Jay-Jay's POV
At first, I tell myself I'm imagining things.
Keifer is still Keifer—still gentle, still close—but something about him feels… different. His touch lingers a little less. His attention slips a little more. Like he's holding back without meaning to.
I catch him staring at his phone again.
Not smiling. Not texting anyone in front of me. Just staring, like he's waiting for something
The thought makes my chest feel tight.
When I talk to him, he responds, but his answers are shorter. When I laugh, he smiles—but it doesn't stay long. His eyes don't soften the way they usually do when he looks at me.
And that's what unsettles me the most.
Ella's voice comes back to me, unwelcome and sharp.
Did Keifer mention me lately?
The way she said it keeps replaying in my head. Too natural. Too confident.
I shake my head slightly.
No.
Keifer wouldn't do that.
But why does it feel like he's putting distance between us?
I sit beside him in class, close enough to feel his warmth, yet it's like there's an invisible wall I can't cross. Every time I try to reach him—through a glance, a small touch—he seems distracted, pulled away by something I can't see.
It makes me uncomfortable.
Not angry.
Not jealous.
Just… uneasy.
I don't want to doubt him. I don't want to ask questions I might regret hearing the answers to. So I stay quiet, pretending everything is normal.
But deep inside, a strange feeling settles in my chest.
Something is changing.
And I don't know if I'm ready for it.