Seventeen | Soulmate AU | ✔

48 | Sophie

Sorry, it's a few hours late. I was sleeping off a headache. I got like a full 10 hours, haha.

Last chapter from Sophie's perspective. We're ending with Keefe's perspective, since you guys seemed to like his so much:) x

Somewhere in the background, I know Edaline is recording this moment like a proud mom, and Grady is using his small disposable print camera to taken fifty million polaroids.

I swear I see him get a little bit teary-eyed, looking from me to the ring several times. He puts his plate of cake down on the table beside where we're standing, focusing completely on me.

"Sophie Foster, is this what I think it is?"

I nod tentatively, smiling at him. "I—"

Before I can even say anything, he's pocketed the ring and has pulled me to him, kissing me hard. When he pauls away, he hugs me to his chest, burying his face in my hair. "Foster..."

"Wait, I have to make my speech!" I say, remembering what I was doing before he distracted me. I prepared all day for this. I absolutely have to. I can't not.

"Hey, stop overthinking things so much," Keefe says, reaching forward and smoothing the creases in my forehead out. "Also you don't get to make that speech."

"Huh?" I stare at him, visibly confused.

Keefe pulls out a box from his other pocket that's black leather, slowly opening it to expose the diamond ring inside. It's gorgeous and huge. And much better than the one I got him. "I was going to propose to you first. Nice going, Foster." I would feel sorrier for him and his pouty face had he not outdone me with the ring.

"Oh, Keefe." I take the ring from him before he can say anything, slipping it onto my ring finger with confidence. I look at him, holding my hand up and looking at it on my finger from different angles. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

His grin gets wider by the second. "Is that a yes?"

"Ye– wait, no!" I say, reaching into his pocket for him and digging out my ring and sinking to my knee, kind of regretting putting the ring in a cake when I feel the frosting on my fingers. "Keefe Sencen, this isn't as expensive of a ring, nor is it the final ring I'll buy you in the future. From the moment we met, there was something different about you. I'm so glad I met you, regardless of whether or not I knew you as a soulmate. Without the bond, I'm more than confident that I'd love you just as much. Getting to know the guy behind the walls of jokes was more special than anything. I think that's what our relationship is, special. And I'd like to preserve it forever. I love you, Keefe. I'd like to be able to not only call you my soulmate, but something more. Keefe Sencen, would you do me the honor of being my husband?"

This was our moment.

"I love you, Sophie," Keefe says softly, reaching down to help me up. "And I swear I'll be yours – I'll always be yours regardless, but if you keep that ring on your finger, I'll marry you. I'll marry you if you do me the honor of being my wife."

I can tell he's flustered when the last part of his sentence doesn't make sense, and I resist the urge to laugh. I took his hand, standing up with my right hand outstretched for a shake. "Deal, Sencen."

He took my hand, but instead of shaking it, pulled me closer and kissed me again, smiling against my lips.

This was forever. No matter what.

I could tell that he felt it when he entwined our pinkies, kissing me deeply. I didn't protest whatsoever, offering my finger up, and my soul up with it. This was the last part of the soulmate bond – the final step to complete when you were fully committed.

The moment our pinkies locked I felt an emotion rocket through me, then something that almost felt relieving. It was as though I had unlocked another part of me, a part that made me feel more complete than I ever had felt before. This was a perfect part to what I had.

I shuddered against Keefe's lips, gripping him tightly as I was overcome by emotion. We rode out the surge of the bond together. It felt exactly the way people had told me, but better, somehow. I felt truly connected to him in a way I never had before. For everyone else in the room looking on, this would feel like a mere second.

It was much, much more than that for us.

When I opened my eyes, Keefe was already letting go of my pinky, watching in awe as the most beautiful font formed on his finger. S.F.

I nearly gasped at how delicate and dainty it looked on his finger, but quickly turned to mine for fear of missing the once-in-a-lifetime process. It didn't hurt at all, just making my finger feeling tingly as the letters formed. K.S.

"I'm all yours," Keefe said quietly, in complete wonderment.

"And I'm yours," I replied equally as quiet, my comment for his ears only. "Forever."