TRUST FALL, sokeefe | ✔️

Chapter 17 | Keefe

"You're a damned idiot, you're a moron and an ass and a damned idiot."

He'd rather her just slap him. The girl of his dreams—gone. He felt tears threaten to break free, but he wouldn't let them—not when she was right here. He was about to turn away when she continued.

"Because I'd pick you."

Then she kissed him. Her lips were on his before he could even begin to realize what she had said.

Her lips were soft against his, and for a moment, he was too stunned to kiss back. Once he'd recovered, he kissed her hard. Both their hands were entwined in each other's hair, he could feel her heartbeat beating as unevenly as he was sure his was. For a while, they had barely even taken a breath—both of them to busy letting their hands roam to take a breath.

Keefe pulled away, sadness poured into him. "Was this from pity?" The question came from that broken and sad part of him he tried to hide everyday.

She took a breath and looked at him, "No—this is from the fact that I'm sick of pretending. Pretending that you aren't what I want."

His only response was to kiss her again. 

"Well then, I suppose there's only one question left." He said against her mouth, "will you be my girlfriend?" There was a pause. "My real girlfriend," he clarified when she didn't respond.

"I think you know the answer to that Hunky Hair—yes."

                                                                         First day of summer

"Do I have to?" Keefe whined.

"Yes, because if you don't go, I won't let you play video games for a month."

Keefe gasped at her, "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Crap."

"It's being hosted by your parents—that kinda means your obligated to go." Sophie countered. He was being such a child about this, he could just go to the dinner party for a few hours and then come back, and they had been arguing about it for days now. More like Sophie was speaking the voice of reason and Keefe had decided that he was going to act like a four-year-old about going. Sometimes she felt more like his nanny than his girlfriend, but he was Keefe, meaning, that it was sort of part of the deal of being his girlfriend.

"If I stay there for two whole hours," he paused. "Without running off, or spiking a drink, or hiding in a closet the entire time, or dumping five plus packets of salt onto my dad's dinner, or pretending that the shark tank in the other room books and sharks are going to eat every one just like last time, does that mean I can come home, relax and watch TV with you the rest of the night?"

"It's the best deal I'm going to get, sure."

***

"GET OUT! YOU'RE DRIVING ME LITERALLY CRAZY!" Sophie shouted at Keefe, who was in a tuxedo that fitted his naturally broad frame more than she'd admit. He was going to be quite late for his party, and his parents, who despised Sophie, would rather drop down dead than give her an invite. Not that she wanted one to begin with, those types of parties were just full of Karens and people who liked to criticize anything and everything. 

"Ugh, do I have to go?

"Yes, and stop complaining."

"They just make me miserable!"

"Then you can make them miserable while you're there."

"But at those parties they serve weird crap, like...fish eggs! Who in the world actually eats fish eggs? No one!"

"Bye Keefe, see you at ten." Sophie said in her no-nonsense voice. She closed the apartment door, and locked it, leaving hi, with two options, to either sit and sulk at the door, or to go to the party. She heard a groan that belonged to Keefe, and footsteps going down the hall.

Finally. Some much-needed girl time. Sure she loved Keefe, but living in apartment together all the time could be a bit much. They had recently decided that their relationship was serious enough to get an apartment together, much to Grady's eternal frustration.

She had even caught him setting up security cameras in every room in the dead of night. That was something she wouldn't ever forget. He said it was to 'make sure that he didn't have any grandchildren too soon.' Sophie took them down and confiscated his key to the apartment—Edaline was far better suited to be in possession of one anyway.

Sophie reached for her phone.

Biana? 

Welcome to Pizza Hut, what can I get for you?

I know it's you.

I'm sorry, we done serve that type of  pizza here.

Screw you Biana, be serious.

Sorry, the screwing is reserved for Tam.

Gosh how dirty could one mind be? Sophie thought, before responding.

Come on over, Girl time! Keefe is out.

There was a knock at the door. Holy crap, she had sent that message like, less then 20 seconds ago, how did she get there that fast?

Sophie opened the door, and Biana was standing there. "How in hell did you get here that fast?"

Biana gave her a grin, "I never reveal my secrets..."

"Foxfire is like, an hour away—that should not be possible!"

"And yet it is."

***

"Bye Sophie!" Biana shouted from the door, "Nice hanging out!" 

Sophie relaxed on the couch, and begun binge-watching Game of Thrones. The door opened, "Hey Foster." 

"Hey!" She called back, "Watching Game of Thrones, go change and watch it with me!"

"Got it!" He called back.

Minutes later he returned in navy shorts and a white fitted tank top. Sophie leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes still glued to the TV. She had a vauge feeling of falling asleep on his shoulder, and him laying her down on the couch, then laying down beside her, flicking off the TV.

Life is good. Sophie thought, smiling to herself.