Jay POV
The moment Keifer walked away, I knew something was wrong.
I stood there for a few seconds after Matteo left.
The party continued behind me.
Music.
Laughter.
People having fun.
But somehow none of it felt important anymore.
Then it started raining.
At first it was only a few drops.
Then the sky opened.
I looked toward the gate.
Keifer was gone.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
The kind I hated.
The kind that made it impossible to ignore something.
I pulled out my phone.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
For the first time that night, I felt nervous.
Without thinking much more, I grabbed my keys.
A few minutes later, I was driving through the rain.
Looking for him.
The roads were nearly empty.
Streetlights reflected off the wet pavement.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
"Where are you, idiot..." I muttered.
Another flash of lightning lit up the road.
And that's when I saw him.
Someone was sitting near a bus stop.
Alone.
In the rain.
Head lowered.
Completely soaked.
My heart dropped.
"Keifer!"
I parked immediately and ran over.
The closer I got, the worse he looked.
His clothes were drenched.
His hands were shaking.
His breathing wasn't steady.
And it looked like he wasn't even aware of where he was.
"Keifer!"
No response.
I knelt in front of him.
His eyes were open.
But distant.
Like he was seeing something else entirely.
Another thunderclap echoed.
His shoulders tensed immediately.
My chest tightened.
"Come on."
Getting him into the car wasn't easy.
At all.
He kept trying to stand.
Then sit back down.
Then walk in the wrong direction.
Eventually I managed to guide him into the back seat.
Barely.
I climbed in beside him and shut the door.
The rain continued pounding against the windows.
For a moment, everything was quiet.
Then lightning flashed again.
Thunder followed.
Loud.
Keifer flinched.
Hard.
He started saying something.
Quietly.
Too quietly.
I moved closer.
Trying to hear him.
"...no..."
Another whisper.
"...please..."
I leaned closer.
"Keifer?"
His voice cracked.
"Don't leave me..."
My heart hurt.
I wasn't even sure who he was talking to.
Or what memory he was trapped in.
But hearing it felt wrong.
Like listening to a wound that never healed.
I was about to sit back when suddenly—
his hand grabbed mine.
Tight.
Very tight.
"Please..."
His eyes were still unfocused.
Still lost somewhere else.
"Please don't leave me."
For a second I couldn't speak.
Then I squeezed his hand back.
And quietly said,
"I'm here."
He didn't seem to hear me.
Or maybe he did.
I wasn't sure.
I leaned closer.
Pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.
Then rested my hand over his.
"Don't worry."
Another thunderclap sounded outside.
But this time he didn't react as much.
"I'm not going anywhere, okay?"
Slowly, his grip loosened.
Just a little.
I pulled out my headphones.
Connected them to my phone.
And carefully placed them over his ears.
Soft music filled the silence.
Anything to distract him.
Anything to drown out the storm.
Minutes passed.
Maybe longer.
The rain continued.
The music continued.
And eventually...
his breathing steadied.
His shoulders relaxed.
He had fallen asleep.
Finally.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
The storm outside continued.
But inside the car, everything felt strangely peaceful.
I looked at him for a moment.
At the person who annoyed me more than anyone.
The same person who always found a way to make me laugh.
The same person who had walked into my life and refused to leave.
Then exhaustion finally caught up to me too.
I rested my head gently against his shoulder.
Closed my eyes.
And listened to the rain.
For tonight...
that was enough.
End of Chapter 119