Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-75.25.52.26-20190727210155/@comment-43311054-20190810150353

Chapter 2

“Sophie,” the voice whispered. “Sophie, come back.” A calming blue breeze called her back from the dark oblivion. She opened her eyes and found Keefe leaning over her, smiling slightly. His ice blue eyes seemed to bore into her heart as his grip on her hand tightened. Sophie bit her lip and forced back a tear as she tightened her grip as well.

“Keefe,” she said, her voice no more than a breath. “Hi. Is—is anyone else here?” Keefe shook his head and smirked.

He quipped, “What, am I not good enough for you anymore?” Sophie’s eyes flooded with tears at the slight reminder of the way Fitz had left. A single tear slipped down her face and Keefe’s teasing face crumpled with concern.

“Foster, are you okay? Answer that honestly—I’m an Empath.” Sophie shook her head, watching Keefe’s position standing over her bed change as he sat down inches away from her, eyeing the necklace that lay far away from her bed.

Sophie asked, “Do I have permission to enter your consciousness?”

Keefe responded, “The way you say that makes it sound really weird, but Foster, you don’t have to ask. Go ahead.”

Sophie sat up and transmitted, ''Keefe, please don’t make fun of me, or joke about this is any way. Please.''

Keefe responded, Foster, I would never.

Sophie, surprised by Keefe’s sudden seriousness, continued. ''So, yesterday I went to the Matchmakers to pick up my packet. I was thinking about what Linh had said and I decided not to pass up the small moments. And…''

''Foster, it’s okay. Whatever it is, I’m not going to make fun of you.''

I’m Unmatchable, Keefe.

''Wow. I’m really sorry. That has to be awful. Two questions, though: How is that possible? Also, does that have anything to do with Fitz’s necklace twenty feet away from you in a heap on the floor?''

''He came in last night after he made a deal with Sandor, and I accidentally told him. I hadn’t meant to, but I thought it and we were telepathically talking. Then he told me—he told me that he couldn’t handle that.''

Keefe’s eyes darkened as he gripped Sophie’s hand tighter, sending more calming waves through her head. She felt a calmness spread through her as he spoke. She had to make him repeat what he’d said, lost in the haze of miserable memories.

“I asked if you were okay. And don’t lie to me. These,” Keefe said, wiping a couple tears off her face, “Aren’t exactly selling it.”

“I just thought, you know, one thing is finally coming together. Something in my life is actually going right. Between Tam being stuck with Neverseen and all my bodyguards and everything else wrong with my life, I just felt like I’d earned this one thing. And then the most stupid prejudice of all ruins my one chance to have that. Everything goes wrong. I knew Fitz didn’t actually like me. It was too good to be true. Everything is,” Sophie concluded bitterly.

Keefe, looking quite concerned about Sophie’s well being, responded, “Not everything, Foster. Leave out a little hope. For your family, your friends. We all really care about you. Don’t lose hope on Fitz now. And even if you do—remember that he’s not the only one out there for you.” He flushed a little, but before Sophie could figure out what that meant, she heard someone walking in from her bedroom door.

Edaline smiled and her eyes fell on Sophie’s fingers, interlocked with Keefe’s. “He’s right, Sophie. He’s absolutely right. You are a strong girl. You’ve been through more in a few years than one person could imagine being through in one lifetime. You can’t let this just crush you. If Fitz can’t see that you’re worth whatever prejudice he happens to be circled around, then he’s not worth you.” Sophie tried to smile, but her heart wanted to cry. She wanted to believe what her adopted mom was saying, but she cared about Fitz too much to just let him go like that. They underestimated how much time she’d spent hoping, wishing, and finally basking in the joy of knowing he felt the same way.

But she still got up, forced a smile, and said, “Don’t worry. No one can break Sophie Foster.”