouthed back—
very much.
A pause.
Yeah.
I almost smiled again.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
(Keifer's POV)
The silence started immediately.
Not slowly.
Not awkwardly.
Just… there.
Percy tried first.
"Honey—"
She walked past him.
Didn't even look.
"…okay," he muttered.
Calix turned to Mica.
"You're not serious, right?"
She smiled at him.
Soft.
Sweet.
And said nothing.
"That's worse," he sighed.
Cin looked around.
"THIS IS TORTURE."
"No one asked you," Blaster said.
"I'M SUFFERING."
"Good."
Chaos on one side.
Silence on the other.
And in between—
her.
Jay didn't say a word.
Not to anyone from our side.
Not even once.
But she wasn't quiet.
She was laughing with Freya.
Talking to Ella.
Teasing Honey.
Like nothing changed.
Except it had.
Because she didn't look at me.
Not once.
I noticed it immediately.
Of course I did.
I walked past her once.
She shifted.
Just slightly.
Moved before I reached her.
Like she knew.
I stopped.
Turned slightly.
She didn't.
Just kept talking.
"…so dramatic," Freya was saying.
"They are," Jay replied.
I almost smiled.
Almost.
"Kitchen," Aries said from behind.
Right.
Punishment.
We moved in.
Bad idea.
"What do we even make?" Blaster asked.
"Food," Percy replied.
"Wow," Cin said.
"Very helpful."
"I am helpful."
"You're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No."
"Yes."
"…stop," Aries muttered.
I leaned against the counter slightly.
Didn't speak much.
Didn't need to.
My attention wasn't here.
It was outside.
She was sitting with them.
Leg folded.
Laughing at something Freya said.
Still not looking here.
"KEIFER—ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?" Percy snapped.
"No."
"WOW."
"Focus," Aries said.
"I am focused."
"You're not."
"I am."
"You're staring outside."
"…so?"
Cin leaned over dramatically.
"Ohhh—he's gone."
"Shut up."
Eman walked in then.
Looked at the mess.
Paused.
"…move."
No one argued.
Not even Percy.
Within seconds—
things started making sense.
Finally.
I stepped aside.
Still looking out.
She moved again.
Stood up.
Walked a little further away.
On purpose.
I exhaled slowly.
Fine.
I walked out.
Straight toward her.
She noticed.
Of course she did.
But didn't react.
I stopped in front of her.
Close enough.
She looked up.
Met my eyes.
For a second.
Then—
looked past me.
Like I wasn't there.
That hit more than it should've.
I didn't move.
Didn't step back.
Just stood there.
She shifted slightly.
Almost spoke.
Then stopped.
Looked away again.
I tilted my head slightly.
Mouthed—
you're enjoying this.
She glanced at me again.
Just once.
Then mouthed back—
very much.
A pause.
Yeah.
I almost smiled again.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
(Keifer's POV)
She passed by me again.
Fast.
Too fast.
Then—
She crashed into me.
Hard.
For a second—
everything stopped.
Her body folded instantly.
She dropped down—
onto her toes.
One hand gripping my shirt tightly.
The other—
pressed against her side.
Her breath hitched.
Sharp.
Uncontrolled.
"Jay—"
I was already down beside her.
My hand on her shoulder.
Steadying.
Her fingers tightened in my shirt.
Like she needed it.
Just for a second.
Her eyes shut briefly.
Pain.
Clear.
Not small.
"Look at me," I said low.
She shook her head slightly.
"…I'm fine."
She wasn't.
I could see it.
Her grip loosened slowly.
Too slowly.
Then she forced herself up.
Using me for balance—
just for a second.
Then she stepped back.
"I'm fine," she repeated.
This time sharper.
Like a warning.
Like she didn't want me to push.
I didn't move away.
Didn't stop watching either.
Her steps weren't as fast now.
But she still walked past.
Still left.
Like nothing happened.
Like she didn't just—
stop breathing for a second.
I stayed there.
Jaw tight.
Yeah.
This wasn't nothing anymore.