after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 50-Keefe/Sophie

"Keefe?" Grady's voice filled with panic. "What? What's happening?"

"I can't feel her. I—her emotions—they're leaving, I can't feel her!" He focused on sending everything out of him and into her. "Come on, Foster, come on, please, please, please."

It was an endless chant.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.

DON'T LEAVE ME, DON'T LEAVE ME, DON'T LEAVE ME.

"WAKE UP!" He growled. He forced every bit of the instinct in his throat forward into those words.

But Sophie didn't move.

"WAKE UP!" Keefe yelled, his voice raw.

The room was silent.

Keefe was pulled back by Grady as Elwin and Livvy shoved past to pump her chest.

"Wake up," he whispered.

Wake up.

Stay awake.

Don't fall asleep.

"Please."

He counted to twenty twice before Elwin and Livvy stopped counting aloud for each other.

They stopped.

Elwin's eyes drifted up behind a Keefe, and Grady's hand tightened on his shoulder. "No," came the soft whisper.

Elwin's eyes dropped to Keefe.

"She's—"

"Don't say it," Keefe warned. He felt Grady place his other hand on his shoulder, turning Keefe around gently.

He met the blue eyes, something inside of him breaking even more at the pain. For a split second, he saw the brown ones and let out a choked sob.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I couldn't save her." His voice broke, and he didn't register Grady pulling him into a hug.

"It's not your fault," Edaline's voice wavered. "Sophie trusted you, and she wouldn't want you to feel guilty for something out of your hands."

"It's not your fault."

"Sophie trusted you."

"I do hate you."

"She trusts you. Yet you betrayed her. Time and time again."

"I don't what? Trust you? Yeah, good job figuring that out."

"You betrayed us. We trusted you, and you betrayed us. After everything. You betrayed ME."

Keefe ripped away from Grady.

He stared at Sophie, heard a rustle as Grady crossed the room to Edaline.

"Foster—" his voice broke. He stumbled back to her, not feeling the pain as his knees jammed against the floor. Hot tears fell from his eyes.

A series of images flashed before his eyes

A Foxfire graduation gown and cap, neatly folded on a desk, gathering dust over the years.

An image of her tree, growing withered.

A green eyed woman in a wedding dress, with a faceless bridesmaid at her side.

Little brown eyes, running and laughing, then fading into nothing.

Drawings of empty brown eyes.

"Why couldn't you have left me?" Keefe whispered. "You'd be alive—you'd—"