Keifer's POV
I couldn't understand what she had just said.
For a few seconds...
My mind refused to accept it.
No.
No...
She was just angry.
She had to be.
After everything I'd done to her...
Of course she would say something like that.
I slowly stood up from my knees, my legs feeling weak.
"Jay... look, I know you—"
"I don't love you."
She cut me off.
Her face was completely straight.
No tears.
No hesitation.
Nothing.
It was as if those four words meant nothing to her.
My heart dropped.
Before I could say another word...
Someone stepped beside her.
Aries.
He stood next to Jay, folded his arms, looked at her, then looked at me.
For a moment...
They simply stared at each other.
Then...
They both laughed.
A cold laugh.
One that sent chills down my spine.
"Keifer..."
Aries shook his head.
"You're such a fool."
Jay folded her arms across her chest, a cocky smile appearing on her face.
"Even when I'm Aries'—one of your best friend's—biggest enemy's sister..."
"You still believed I was in love with you?"
She let out a small laugh.
"Huh?"
"Seriously?"
"The great Mark Keifer Waston..."
"...is such a dumbass, you know."
Every word pierced through me.
I couldn't even react.
She took another step forward.
"The plan you made... remember?"
She looked straight into my eyes.
"'I'll make her fall in love with me, and then I'll break her heart, mess her up, and she'll leave Section E.'"
She smiled.
"Remember your million-dollar plan?"
My breathing became uneven.
"Yeah..."
"So why did you think..."
"If you could make a plan..."
"...then why couldn't we?"
The smile on her face never disappeared.
"I was only in your section to break your section apart."
"And let's be honest..."
"It was the easiest thing."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You and your idiot best friend always fall for the same girl, right?"
"When Ella was in your section..."
"You both fell for her."
"So it was obvious..."
"...that you'd fall for me too."
I felt my fingers trembling.
She looked at me with complete confidence.
"And like..."
"Really?"
"Why the hell did you think..."
"If Freya didn't love you..."
"And Ella didn't love you..."
"...then why would I?"
Her expression didn't change.
Not even once.
"Look..."
"I'll give you a ten out of ten for this emotional performance."
"It was actually heart-touching."
She gave a slow clap.
"But..."
"It's a waste of your time."
"Your efforts."
"And your feelings."
"So..."
"Forget about me."
"I was just with you to take revenge for my brother."
My vision blurred.
She kept speaking.
"As revenge..."
"For you blaming him for Percy's death..."
"Without even listening to his side."
"So..."
"I was here for revenge."
She slowly walked closer to me.
Not close enough to touch.
Just enough that I could see every tiny expression on her face.
Every flicker in her eyes.
Every breath she took.
She looked directly into my eyes.
"You failed in your revenge plan..."
A faint smile curved across her lips.
"But I didn't."
I stood there...
Unable to move.
Unable to speak.
It felt like someone had reached into my chest...
And crushed my heart with their bare hands.
Yet...
As I looked into her eyes...
For just a fraction of a second...
I thought I saw something.
A tiny crack.
A flicker of pain she was trying desperately to hide.
It disappeared so quickly that I wasn't even sure it had been there.
And suddenly...
I didn't know what hurt more.
Believing her words...
Or wondering if she was forcing herself to say them.
Keifer's POV
After saying all those things...
She walked away.
As she passed me...
Her shoulder brushed against mine.
She didn't stop.
She didn't look back.
She just kept walking.
I stood there.
Numb.
For a whole minute.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to think.
Unable to believe what had just happened.
No...
No...
S-she must be lying.
S-someone must be forcing her to say all those things.
There was no way.
Not Jay.
Not the girl whose eyes always gave away what her lips tried to hide.
I suddenly came back to my senses.
I looked around.
Everywhere.
Students.
Dozens of them.
Phones raised.
Recording everything.
The apology.
Her rejection.
Every single second.
...Fuck it.
I didn't care anymore.
My eyes searched for only one person.
Jay.
She was already walking towards the school gate.
Without thinking...
I ran.
As fast as I could.
Ignoring everyone calling my name.
Ignoring the whispers behind me.
Ignoring everything.
When I reached the gate...
I saw Jason.
His car was parked outside.
He was standing beside it.
Jay was walking towards him.
Before she could reach him...
I grabbed her wrist and gently turned her towards me.
She looked at me.
Those same beautiful eyes.
But...
There was nothing in them.
No anger.
No sadness.
No hesitation.
No emotions.
That expression...
Killed something inside me.
"Jay..."
My voice shook.
"Look..."
"I know you're lying."
"I'm sorry."
"Whoever is forcing you to say all this..."
"Just tell me."
"I'll—"
I reached for her hand.
But before I could touch it...
She looked behind me.
Then...
With all her strength...
She yanked her hand away.
The force surprised me.
It felt like she had put everything inside her into pulling away from me.
I froze.
Before I could understand what was happening...
She walked straight towards Jason.
Everything happened in seconds.
She stood in front of him.
Placed her hands around the back of his neck.
And...
She kissed him.
Straight on the lips.
Time stopped.
I couldn't hear the students anymore.
I couldn't hear the traffic outside the school.
I couldn't hear my own heartbeat.
All I could see...
Was her.
Her hands resting on his neck.
Jason's hand instinctively moving to her waist.
The crowd behind me...
Still recording.
Still watching.
And me...
I just stood there.
Completely still.
Completely useless.
As if my feet had forgotten how to move.
As if my heart had forgotten how to beat.
As if, in those few seconds...
Everything I had left...
Had been taken away.