Light It Up | ✔ | #2

Chapter 12-

Sophie paused. Should she hang up? Should she lie? "I'd really rather keep that information personal."

Silence.

Then Maya spoke up, her tone cheerful. "That's alright, I'll get it out of you somehow."

Sophie glanced at her phone just in time to see the line going dead. Shoot. Now her only friend at school was somewhat mad at her. Gah!

Mr. Forkle was giving her a weird look. "What's all the ding-ding-ding about?"

"Game show," was the only explanation she gave.

"Ah," he said. "Well, why don't you head upstairs and finish your homework."

Sophie wanted to go upstairs way too much, so she didn't bother correcting him on the homework part. Taking her plate to the counter hastily, she thanked him and ran upstairs.

...

The next morning at school, Sophie cornered Keefe. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry." The tone was flat.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you yesterday." She met his eyes carefully. "I-you were right."

He scoffed. "You were right, though. Not to believe me. I don't think I'd want you to believe someone that had just disappeared on you for six years straight. Even if they were trying to give you closure." He sounded out each word like she was a five year-old he was trying to teach.

The words stabbed at Sophie's heart, and she blinked back tears. Maybe he was a completely different person than she'd known. Her heart hammered in her chest, and suddenly she couldn't breathe.

"Sophie! Sophie?" Arms shook her back and forth. Then they scooped her up.

Trembling, she shivered against the person's chest, burying her sobs in their chest. She felt quite pathetic at the moment.

"Hey, hey, we're here, it's okay," the person soothed her, rubbing her back. "We're here, it's okay."

Where's here?

Sophie looked up, only to take in the nurse's office. It was small, with a bed and medical posters plastered all over the walls. The only thing that was missing was the someone who walked in.

"Hi, I'm Nurse Natalie. What seems to be the problem?" The nurse looked right at Sophie when she said the words, but it didn't sound as though she was being addressed.

"She...she started sobbing and wouldn't breathe." The person's chest rumbled from underneath her, the words wavering. "I...I didn't know what to do."

"What's her name, Keefe?"

With that one word, her small paradise crumbled. Sophie's head snapped up so fast she almost got whiplash. "Keefe?"

"You're sitting on me, Foster," he replied bemusedly. Then he glanced at the nurse. "Sophie Foster."

Blood roared in her ears. She was sitting on Keefe. Keefe carried her here. Why would he do that? Why? With anger, her hand shot up, and she ripped an eyelash out, glad when the pain made her see white spots for a second.

"Hey!" Hands grabbed her hands, turning her head to him. Keefe's eyes darkened.

She was glaring at the ground now, trying desperately not to focus on the fact that they were technically holding hands.

Keefe let her hands go, his own hands going up to cup her cheeks, turning her to face him, looking him straight in the eyes. "Don't you ever do that again, Foster. I was so scared." His voice cracked, betraying concern. He leaned forward and kissed her temple.

Sophie nearly fell off him in shock, but luckily, he held her to his chest.

"Always a klutz, Foster," he whispered in her ear. But his eyes turned stormy again. "Never do whatever that was, again."

A bit of fear trickled through her—she never thought she'd really, actually be scared of Keefe, but right now, she was just about scared out of her skin and an emotional wreck. "It was only a panic attack."

"A panic attack. Is that what that's called?" Keefe looked to the nurse for clarification. When she nodded, he only brought her closer to his chest. "How did it happen?"

Nurse Natalie explained it thoroughly, which was good, because Sophie was too embarrassed to say any more than she had. Instead, she just snuggled into his warmth more, knowing that if he wouldn't let her go, she might as well enjoy this.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Foster," he said in her ear. "I'm sorry for leaving, too."

A wave emotions nearly swallowed Sophie because of his last words, but she only put her head down. Shame and cold guilt washed through her for the way she hadn't believed him.

A weird sort of drowsiness swept through her as he touched her, something calm. Feeling her eyelids droop and knowing that she was safe in his arms, Sophie drifted off to sleep.

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Author's Note-

Heeeeeeeere's the update I promised you all. I think Wattpad's better, so you all should be notified, but if not, my followers will get notifications anyway.

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Thanks for being so kind as to wait for this chapter, guys. And again, thanks for all of the support. Never could've gotten this far without you.

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Love,

Owl~