C h a p t e r S i x t e e n

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Sophie's POV.

"Foster, wake up," Sophie woke up to Keefe's smooth voice. "Earth to Sophie Foster."

Sophie groaned sleepily and opened her eyes, greeted by a slowly rising sun and Keefe smiling down at her.

"Your awake!" Keefe said. "It's a miracle!"

Sophie laughed and sat up.

The sun was rising and painting the sky with beautiful hues of pink and yellow.

Sophie smiled, she couldn't think of a better morning to wake up to.

That is, until she remembered what day it was and was going to be happening in a few short hours.

"It's...tomorrow," she said, looking at Keefe.

"Yeah," he answered, not exactly meeting her eyes.

Tomorrow, the day Keefe goes to Exillium.
Tomorrow, the day Keefe leaves from her life, possibly forever.
And tomorrow was here. Tomorrow was today.

Suddenly, all the feelings of heartbreak from the first time she was told he'd been exiled, came rushing back to her.

"What are we going to do?" Sophie asked softly, sadly.

"We're going to get through this," Keefe said firmly, and helped Sophie to her feet.

Before Sophie reciprocate his confidence, there was a knock on her door.

"Sophie?" It was Edaline, "Can I come in, sweetie?"

"Hide!" Sophie whispered to Keefe and he quickly hid behind the wall adjacent to the balcony's glass door, where he wasn't visible from inside.

"Yeah!" Sophie called and rushed to the door. "Come in!"

Edaline stepped into the room wearing a silky lavender tunic and her hair swept half up.

"Sophie," Edaline said seriously. "The Collective has asked you to attend a meeting with us, about the current situation with the war, around ten."

"Oh," Sophie gulped. "Okay, who else is going to be there? Besides the Collective."

"Me, your father, the Vacker's, Kesler and Dex, and your choice of the First Lady's companion, will all be joining us," Edaline said.

Sophie nodded, at least she would know everyone there.
"Okay then, you said at ten?"

Her mother nodded and headed back toward the door. "Yes. I'll see you down stairs for breakfast."

Once Edaline left, Sophie returned to Keefe.

"I have to go," she said, caressing his warm hands with her own.

Keefe nodded and kissed her cheek.
"Ever been to a war meeting?" He asked with glint in his eyes. "There very boring," he added when Sophie shook her head.

"Way to get my hopes up," Sophie laughed.

"I'll see you soon, Foster," Keefe said as he started down the ivy. "I promise."

Sophie watched once again until he was out of sight.

She repeated the words he'd said in her head, as she got dressed and prepared for the meeting.
I'll see you soon.
She hoped with her whole heart that it was true.

-

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲!
𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗜 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗳𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘂𝗺, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗕𝘆𝗲!
~𝗧

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