Team Foster-Keefe (A Sokeefe Story) #KOTLC #AfterUnlocked

Chapter 10

Hushed whispers erupted from the kitchen, and Sophie stood to the side, not visible to anyone's sights. 

"Eda, what am I going to do?"

"Take it easy, Grady. You're okay. We'll work something out," said Edaline's naturally soothing voice.

Sophie stayed still, listening.

"She's never going to forgive me if she finds out," came Grady's strained, tense voice.

There was no way everything was okay. Sophie stepped out of the shadows, a hand on her hip, as she asked, "After she finds what out?"

Grady and Edaline immediately stood up from their seats and looked at Sophie, the color draining from their faces.

She stood there, gritting her teeth, while asking, "Well? After I find out what?"

"Sophie..." 

Edaline reached for her arm, but Sophie ducked, backing away hastily. "Are you going to answer me, or are we going to pretend everything is okay? Because I can clearly see theres a problem, and I'm not going to ignore it any longer."

Yeah... Sophie realized her words were harsh. And she did kind of regret them. It was a sudden blow, but she hated secrets. She was getting nothing done in the past few days, her heart still crushed since Keefe wasn't there.

He clearly said in his letter he wouldn't be coming back. And she didn't have any way of finding out where Keefe went. So she was at a loss. Guess that was what made her yell at her parents.

But there was no going back now. 

Grady cleared his throat shakily. "Um.. S-Sophie? I have something to tell you."

"There's nobody stopping you."

Edaline put her palm on Grady's shoulder, sitting down next to him rather timidly.

"Erm..."

"Just say it! I know this is about Keefe, but I don't have to be an Empath to know that theres clearly something important that I'm missing," Sophie snapped, out of intense annoyance. 

The hurt on Grady and Edaline's face deepened, as Sophie sucked in a breath. She mentally gave herself a slap. What was wrong with her?

"Sorry-" she started to say, but then Grady's voice cut her off.

"I know where Keefe went."

Sophie's eyes shot up to his, her jaw dropping. 

"I..."

Grady sighed. "I don't blame you for being mad at me. But I promised Keefe I wouldn't tell you."

Sophie looked down at her feet, rubbing her arm as tears trickled down her cheeks. She only noticed them when she felt wetness on her sleeve.

Her voice barely a whisper, she asked, "How did you find out?"

Edaline scooted over to Sophie's side, embracing her in a nice, warm, and much needed hug.

"I saw him in your room a few days ago. He was arranging Iggy and the letter, and I caught him," Grady explained.

"What did he say?"

"Keefe asked if you were okay after I told him you burned the storehouse down. I... I told him you would need him now..."

Sophie's painstakingly tearful face faced him. 

"You didn't try to convince him to stay?" she asked slowly.

"I did!" said Grady. He lifted up both hands hastily, as if he was trying to say I'm Innocent! "I swear I tried. He had his mind made up though."

Sophie attempted a shaky breath, but then pulled out of Edaline's embrace, and darting up the stairs like a speeding bullet.

"Sophie!" 

"Sophie, come back!" pleaded Edaline's choked voice.

It's not like it was parents' fault or anything... But Grady had actually seen Keefe before he left. And he claimed he tried to stop him, which she didn't doubt, even though Grady and Keefe had a complicated relationship.

She slammed the door to her room, channeling all her mental energy in keeping it closed, despite the frantic pounding against it.

Sophie sank to her knees, leaving all sorts of strange imprints in her woven flower carpet. She glanced at the spot on her bed where Keefe had left Iggy's cage. 

She used telekinesis to grab a pillow near that area, and flung it against the wall, not caring where it landed.

Sophie heard a faint "clang" as she looked back, her large mass of blond hair whipping around with her head. 

She saw the pillow on the ground, and as she looked up, she saw a crystal-bordered, ornate looking mirror, engraved with shards of color in the glass. 

It was Jolie's old spectral mirror, which had been kept in her room before the fire. Vertina was the annoying girl in the mirror who was always offering Sophie useless tips on fashion. But... She did occasionally prove helpful. In more ways than fashion. She helped Sophie with a critical lead about Jolie's involvement with the Black Sw-

Wait.

If Vertina had seen Jolie doing her mystery assignments, could she have seen Keefe in Sophie's bedroom before he left?

A/N: DONE! Omg, I only posted Chapter 9 yesterday, and here I am with Chapter 10. It's not my best work, I'll admit, but I'm just going with the flow because, like, YES! I don't know if I'll post in the next day or two, but I'll try and get one more chapter in before Friday since I'm flying to Texas for spring break. So plan on maybe not seeing anything next week? Oh well, theres this chapter and hopefully another to come for while you wait! Thanks for reading! ^~^