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Chapter 45 - Keefe

The sound of honking horns brought Keefe out of his sleep.

He rubbed his eyes and slowly opened them to look at what was causing the commotion. They were on the highway now, except they weren't moving. All around them, cars were seemingly frozen in place, and Keefe looked behind to see there was a lineup of vehicles stretching on as far as he could see.

"Lovely, you're both awake now!" he heard Élodie say. Keefe caught her reflection in the rearview mirror to see she was smiling.

Both?

Heart leaping into his throat, Keefe turned and saw that Sophie was awake. Relief washed over him to see her conscious again, although she was probably still exhausted and definitely still injured. But he felt guilty and awful all over again when she didn't even look his way.

"Soph—" he began, and then caught himself for almost saying her real name. "Sophia?" Keefe cleared his throat. The name sounded wrong on his tongue—it didn't fit her at all. He continued anyway. "How... how are you feeling?"

"Fine," she replied curtly after a moment.

Keefe swallowed hard, hating the tension between them. It was uncomfortable and awkward and so different from how they acted around each other before he left.

Suddenly a voice filled his head. Sophia? Really?

He snapped his head back in Sophie's direction, but she hadn't moved, still looking out the window. Keefe had to stop himself from grinning. She was kind of talking to him! It was a start.

It's only a letter difference, Keefe thought back to her. There wasn't much time to be creative.

It's an awful name.

Keefe agreed, it didn't suit her. Would you rather I have said your name was Stina?

At least Sophia is better than Keith.

This time Keefe really did smile.

Are you bashing my incredible names?

Yes.

They're very human, you know. There was a long pause. If you're so smart what would you have named us?

I would have said you're Tam, and I'd be Amy.

Her name was clever, but not so much his. Bangs Boy? Really? You're shaming me with a name as bad as that? Implying that Shady McSilverbangs is on the same level as me? The very idea of that is even worse than the name Sophia.

Keefe thought he saw Sophie's lips quirk up in reflection in the car window.

If I'm Sophia you have to be Tam.

But clearly I'm much better than Shade Boy in a million ways. I've got the good looks, the charming personality—

At least he didn't betray his friends twice.

There it was.

He thought they were actually starting to get along again, but now Keefe wondered if that would ever happen. If things would ever go back to the way they were.

He could feel Sophie had left his mind, and tension that was heartwrenching to him returned.

"We're stuck in traffic," Élodie said after a few more minutes of silence. "It will probably be another hour until we get to Paris. Where should I drop you kids off?"

"Pont Alexandre III," Sophie replied at the same time Keefe said "The Effiel Tower."

For the first time in the ride, Sophie actually looked at Keefe. Except it was a glare, and after glaring for a moment, she turned away again. "Pont Alexandre III," Sophie repeated.