The night air was cool against my skin, a sharp contrast to the tension that had been coiling inside me all evening. I stepped onto the balcony, letting the breeze sweep over me, hoping it would clear my racing thoughts.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my heart, trying to regain control. For once, I wanted a moment to think… alone.
But of course, he followed.
Keifer stepped onto the balcony, hands in his pockets, expression calm—but his eyes locked on me like a predator. My pulse jumped.
"You really think you can escape me?" he asked softly, voice low enough that only I could hear.
"I'm not escaping," I said, lifting my chin, trying to keep my tone firm. "I just… needed air."
He smiled faintly, stepping closer. "Air's nice, but my company seems better."
I clenched my fists. "Keifer…" I warned, my voice trembling slightly, more from tension than fear. "Not now. Please."
He tilted his head, observing me like I was a puzzle he intended to solve. "Not now?" His voice was teasing, but there was an edge that made my chest tighten. "Every time I see you, Jay… not now doesn't exist."
I froze. He had a way of speaking that stripped away all my defenses. My heart pounded, my thoughts scattered.
"I—" I started, but he cut me off.
"Say it. Say you feel it too," he murmured, taking another step closer, his presence overwhelming.
I shook my head, trying to push back, trying to reclaim control. "I don't… I can't…"
"You can," he said softly, voice almost persuasive. "You want to. I can see it."
I swallowed hard, refusing to meet his eyes. My pulse was erratic. "You're impossible," I muttered, trying to mask the flutter in my chest.
"I'm not impossible," he said, his tone low, dangerous, yet undeniably magnetic. "I'm real. I'm here. And I… care. About you."
I blinked, my lips parting slightly. My mind raced. Part of me wanted to push him away, part of me wanted to let him in. I didn't trust the storm of emotions inside me.
"You can't keep doing this," I said finally, my voice firm but shaky. "You can't just show up, follow me, tease me… and expect me to—"
"To what?" he interrupted gently, but firmly. "To not feel anything? To not notice? Jay, you can't act like this isn't mutual."
I took a step back, letting the cool railing separate us physically, though my heart still felt trapped in a whirlwind. "You don't get it. You—everything about you—it's too much. You overwhelm me. You… you say things, act like you own me…"
"I told you," he interrupted, stepping closer despite the railing. "Not act like. I am invested in you. Every part of you. And I won't apologize for it."
My chest tightened. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the railing. "You can't… you can't just—"
"I can," he said, voice quiet but firm. "Because I do. I care about you. And I'm not going anywhere. Not now. Not ever."
I shook my head, feeling the edge of frustration mix with something else—a reluctant heat I couldn't quite name. "I—" I stopped. Words failed me. He had a way of breaking my walls without touching me.
He stepped even closer, the space between us narrowing. "I don't need you to admit it now," he whispered. "I just want you to know… I'm here. Always."
My breath caught. The night air, the city lights, the sound of distant laughter—it all faded into background noise. All that existed was him and the weight of his presence pressing against mine.
I swallowed hard, finally whispering, "Keifer… you make everything so complicated."
He smiled faintly, almost tenderly. "Life with me isn't simple, Jay. But it's… worth it."
I wanted to argue, to push him away, but my pulse betrayed me. My chest tightened, and I realized: part of me… wanted it.
The tension hung between us, a slow-burning storm, dangerous yet intoxicating. And in that moment, I knew—this was only the beginning.