a dangerous combination [discontinued]

~ S I X T Y ~

Sophie was recovering steadily, and by the time two weeks had passed, she looked almost healthy.

Keefe had been (grudgingly) allowed to stay at one of the Black Swan's hideouts, Alluveterre, which also happened to be where the Song twins were staying as well.

And judging from Tam's angry flares and Linh's tiny frowns, they hadn't forgiven him yet.

That was understandable. Keefe hadn't quite forgiven himself yet, but it did make him wonder if they had complained about him to Sophie.

He hoped not.

He wasn't sure if even she fully trusted him yet—not that he blamed her—but having Sophie's friends badmouth him to her wouldn't exactly help his current predicament.

His mind flashed back to what one of her friends had said to him almost a week earlier, despite Keefe's best efforts not to get too excited about it.

Keefe was just waiting outside in Havenfield's pastures while Sophie's parents checked in on her. He'd been smart enough to leave before Grady caught sight of him and possibly murdered him for speaking to his daughter.

Keefe heard footsteps behind him, but didn't turn around until he was sure the person was approaching him and not just trying to slip by, hoping to avoid conversation with the former Neverseen member.

He finally turned, revealing a guy with a lean build and teal eyes.

Fitz Vacker.

Last time Keefe had seen him, he'd been making out with Sophie Foster.

He stood next to Keefe, resting his arms on the gate the same way he was. "So...how's it feel?"

Keefe blinked. "Um..what?"

"You and Sophie."

Keefe answered him truthfully, although he could feel his face warming. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Maybe not." Fitz's eyes were far away, as though he were seeing something other than a dinosaur sloppily eating her lunch. "But I thought you would've noticed it by now, being an Empath and all."

Keefe's heart beat a little faster as he wondered if what Fitz had said was really true or not. Maybe he was just messing with Keefe.

Sure, he and Sophie had kissed. Once. But Keefe had already se that aside as nothing but sheer desperation. In that moment, she'd probably been internally panicking about her life being about to end. She likely hadn't even been thinking straight.

There was no way that kiss had meant anything.

Then again, maybe it had.

'No, stop,' he mentally scolded himself. There was no way Sophie Foster could ever love, or even remotely like someone like him.

Someone so broken, so dangerous, so conflicted.

So..bad.

That didn't stop him from hoping, though.

A pair of feet walked by his door, making Keefe jump and waking him back up to reality.

He listened carefully, but whoever it was seemed to be only walking down the hallway. He waited for the footsteps to grow silent before glancing down at his hands.

There, on the paper he'd been doodling on absentmindedly while he thought, was a perfect face portrait of Sophie, down to the very last detail. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, a faint smile playing across her lips as though she was saying "There is definitely something wrong with you."

Keefe groaned and tossed the paper aside.

He really was in trouble now.

~~~

eee i've been wanting to write this chapter for such a long time lmaoo

hope you guys liked it!

love, riya
11/19/20