Can't Say I Don't Love You (A Sokeefe AU)

Chapter 13

A/N: WELCOMEEEEE!!! :DDD

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Sophie

Sophie didn't want to do it. But Liam was right, it was for the good of everyone.

A pit of dread had nestled in the bottom of her stomach since she woke up that morning.

She hadn't done anything yet, but guilt already overwhelmed her enough that it was hard to breathe.

She looked a mess, having barely gotten any sleep the night before. The bags under her eyes alone were dark enough to rival her mood.

She left for school early, deciding to walk instead of being sent there by Liam.

She knew Keefe would be at school early too. He always was. Something about it being more interesting in the morning when no one else was around.  And well, she needed to talk to him. For obvious reasons.

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She couldn't handle the lazy smile he threw at her upon her stepping into the hallway where all the lockers were.

She forced an uneasy one back, ignoring the lump in her throat when he hugged her from behind.

Please don't make this harder for me than it already is.

"Hey," she stated numbly when he kissed her temple.

Bile rose into her throat.

She blinked away the tears that was clouding her vision. Forced her voice not to shake as she said, "I need to talk to you."

"Hmm?" He answered absently, leaning on a locker, watching her dump her books into her own.

She swallowed again, the words thick in her throat.

It was early enough that no one would be in school for probably the next half hour. Good. Even if a part of her desperately wished that someone would walk in and interrupt them so that she wouldn't have to do what she was about to do.

She shut her locker, sliding to the floor and curling her knees to her chest.

Keefe mirrored her position, cocking his head to the side, adorably, painfully oblivious to what he was going to hear.

She blew out a painful breath. "I- I think it's better if we just remain friends for the time being."

His smile fell.

She forced herself to stare at the wall ahead, to not cry, to not turn and look at him as she choked out, "I had a talk with my brother last night. He's right. It's bad for the both of us to get... too attached to one another. Especially with who we are."

Especially seeing as I could get the one person I've probably gotten to care about the most killed. And I don't want that.

"So you're breaking up with me because my parents are cops?"

No, I'm breaking up with you because I don't want someone else I care about to die because of me.

"Yes," she forced out, still not daring to look at him. If she saw the pain that was undoubtedly in his expression, she knew she would cave. Take back everything she said. And she couldn't do that.

"If you're thinking I ever told them anything, or worried that I would ever-"

"No," she said quickly, cutting him off. She hated how strangled and self blaming his damn voice was. But she had no choice. She'd only known him for a short amount of time, but she knew him. If he knew that she was doing it to keep him safe, he'd never agree. The only way to make him do what she needed him to was for him to think that it was for her good instead.