I yanked the door open, heart hammering, hands trembling, breath catching in my throat.
The room was full. Section E—Cin, Felix, Eman, Rikki, Freya, and Mica—stood there, frozen, eyes wide, mouths slightly open. Shock radiated off them like heat.
"What… what are you doing here?!" Cin's voice cut through the air, loud, sharp, trembling with disbelief and something deeper—hurt, maybe, or anger.
I flinched.
"Is… is that really you?" Felix stammered, stepping back like he couldn't believe his eyes.
Eman's jaw dropped. "I… I didn't know you were back!"
Rikki's hands shot to her mouth, eyes darting between me and Cin, unsure if she should laugh or gasp.
Freya and Mica just stared, stunned, silent, as if words had left them completely.
My chest tightened. My stomach twisted. Panic clawed up my throat.
I wasn't ready. Not now. Not here. I wanted to run, to vanish, to hide from all their wide, curious, judgmental eyes.
"Hi…" I whispered, voice barely audible. My hand lifted in a small wave, trembling. My smile was forced, tight, like a shield.
Cin's gaze bore into me, dramatic, sharp, intense. "Hi? Just hi? After all this time? You think you can just waltz back into our lives like nothing happened?"
My stomach lurched. I hadn't expected that. Not this theatrical, emotional accusation.
"I… I—" My voice caught. I wanted to explain, to justify, to disappear—anything but stand here.
Then I felt it.
Keifer behind me.
The weight of him pressed into me like a storm, silent but unrelenting. Panic flared hotter in my chest.
Cin's eyes flicked toward him, narrowing. "Wait… do you know she's back?" His voice was loud enough to make my head spin.
Keifer's dark eyes met Cin's. Calm. Dangerous. Controlled. "I'm aware," he said, low, almost like a warning.
I swallowed hard, feeling panic twist into something heavier—frustration, fear, embarrassment. Of course he knew. Of course he's here.
Cin's drama didn't stop. He stepped closer, almost accusatory. "And you… just let her walk in here? After everything? You knew, and you still let this happen?"
My hands shook. My chest felt tight. I was trapped between their shocked stares and Keifer's silent, heavy presence behind me.
"I… hi," I said again, voice tighter this time, almost breaking. "I… I'm back."
Cin's eyes softened for just a fraction, then flashed with disbelief again. "Back… and we didn't even know! Do you have any idea what we've been through? Do you even care?"
My chest ached. I couldn't answer. I didn't want to. I didn't have the words.
I took a shaky step toward the door. I needed out. Anywhere but here.
Keifer shifted closer, silent, a pressure I could feel in my bones. My stomach twisted. I couldn't escape him either.
Section E didn't stop staring. Whispers and murmurs filled the air, questions I didn't want to answer. I forced my hand to the door handle, forcing myself to move, ignoring their eyes and Cin's dramatic glare.
I didn't linger. I didn't speak more. I just slipped past them, heart pounding, cheeks burning, every step weighted with panic, guilt, frustration, and fear.
But Keifer? He was still there, looming behind me, a storm waiting to explode.
And I knew—this confrontation was far from over.
I forced my hand on the door handle, heart pounding, and tried to slip past them as quietly as possible. Every pair of eyes in Section E followed me. Cin's glare burned into my back, dramatic and piercing, and I felt a knot of guilt mixed with panic twist in my stomach.
But that wasn't the worst part.
Keifer.
I could feel him behind me, silent, unrelenting. His presence was suffocating, possessive, and every instinct screamed that he wouldn't let me leave.
"Jay." His voice was low, controlled, dangerous.
I stiffened. "Go away," I said, my voice trembling more than I wanted.
"I can't," he replied, stepping closer, blocking my path. His dark eyes were fixed on me, intense, unblinking.
"I said go away! I don't want to—" My words caught in my throat as he didn't budge.
Cin, still watching from the room, raised his voice, dramatic as ever. "Do you even care what you're doing? Do you know how she's been feeling? How we've all been waiting?!"
Keifer's jaw tightened. He ignored Cin completely, his gaze drilling into me. "You're not going anywhere. Not while I'm here. Not while I know what's happening. Not while anyone else thinks they can—"
"You're unbelievable!" I snapped, spinning to face him, frustration and fear mixing into a sharp edge. "I can do what I want! I'm not yours! I'm not anyone's!"
His lips pressed into a thin line, jaw tight, his possessive glare flashing dangerously. "No," he hissed. "I told you—you're mine. Your life, your business… everything about you is mine. And I don't like watching someone else near you."
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head, furious. "I am not yours! You don't get to claim me, control me, or tell me what to do! I—"
I didn't finish. The words were sharp enough, the slap of my emotion enough, that I couldn't speak further.
His expression darkened, a storm in his eyes. "You think you can just walk away from me? From this?"
"I'm leaving!" I shouted, shoving past him, shoving the adrenaline and panic into every step. My hands shook as I yanked open the first door I could find.
I didn't expect what I saw.
People were inside.
Eyes turned to me immediately, mouths slightly open, whispers frozen mid-word. Shock, surprise, and curiosity burned from every gaze.
I froze, heart hammering.
I hadn't expected anyone here. I hadn't expected this. I hadn't expected them.
And Keifer… of course, he didn't stop. He appeared at the threshold behind me, dark and unyielding, his eyes fixed on me like a storm waiting to break.
I swallowed, panic and frustration twisting together. "Go… away!" I muttered again, my voice shaking, almost a whisper.
He didn't move. Not a step. Not an inch.
And I realized—I couldn't escape him. Not here. Not now. Not ever.