Hold On I Still Need You

-Her Favorite Things-

A/N: AHA ANOTHER UPDATE!! But then again I was working on this one when I while I was doing the previous chapter.  Here's a nice sweet chapter before I make ya cry. 🙃

Sophie's POV:  

Chilling on my bed scrolling through cooking youtuber shorts, when an unexpected text message from Keefe appeared, especially not one like this. The words on the screen caught me off gaurd: "I've got a surprise for you. A special day, just for us. I'll show you some of my favorite things—and don't worry, I've made sure there's plenty of your favorites too."

I stared at the message for a moment, my mind racing. I loved the friendship between Keefe and I, it felt special, and the idea of spending an entire day with him—just the two of us—felt like an adventure I wasn't sure I was ready for, but couldn't resist. Excitement was buried in my chest, but it was tangled up in a knot of uncertainty. What was he really planning? Was this just another one of his wild ideas or something... more?

I chewed on my lip, fingers hovering over the screen. Despite all the questions swirling in my head, something about it pulled me in. "Okay," I typed back, my heart skipping a beat. "I'm in. But you better not disappoint."

The moment Keefe pulled up in his sleek, black car, I couldn't help but smile. He was leaning casually against the door, looking every bit the charming troublemaker I knew him to be. But there was something different today—something oddly gentlemanly about the way he straightened up when he saw me approaching. "Ready for your surprise?" he asked, his grin mischievous yet warm.

I nodded, feeling the flutter of nerves in my stomach. He opened the passenger door for me with a dramatic flourish, his eyes twinkling as I slid inside. I couldn't suppress the small laugh that escaped when he clumsily bumped his knee on the car door trying to get in.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'll be more graceful in a minute," he said, flashing me an exaggerated wink.

As we drove, Keefe told me about the plan: a whole day of activities designed around things I'd casually mentioned in the past. He'd somehow remembered all the little details—my favorite café, the park I loved to visit, even the bookshop I'd mentioned once in passing. It was all so... thoughtful.

My heart gave a strange little squeeze. The effort he'd put into this made me feel both touched and confused. After all, wasn't this the same Keefe who'd always made me question where we stood? Maybe he wasn't as careless as I'd thought, I wondered, fighting back the swirl of emotions stirring inside me.

The car slowed, and Keefe pulled onto a dirt path lined with overhanging trees. As we got out, I couldn't help but blink against the sudden quiet that surrounded us. The air felt different here—fresh, unhurried, like the world had slowed down just for us. We walked in silence for a while, our footsteps barely audible on the soft earth, until the trees parted and revealed a hidden meadow.

It was breathtaking this time of year. Wildflowers dotted the landscape, their colors vivid against the sea of green, and a gentle breeze rippled through the grass. The place felt like it belonged to another world, one untouched by the chaos we usually found ourselves in.

"This is... beautiful," I said softly, glancing at Keefe, who was watching me, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"I thought you might like it," he replied, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. "You deserve a peaceful place to just... breathe. No appointments, no distractions, no craziness."

I breathed in deeply, feeling a rare sense of calm settle in my chest. This place, this moment, was exactly what I needed. And somehow, Keefe had known that. I glanced at him again, wondering how he managed to be both his usual mischievous self and so... thoughtful at the same time.