INTERTWINED, kotlc

Twelve

KEEFE'S POV ; EARLIER TODAY

Keefe watched Sophie walk off and back into her dorm. He felt horrible that she had an allergic reaction because of him. He should have known better.

Keefe decided to go back to his dorm, and he went straight to the couch, where he just sat there, basking in his thoughts. He wasn't worried about Fitz since he'd found out on his own that he was going on a date with a girl. Keefe wasn't busy, so he decided to text Sophie— Maybe annoy her a bit. 

Sophie texted him back fast, but the whole conversation was quick and short. So short, it didn't even feel like a conversation.

Since Keefe was bored, what better thing to do than check up on a friend? He had been a little glum, and she deserved an apology in person. 

Keefe got up and stretched, ready to see her. To own up to his mistakes and all of the times he had bothered her.

He easily made it to her dorm, hesitating as he debated whether to knock or not. He ended up knocking but frowned when no one answered. "Sophie? Biana?" No response. Had something happened to them? Keefe put his ear up to the door, not hearing anything. So, he twisted the knob and found the door left slightly open. He poked his head in, but everything was dark. He wandered around confusedly. "Where could she have gone?" Keefe murmured to himself.

His phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, gasping and almost dropping it as he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It was a picture of Sophie and Fitz at the local cafe, their faces so close their noses were almost touching as they stared into each other's eyes. Yuck. So mushy gushy. It still stung. Keefe had wanted to spend the rest of the day with Sophie. Maybe he would have told her. 

Iggy barked in the background, but he was too numb to even acknowledge him.

She was the girl he had gone out with.

It was too late now— she was in love with Fitz. 

Ro was right all along. All of the days she'd told him. He hadn't listened.

His heart broke. But this time, it felt different than all of the other times he had hurt.

It felt like a punch to the gut, but it was never a competition. Keefe pulled out the bracelet from his pocket, and he stared at it for what felt like a million hours. He didn't need her. Keefe had wanted to give it back to her after he'd taken it. It was supposed to be a surprise, but now it was too late to tell her everything. Her match was someone else. 

Someone else who wasn't him.

SOPHIE'S POV ; CONTINUED

"Oh, come on, Biana," Sophie begged. "This is going to be horrifying. Please don't tell him any of the details."

"Don't worry, no one else is coming along," Biana assured her, waving her hand at Sophie.

Somehow, that made her feel worse. She didn't want Tam Song to know about, well, everything! She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I guess he is our best chance."

"Sophie, I don't exactly want him to come, but every second we waste is every second that Keefe gets farther and farther away from us," She reminded her as she took out her phone and dialed Tam's number. Biana put the phone closer to her ear.

"Hello?" Sophie heard Tam's voice and winced. Tam definitely wasn't a love expert.

"Oh, hey Tam... It's Biana," Biana said sheepishly. She waved Sophie off and moved farther away, so she and Tam could talk in private.

That left Sophie standing there alone, looking like a weirdo with her arms crossed. Why would Keefe have left? 

"Mm. He'll be here in a few minutes," Biana told her as she came up to Sophie and adjusted her knitted cap. "I told him to pick up some of the emergency bags I keep outside of our dorm, too."

"Okay," Sophie nodded. "From there, we'll drive on and try to catch up to Keefe." 

Tam's slick, black car swiftly pulled up in front of them. He tugged on his bangs, wanting to get things over with. "Hop in," He grunted.

Sophie and Biana got in and sat down.

"Tam, you can't tell anyone about anything," Sophie clarified, attempting to be stern.

"Ooh, like that picture of you and Fitz in the cafe together?" Tam asked, and he chuckled when he saw her cheeks heat up.

"Tam!" Biana scolded. "We haven't got all day! Here," She handed the tracking device to Tam, who sighed. 

"So, I'm going all the work while you two sit back and put your feet up?" He asked, gesturing to Biana's as she checked her nails. 

"No, Tam," Sophie said in exasperation. "We're all working together to get Keefe back— Even if we don't know why he ran off in the first place."

Tam whistled, not caring as the three drove off.

FITZ'S POV ; AFTER THE CAFE

Fitz smiled as he drove off. He felt it deep in his gut— He truly loved Sophie. And the date he had planned? It'd be spectacular. 

He had a new bounce into his step as he entered his room. Fitz took his sweater off and found Keefe blankly staring out of one of the windows as the sun began to set.

"What's up?" Fitz asked. 

"Nothing," Keefe shrugged. 

Fitz knew better. Something was up. "Keefe," Fitz tried. 

"It's nothing," He snapped. "It's not like all of the signs have been pointing to me! It's not like you've noticed!" Keefe got up and pointed at Fitz's chest. "You don't get to do whatever you want, Wonderboy." He wilted a bit at the confession. "It's not like you'd care anyway."

Fitz gritted his teeth tightly. "Sophie doesn't belong to anyone. She's aloud to fall in love," He said darkly. 

"You don't think I know," Keefe muttered. "I know I've made mistakes, but I'm still trying, Fitz. You don't even need to try. You barely do. The Vackers are rich and famous, and you get your way. Me? No, I don't because I'm a Sencen. My dad? Selfish. My mom? Coldhearted. And then there's just me. You have Biana, a sister, and two kind, loving parents. The world isn't as perfect as you think it is. Yet with a snap of your fingers, things could change."

Fitz had never seen Keefe this serious. Fitz felt his face redden, and he was bubbling with fury. Keefe couldn't talk about him and his family like that. It wasn't right.

Neither boy could tell who started it when one of them decided to throw the first punch.