JAY-JAY POV
I woke up in the hospital, the sterile white ceiling above me blurring into focus.
I turned my head slowly, and there he was — Keifer, sitting in the chair beside my bed, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"Why am I here?" I asked, my voice weak, barely more than a whisper.
"Because you collapsed," he said, leaning forward, his voice trembling. "You scared me, Jay. I thought I was going to lose you."
I blinked, trying to piece together the fragments of memory. The papers. The fight. His face when I said I was done. And then… nothing.
"You carried me here?" I asked softly.
He nodded, his hand twitching like he wanted to reach for mine but didn't dare. "I couldn't let anything happen to you. Not you."
My chest tightened, torn between anger and the faint ache of his sincerity.
I looked away, staring at the IV in my arm, the steady drip echoing the silence between us.
"Just let me explain, Jay," Keifer said, his voice trembling. "If you still don't believe me, then you can give me divorce or anything."
I stared at him, my chest heavy, my heart torn between anger and exhaustion. "Fine," I whispered. "I'm giving you five minutes."
His eyes lit up with desperate hope. "Jay, I swear to God… I didn't kiss her. She kissed me first."
I clenched my fists, the IV tugging slightly against my arm. "Do you think that makes it better?" I asked, my voice sharp. "You still let it happen. You didn't push her away. You froze, Keifer. And I walked in."
He shook his head quickly, leaning forward. "I was shocked. I didn't want it. I didn't even touch her back. The moment you came in, I pulled away."
"Please, Jay… hit me, punch me, or kill me," he said, his voice cracking, tears streaming down his face. "Please don't leave me."
I froze. Mark Keifer Watson — the man who never cried, the man who always stood tall, unshaken — was in front of me, breaking.
Something in me snapped. The anger I carried, the betrayal I felt, collided with the sight of him undone. I wanted to scream at him, to throw the papers back in his face. But instead, my chest tightened, my breath caught, and I whispered, almost against my will:
"Why now, Keifer? Why do you cry now, when it's already too late?"
He reached for me again, trembling, his voice desperate. "Because you're my everything, Jay. And I can't lose you."
My heart twisted painfully.
I hated him for what I saw, but I hated myself more for still feeling the pull of his words.
"Are you telling the truth?" I asked, my voice trembling, my eyes locked on his.
He nodded, tears streaking down his face. "Yes, I am. And if I have to die to prove it to you, then I will gladly."
"Keifer, this is the last chance I'm giving you," I said, my voice sharp, trembling with both fury and love. "If you do this one more time… I will personally kill you."
His eyes widened, tears still clinging to his lashes. "So you believe me?" he asked, his voice breaking, desperate for my answer.
I hesitated, the image of that kiss still burning in my mind. But something inside me — the part that still loved him, the part that couldn't let go — forced me to nod.
His breath caught, relief flooding his face. "Oh God… that's all I wanted to hear," he whispered.
Before I could pull back, he leaned forward, closing the distance, and kissed me.
It wasn't gentle.
It was desperate, raw, filled with fear and longing.
His hands trembled as they cupped my face, as if he was terrified I'd vanish if he let go.
For a moment, I let him.
For a moment, I drowned in the familiar warmth of his lips, the man I had loved for so long.
But even as my heart softened, my mind screamed.
This was forgiveness balanced on a knife's edge.
One wrong move, one more betrayal — and everything would shatter again.
We broke apart because of the knock on the door.
"Mrs. Watson, your tests are back. You had a dizzy spell," the doctor said, her tone calm but firm. "Did you eat anything yesterday?"
I shook my head slowly, embarrassed.
"That is probably why," she explained. "You are weak. Just make sure you don't repeat that again."
I nodded, though my mind wasn't on food or weakness.
It was on Keifer, sitting beside me, his eyes still red from crying.
The doctor's words felt simple, logical — but my heart was anything but.
Keifer leaned closer once the doctor left, his voice soft. "Jay… you scared me. Please, don't do this to yourself. Don't starve, don't punish yourself because of me."
I looked at him, torn. "Keifer," I said.
"Hmm?" he answered, his voice cautious, waiting for the storm.
"I'm hangry," I muttered.
"Hangry?" He tilted his head, confusion flickering across his tired face.
"Yeah. Hungry + angry = hangry," I explained, crossing my arms.
For the first time in days, he chuckled — a soft, broken laugh that carried more relief than joy.
The sound made something inside me loosen, just a little.
"You're unbelievable," he said, shaking his head. "Even now, you find a way to make me laugh."
I sighed, leaning back against the pillows. "Don't get too comfortable. I'm still angry. But right now… I need food before I collapse again."
He left, and minutes later returned with a tray. "Here, eat this," he said, settling beside me.
I looked at him, then at the food. "Did you eat?" I asked quietly.
He shook his head.
I patted the bed beside me. "Come here."
He came next to me in no time, as if afraid I'd change my mind.
"I'm coming to the office tomorrow with you," I said, leaving no room for arguments.
His lips curved into a faint smile. "Whatever my wife wants."
I nodded, picking up the spoon. "Let's eat so we can go home," he said softly.
"Where were you yesterday?" he asked softly, holding the spoon to my lips as if feeding me was the only way he could keep me close.
"At a hotel," I said between bites, then scooped some food myself and fed him back, the gesture awkward but strangely comforting.
His eyes flickered, pain and relief tangled together. "A hotel…" he repeated, chewing slowly. "You couldn't come home to me?"
I looked down, my voice low. "I couldn't. Not after what I saw. I needed space… somewhere quiet, somewhere you weren't."
He swallowed hard, the food forgotten for a moment. "I thought I lost you forever," he whispered. "I sat all night waiting, praying you'd walk through the door."
I sighed, pushing another bite toward him. "And I sat staring at city lights, wondering why happiness always slips away the moment I think I've found it."
He leaned closer, his forehead brushing mine. "Then let me prove to you it won't slip away again. Please, Jay. Let me fight for us."