Keifer pov
I didn't expect her to come out of nowhere.
The hallway was empty. Quiet. I was watching Jay's door, hands shoved in my pockets, mind racing. Every step she'd taken away from me the past week burned in my chest like a live wire.
And then—bam.
Judy appeared. Like she'd been waiting, like she knew I'd linger too long, like she was meant to stop me.
Her eyes locked on mine. Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.
I tried to step past her.
"Stop."
The word hit me like a wall.
I froze.
She stepped closer. Not backing down. Never backing down.
"You think you can just push into her life, Keifer?" she shouted, voice echoing in the hallway. "After everything you did? After how you treated her? You dare stand here like you own this?"
Her hands clenched at her sides. I could see the muscles in her neck tense. She was livid. Protective. Unstoppable.
I opened my mouth. "Judy—"
"Don't. You don't get to talk your way out of this one."
Her eyes burned into me. I could feel her fury like heat on my skin.
"Jay is not yours to chase. She's not some prize to earn back with apologies and cheap gestures!" she bellowed, stepping closer so I had nowhere to go. "You broke her trust. You humiliated her. And now you act like it's her fault she won't let you in?!"
I wanted to argue. To defend myself. To tell her you don't understand, I never wanted it this way.
But her gaze wouldn't let me. Her fury pinned me in place.
"Look at me, Keifer!" she shouted, pointing a finger that felt like it could cut. "She doesn't need you. She doesn't need your explanations. She doesn't need your apologies. And if you so much as try to touch her again…"
I swallowed hard.
"You will regret it. I swear it!"
Her chest heaved. Every ounce of her protective energy was focused on me. On keeping me out of Jay's life. On reminding me where I belonged.
I realized then—I wasn't standing in front of Jay anymore. I was standing in front of a storm.
A human storm. And I was getting ripped apart by it.
"I… I'm not—" I started, voice rough, but she cut me off again.
"Not what? Not good enough? Not sorry enough? Not aware enough to see that your so-called love is poison?"
Her words hit harder than any punch. I stumbled back a step.
"I… I care about her!" I tried.
"She doesn't need your care!" Judy roared, stepping so close I could feel her heat. "She's alive, she's breathing, she's thriving, and she doesn't need someone who thinks guilt can buy them access back into her life!"
The hallway was quiet except for her voice and my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
I wanted to move. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to push past her—but I couldn't. Not with the fire in her eyes. Not with her standing there, ready to shred me for even thinking I had a place here.
She glared at me one last time. "You listen to me, Keifer. You take one more step too close to her, and I swear, you'll regret it. Jay is hers to protect, and I'm not letting you touch that. Not now. Not ever."
Then she turned on her heel. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway. Gone. Vanished.
And I was left staring at the floor. Heart racing. Breath ragged. Hands shaking.
Judy didn't even acknowledge me in passing. She didn't need to.
I realized I had just met the wall that could never be broken by apologies, kisses, or persistence.
And Jay?
She didn't see any of this. She didn't have to. She was safe, untouchable behind Judy's storm.
And that… that burned worse than anything.
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A/N:
Hi loves 🤍 Thank you so much for reading this chapter!
It's my birthday today, so I'm in a really good mood—that's why I'm spoiling you all 😉🎂
I'll be uploading one more chapter today, so stay tuned 👀✨
I really want to know what you think about this chapter, so drop your opinions, reactions, and theories in the comments 💬