Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Belonging

Keefe's face was full of concern as he looked at Sophie.

Wordlessly, Edaline kissed Sophie's cheek and got up to leave the room with Grady, patting Keefe on the arm affectionately as she passed him.

"I've been hailing you," Keefe said quietly as he came to sit beside her. "But you weren't answering. I got worried, so I hailed Grady and he said you must've left your Imparter in your room because he never heard it."

"I must have," Sophie realized. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Keefe just nodded. "I...went to see Fitz this morning. He'd told me to come tell him all about my Winnowing Gala, but when I stopped by..." Keefe shuddered. "He told me you'd been to see him. I guess I came by right after you left."

Sophie looked down at her hands, her eyes welling with tears again. "How was he?" She asked him.

Keefe hesitated. "Upset. He...he told me you guys had broken up, but he didn't feel like talking about it. But then as I was getting ready to leave, he suddenly told me I should check in with you."

"He did?"

Keefe nodded again, looking at her with furrowed brow. "Which makes me wonder...who broke up with who?"

"I broke up with him," Sophie admitted quietly.  "I just...didn't feel like I could stay in the relationship when my heart wasn't really in it."

Keefe smiled at her sympathetically. "But you're worried about him."

"He was crushed."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

Sophie cringed.

"I'm sorry," Keefe said quickly. "I didn't mean to make this worse for you." He peered at her. "Are you sure it was the right decision? Your emotions..."

Sophie nodded. "Yes. I...I realized that I'm in love with someone else, and I couldn't continue to see Fitz after that, it's not fair to him."

She couldn't meet Keefe's eyes, but also couldn't hide the flutters that she knew were mixing in with her grief and guilt.

"You're in love with someone else?" Keefe asked in a strange voice.

"Yeah." It was all she felt like she could say.

She knew she needed to tell Keefe the truth, but hadn't planned on doing it yet.

But she felt that their conversation was quickly catapulting her in that direction anyway.

"Foster, your emotions are a mess. I want to help you, but can't even figure out which thread to follow. Do I scold you for all of the guilt you're feeling? Do I comfort you because of the heartache? Do I point out the feeling of relief and tell you to cling to that? Do I ease the tension by teasing you for the flutters you felt when you mentioned being in love with someone else? Or do I ask why another wave of sadness followed the flutters?"

Sophie scooted away, blushing. "I'm sorry, that must be overwhelming for you."

Keefe shook his head and scooted closer again, reaching for her hand. "I've always told you, a few feet won't make a difference. I've also always told you that you're worth it. Don't worry about it."

There was so much kindness and concern for her in his ice blue eyes, and she could see the multitude of questions he was asking as he gazed at her.

"Well...I'm assuming the guilt will fade," she told him. "And just having you here comforts the heartache. The flutters and sadness...that's more complicated."

"How so?"

Sophie bit her lip.

Might as well get it all over with now.