what happened after unlocked

chapter fifty-five ~ the kiss

Sophie jolted back, losing her breath.

This was not anything she'd ever expected.

Words...she really needed words...because the way he looked was too painful. She knew he was scared and worried that she wouldn't get it.

She did – finally – but right when she needed to tell him what she wanted to tell him, she couldn't.

Keefe's emotions fizzled through the air like her heartbeat, fast, nervy, and relieved, all at the same time. Sophie was feeling full guilt now for keeping silent.

She wasn't sure why on earth her ability to speak had been cancelled.

Also – KEEFE LIKED HER BACK!

Was this cause for celebration? Or dread?

And was this the part where they were supposed to kiss?

Sophie wasn't sure if she was up to that.

"Foster..." Keefe said in a wobbly voice. "I get you don't feel the same way and you're probably still in love with Fitz secretly...but please don't hate me."

Tears sprung to her eyes. "I could never hate you, Keefe."

"What are you talking about?" Keefe sighed. His cheeks were the color of the sky at sunrise. "This is terrible. And I never should have said that. And I'm really, really sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable –"

"Shut up," Sophie said sternly. "I love you back."

Keefe looked at her for a second.

Sophie continuing to gaze at him piercingly.

"Okay, okay, okay," Keefe said with a small laugh, "You're serious, right?"

Sophie blinked and pulled some of her hair over her face. "Um. Yes?"

She kept her hands firmly planted in her lap, and her eyes angled down to her feet. Nothing anyone said about love measured up to this intense, wild feeling she had.

Or the embarrassment...

Keefe pinched his neck hard, leaving a red mark. Sophie reached out and slapped his hand away, examining it worriedly. "Why'd you do that?"

Hastily, she pulled back, feeling sharp tingles where their hands met.

"Because this is obviously not real," Keefe explained in an educated manner. "It's a very accurate hallucination. It must have been something the Neverseen gave me a while back."

Sophie pursed her lips. "This is not a dream. I've been panicking about telling you for...a little while..."

"How long is a little while?" Keefe asked her suspiciously, still red in the face. "If it's been as long as me, I will go find my mom and tell her to wake me up."

"You know how Ro jokes about my oblivion?" Sophie told him. "Well, it's gone! I dreamed –"

She cut off her voice suddenly, knowing she had revealed too much.

"Dreams, dreams, dreams," Keefe muttered, his voice sounding odd. "I guess since this is a dream you'll never actually feel that way about me in real life, so..."

"Keefe, you're not dreaming," Sophie whispered, not wanting anyone to hear her. "I'll say it again if you need me to. Or I'll go and get Elwin."

"Say it again!" Keefe insisted. "Once I wake up, or this wears off, it'll be nice to know. And then you can go off and marry Fitz."

"I. Love. You," Sophie said again, passionately. "Not Fitz. Not anyone else – you! You're not dreaming! You wouldn't be able to dream up something so vivid! No-one can!"