The morning was calm ,too calm for what was coming.
The sky was soft and dew clung to the grass.
Jeff laced his sneakers and stepped outside. The world was quiet — the kind of quiet that only mornings could bring. He slid his earphones in and started jogging down the familiar path by the park.
Music filled his ears, but his thoughts were louder.
Jenn's face wouldn't leave his mind — her silence, her eyes the last time they met, the way she walked away like every word he'd said meant nothing.
He slowed his pace, breathing hard, frustration building in his chest.
"She still means everything to me," he muttered to himself. "And I messed it all up."
He kicked a pebble off the road, shaking his head. Maybe he should have gone to see her instead of texting. Maybe she would have listened. Maybe things could have been different.
The world doesn't give you maybes for long.
As he turned a corner near the main street, a loud screech split the air.
A car — fast, too fast — came swerving across the lane. Jeff froze for a second, instincts kicking in when he saw a small boy at the edge of the road, frozen too, his schoolbag slipping from his shoulder.
"Hey!" Jeff yelled and before he could think, he lunged forward, pushing the boy out of the way.
The impact came in the next heartbeat.
A thundering crash.
A blur of white.
The taste of blood.
Then silence.
Jeff's body hit the ground hard. His breath left him.
Voices screamed, feet rushed — the driver stumbled out in panic, shouting for help. The boy cried beside him, trembling, unharmed.
Jeff blinked weakly, his vision dimming, the sky fading into a soft blur of blue and grey. His hand twitched once — reaching for something that wasn't there.
"Jenn…" he whispered.
And then his eyes closed.
⸻
By afternoon, the world had gone on as usual — except for the ones it didn't.
Jenn walked down the quiet street after school with Lucy,her steps slow. The air was heavy, but she didn't know why.
She hadn't seen Jeff or Carlos all day. Something about that felt… wrong.
She tried to shake it off. Maybe they were just busy. Maybe Jeff needed space — like she told herself she did.
But when she reached the estate gate, she saw someone standing near the sidewalk — hands in pockets, head down.
Carlos.
She almost called out with a smile, relieved to finally see a familiar face. But then she noticed the look on his face — pale, eyes red, shoulders tense.
Her heart dropped instantly.
"Carlos?" she called softly, stepping closer. "Hey. What's wrong? Why are you here?"
Carlos lifted his head slowly. The look in his eyes made her stomach twist. "Jenn…"
Her voice trembled. "Carlos, what happened?"
He swallowed hard. "It's Jeff."
Jenn froze. "What about him?"
"He—" Carlos hesitated, voice breaking. "He was in an accident this morning. A car hit him."
The words crashed into her like a storm. "What?"
Her heart pounded, hands shaking. "No. No, that's not— he's fine, right? Tell me he's fine!"
Carlos shook his head, his voice soft but heavy. "He's in the hospital. Unconscious. He… saved a kid. Pushed him out of the way before the car hit."
Jenn took a step back, her chest tightening as tears welled in her eyes. "Oh my God…"
She covered her mouth, trying to breathe — but her breath came out in broken gasps. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I tried," Carlos said quietly. "I texted you. You didn't see it."
Jenn blinked rapidly, fumbling for her phone.
There it was — his message, unread, sitting right beneath Jeff's last one.
Her vision blurred as the screen shook in her hand.
"I didn't— I didn't know," she whispered, guilt slicing through her chest. "Where… where is he now?"
"At the Hospital," Carlos said softly. "They said he'll wake up soon… I hope."
Jenn's tears spilled freely now. "I need to see him."
Carlos nodded, watching her with quiet worry. "I'll take you."
Jenn turned to face Lucy
"You should go back, Jeff is in a bad state"
Lucy stared sadly" then i should go with you "
Jenn" no, this is not the time to, Lucy—just get back inside please "
Lucy nodded watching Jenn and Carlos leave.
⸻
Jenn's heart pounded louder with each step she took down the hallway, Carlos walking beside her silently.
When they reached the ward, she froze in the doorway.
Jeff lay on the bed — still, pale, bandages on his arm and forehead. Machines beeped steadily beside him, each sound a reminder that he was still here — but barely.
Jenn's knees almost gave out. She walked slowly to his bedside, her trembling hand reaching for his.
"Jeff…" she whispered, voice breaking.
His skin was cold. Her fingers wrapped around his hand, squeezing it gently, as if her touch alone could wake him.
Her tears fell silently onto the white sheet. "Why didn't I just call you back?" she murmured. "Why did I wait?"
Carlos turned away, unable to watch, his own eyes glistening.
Jenn rested her forehead against Jeff's arm, her voice trembling through her tears. "You always wanted to fix things. Maybe I should've let you."
The steady beeping continued — soft, rhythmic, painful.
A nurse came in quietly, adjusting the IV line. "He's stable now," she said softly to Jenn. "He'll wake up soon. Just keep talking to him."
Jenn nodded weakly, brushing her thumb along his hand. "Then I'll stay."
⸻
Outside the ward, Alden stood near the hallway corner, his jaw tight. He hadn't planned to come, but when Lucy told him Jenn left with Carlos in a panic, he'd followed — worried, unsure, afraid something had happened to her.
And now he saw her — sitting beside Jeff, holding his hand like she couldn't let go.
He didn't move. Didn't speak.
Because deep down, he understood.
Some loves weren't replaced. They just… endured.
He turned quietly and left, his footsteps echoing softly through the empty hall.
⸻
Jenn stayed by Jeff's side the whole night.
Her fingers never left his.
The monitors beeped, and the city outside fell into silence — the same silence that now carried every word she never said.