Jay's POV
The garden at HVIS was too manicured, too perfect, but after the heavy air of the rooftop, I needed the open space. I found a secluded stone bench tucked behind a row of towering hydrangeas and pulled out my phone.
Jane answered on the second ring. The background noise of New York—the sirens, the frantic energy—pulsed through the speaker.
"I'm fine, Jay," she said, her voice sounding lighter than it had in weeks. "The presser went well. The label is happy. How are things at the 'HVIS'?"
I leaned back, closing my eyes. "Aries is a statue, Ella is a walking perfume bottle, and Keifer is… being Keifer. He tried to sit at my desk today."
Jane laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "He's territorial. Like a wolf. Just don't let him bite."
"I told him I'd throw him through a window," I muttered. Then, I found myself telling her about the rooftop. About Calix. About the raw, messy grief of a boy who had let his own insecurities burn a bridge he wasn't ready to lose.
"You did the right thing, Jay," Jane said softly. "You're not just a protector. You're a person. Sometimes people forget that. Including you."
"I'm just tired of the silence, Jane. It's too quiet here without you."
"I'll be back before you know it. Three days, remember? Stay strong, sis."
After we hung up, I stayed on the bench, watching the afternoon sun filter through the leaves. That was when I saw her. Mica.
She was sitting on the grass near the koi pond, staring at the water with a stillness that mirrored Calix's defeat. She looked small, her usual bright energy dimmed to a flicker.
My internal alarm went off—the part of me that hated meddling screamed at me to walk away. Not your business, Jay. You already did your part for the day.
But the meddler—instinct that was hardwired into my DNA—won. I stood up and walked over, my boots crunching on the gravel. I sat down on the grass a few feet from her without an invitation.
Mica jumped slightly, blinking back tears as she looked at me. "Hi, Jean," she said, her voice a fragile whisper.
"Hi, Mica," I replied, staring at the orange koi darting beneath the surface. I didn't believe in dancing around a point. "Can I ask you something?"
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Sure."
"Do you love Calix?"
The question was a blunt instrument, and it hit her hard. She let out a shaky breath, her gaze dropping to her lap. "Why are you asking that?"
"Because he's on the roof right now, convinced he's the world's biggest coward because he didn't trust you. He thinks he's lost you forever because he stayed quiet when he should have just asked."
Mica's expression shifted from sadness to a sharp, localized pain. "I love him a lot, Jay. More than I probably should. But it wasn't the jealousy that hurt the most. It was the fact that he didn't trust me. That he could look at me and think I'd just… throw us away."
"He knows he messed up," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "But staying quiet is how things die, Mica. You lose people not just because of the things you say, but because of the things you don't. If you love him, and he loves you, the silence is just a wall you're both building together. Talk to him. Fix it. Or don't, but don't let it rot because you're both too proud to speak."
I stood up before she could respond. I didn't want a long-winded emotional breakthrough. I'd given her the map; she had to decide if she wanted to walk the path.
"See you around, Mica."
The rest of the day was a blur. There were no extra classes, so I headed back to the mansion early. The SUV was silent again, but I didn't care. My mind was already elsewhere.
As soon as the house settled into its evening rhythm, I sneaked out. I needed the one thing that made the voices in my head go quiet: The Pocket Paradise
I spent four hours straight in the practice facility, my knuckles barked and raw against the heavy bag, my breath coming in jagged gasps. Every strike was for the fire, for the coma, for remembering him,and for the medicine I hated taking.
When I finally slumped against the wall, drenched in sweat, I pulled out my burner phone and called Percy.
"Soon, baby sistah," he said, his voice a deep, comforting rumble when I asked when he was coming back. "I miss you and Jane. And our friends. I'm wrapping things up here."
"Hurry up, Perce. The 'Demon' is getting restless, and Section E is a minefield."
"I know. Hey, Jay? Are you taking your medicines?"
I looked at the small orange bottle in my gym bag. "Yeah," I lied, though I had taken them that morning. "I'm taking them."
"Good. Don't make me come back early just to play nurse. Sleep well, Jay."
After he hung up, I went to Fernadez house. By the time I crawled into my own bed, my body was screaming, but my mind was finally, mercifully, blank.
The next morning, the atmosphere in Section E had shifted. The 'knowing' looks were still there, but as I walked through the door, a blur of movement caught me off guard.
Calix.
He didn't hesitate. He threw his arms around me in a fierce, bone-crushing hug right in the middle of the common room. "Thank you, Jay! Thank you so much!"
I stood there, stiff as a board, my hands hovering awkwardly in the air. "I didn't do anything, Calix. Get off me."
He pulled back, his face beaming with a light I hadn't seen before. "Mica talked to me. We… we fixed it. I wouldn't have had the guts if you hadn't slapped some sense into me on that roof."
"It wasn't me," I muttered, adjusting my jacket. "It was your love. Don't be a coward again."
"I won't," he promised, reaching out a hand. "Thanks for talking to her. Can we be friends, Jay? Officially?"
I looked at his hand, then at the curious faces of the rest of Section E. I sighed and shook it. "Fine. But if you start crying again, I'm revoked."
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Keifer's POV
I was leaning against the back wall, a cigarette tucked behind my ear, watching the entrance. I'd been waiting for Jay, wondering if the 'Warrior' would show any cracks after a day without her sister.
Then I saw it. Calix—quiet, artistic, harmless Calix—lunging at her. And she let him. He hugged her, and for a second, I felt a sharp, localized tightening in my chest. It wasn't anger. It wasn't the usual annoyance I felt when Yuri opened his mouth.
It was something… heavier. Something like envy.
I watched them shake hands. I'd heard the whispers already—how Jay had been the one to bridge the gap between Calix and Mica. How the girl who threatened to break teeth had spent her afternoon playing peacemaker.
She was different from Ella. Ella used people like currency; she moved through HVIS like she was auditioning for a role.
But Jay-jay… was raw. She was a contradictions of violence and unexpected kindness.
I leaned back, my eyes tracking her as she moved to her desk. The tightening in my heart didn't go away. If anything, seeing her stand there, looking so unaffected by the hug that had just set my nerves on fire, only made it worse.
She was a riddle I hadn't solved yet. And I realized, with a sinking feeling, that I didn't just want the files anymore. I wanted to know why the hell I cared who she hugged.
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A/n
Guys a new chapter..
I know this chapter is short , I will be posting one more chapter today.
So comment and let me know if you like this chapter...
See you soon 💕