Keeper of the Great Adventures

Chapter 18

She hesitated before leaving Keefe. She looked over at Keefe one last time when she noticed something. She ran over and confirmed what she had seen was real. His eyes were fluttering open.

She ran out of the room and got Elwin. The next hour was a blur. Elwin had kicked her out of the room and made her wait outside the door.

"He's going to be okay," Edaline said while stroking her hair. She really hoped so. She heard the door open and saw Elwin walking out.

"You can go in now. He's not fully recovered, but he's alive." Elwin said. Sophie jumped up and started walking towards the door.

Edaline was behind her until Elwin gently pulled her back. "Give her a moment alone," He said. Edaline smiled and nodded. Sophie took a deep breath, entered the room, and closed the door behind her.

"Hey," She said. Even though Keefe had been in bed for three weeks, he looked cute with his messy hair and his all-to-familiar smirk.

"Hey," He responded.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, feeling sick.

"Well, compared to how you're feeling, I'm fine," Keefe said with a grin. She rolled her eyes and started to walk out of the room.

"Aw, c'mon Foster, I was kidding!" He complained. Sophie smiled and turned back around.

"I need to ask you something. We're you sending me emotions? Somehow?" She asked, walking towards him.

"You felt those??" Keefe said with a surprised look on his face.

"Briefly, but yes."

"After hearing you and realizing you thought I was gone, I thought I'd give you a sign. I put all the energy I had into sending you those emotions. But after a while, I had no more energy. I started slipping away when- " Keefe explained before looking up at Sophie. He paused after noticing how red she looked.

"I know I'm devilishly handsome, but why are you so red?" Keefe asked with a smirk.

"You heard me?" Sophie whispered.

Keefe started laughing and said, "I'm sorry, but your face right now is priceless,"

Sophie didn't know what to say. She thought back to all the things she had said and instantly felt like crawling in a hole and never climbing out.

"Why do you feel so freaked out?" He asked. She met his worried glance, but couldn't work up the courage to explain why.

"The worst thing you said was that my dad came and saw me and pretended to be sad."

"He wasn't pretending," Sophie mumbled.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Foster," He teased. Sophie sighed. She was relieved he was back to his old self.

His expression turned serious and said, "Thank you for being here for me. For believing."

"Oh, sure." She said.

She was about to leave the room when Keefe said, "Hey, Sophie?"

She looked at him in surprise. He never calls her by her first name. "Yeah?"

"I love you too," He said, looking anywhere but at her.

She turned a bright color of red before saying, "So you heard that?"

Keefe looked at her, his ice-blue eyes glistening from the sunlight coming in from the window, and said, "Yeah, and I'm glad I did."

Elwin gave a quick knock on the door before entering.

"I need to give Keefe some more medicine, but you can keep talking when I'm done." He said. Sophie and Keefe nodded. 

While waiting for Elwin to finish, she thought about what Keefe had said. How he loved her. She smiled - she wasn't afraid anymore. She was excited and couldn't wait for whatever would happen next.