Keefe's Whereabouts

14

"Do you understand what you have to do?" Brandon asks both of us. 

I nod and swallow the bile building up in my throat. He nods at us approvingly and stands up, adjusting the collar of his tunic. He's been in the lost cities. Isaac, with his hood still covering his identity, walks towards the both of us, dropping a bag in front of each of us at the table. 

"What is this?" Keefe asks him. 

Without waiting for their answers, I open the bag in front of me. When I open it, I almost drop it all on the floor. 

"You won't be able to complete the plan without these, unfortunately," Brandon says. 

I grab the gun out of the bag and examine it. 

"If there are Neverseen members there, melders won't work against them. The most effective far combat weapon you could use would be a gun," Isaac affirms us. 

I look over and see Keefe hold the gun, way too naturally. 

"How do you-"

"He trained for a few years with human weapons," Brandon answers for him. "We made sure he was set up so he was able to."

"This is what you meant when you said everything happened for a reason," Keefe mumbles, running his hand through his already messy hair. 

He looks tired. The dark eye bags haven't gotten any better. This plan won't help them either. When Brandon and Isaac came in earlier, I was expecting just a regular update like how it's been for the last couple weeks. But the energy was different. Tomorrow night Keefe and I must make our way to the Lost Cities where the final battle will final occur. The years I spent looking for Keefe came in hand. All the combat training and conscious protection will aid me. I'm just worried about Keefe. Will he really be able to kill someone? What if it's his own mother he must kill? He's already stressed with a bunch of stuff, will he be able to function tomorrow night as we make our way through a secret passage to the Lost Cities? They are tracking any type of light leaps. Most of the secret pathways to the Lost Cities have been destroyed. Which means Keefe and I must make it by foot. The plan is to make it through San Diego and reach close to the coast, where there is Lady Cadence waiting for us with her boat to take us back to Ogre territory, where we have everyone waiting for us. 

"I suggest you guys relax and mentally and physically prepare yourselves for tomorrow," Isaac tells us as they start to make their way out the house. "It won't be easy."

"We'll see you guys soon," Brandon says giving us a very small smile. 

The door closes behind them, leaving Keefe and I alone. 

"Keefe," I say waiting for him to look at me. "You know we can back out anytime right? We can run away ourselves and come up with a plan. Mr. Forkle can help us. You just have to make that call."

He walks over to me, standing so close I can see his individual lashes. He shakes his head, giving me a sad smile. 

"I'm not going to run away anymore, Foster," he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, causing me to suck in a breath. 

"Does that include not running away from me anymore as well?" I blurt out. 

I immediately regret it and feel my face get hot. He leans over, getting close to my lips, which he keeps eyeing at. He holds his hand around my waist, pulling me in to where both of our chests are touching each other. 

"I'm not going to run away anymore, Foster," my name leaves his mouth as a mumble as his lips lock with mine. 

It's just like the movies. I feel the fireworks light up inside. I feel each individual organ do a backflip. His hand squeezes my waist and I can't help but push myself against him even more than I already was. He notices my desperation and I can feel him smile against my lips. He moves forward and I can feel the counter hit me. He picks me up slightly and places me on the counter, not separating our lips one time. I don't know what drug I'm on. I've never been one of those needy girls. But he sparks something inside me. A fire. And I don't want it to go out either. It's like he's feeding the flames inside me. The way his large hands grip my body, like he doesn't want me to disappear. He kisses me as if he's been hungry his whole life. As if this would be our last. I snake my hand up his messy waves, tangling my fingers in it. His hair. It's so soft. I can hear the low noises he makes against my lips as I run both of my hands through his hair and down his neck. 

"Keefe," I gasp as I feel his hand trail under my shirt. 

"Can I?" He asks as he tries to hold back from touching me. 

I can see the pain in his face as if not touching me hurts him. It makes my heart warm. He wants me. As much as I want him. I nod and he runs his hand up my back, making me arch towards him more. He connects his lips back with mine. I open my eyes for a second and I see him already looking at mine. Our lips disconnect as we just stare into each other's eyes. His beautiful ice blue eyes, not like any other. Our breathing is heavy and his fingers are tracing the clasp of my bra. He leans in but the kiss is different. It's slow. Not sloppy. I can feel the care and feelings he's trying to show me. His hands move out of my shirt and he pulls away, looking at me with lidded eyes. 

"As much as I would love to continue this, we need to be prepared for tomorrow," he smirks. 

"Can we sleep together?" I grab his hand, ignoring the embarrassed feelings I'm feeling right now. 

"I can't," he says, his breath catching. "I won't be able to hold myself back. And you can't handle that right now."

"Why are you making that call?" I say annoyed. 

He leans in and kisses my forehead. "Trust me, Foster. You can't handle it right now."

I realize what he means and I can feel my face flush beet red. Oh. That's what he meant. Well, we are grown up now. I push myself off the counter and start walking upstairs. 

"Goodnight," I say, looking back at him. 

He's leaning against the counter, his long muscular body, with his arms crossed, smirking up at me with that crooked smile. I would kill for this view every day for the rest of my life. Before more weird thoughts pop up in my head, I run up the stairs to my room. Get a grip, Sophie.