"K-Keefe?" Sophie asked stumbling back. "Is it really... you?"
"Yeah, it's me," Keefe said, trying for a cocky smirk. But the worried and confused look she was giving him didn't exactly encourage him. So he spread his arms and announced dramatically, "I'm back!"
"You're... back?" She repeated, her eyes scouring over him. She took another step back. "After all this time?" She whispered, lowering her gaze and not meeting his eyes. "Three years," she mumbled quietly to herself.
"Always." He took a mock bow, hoping that the Harry Potter line would convince her. After all, she was the one who made him watch all eight of the Harry Potter movies four times. Surely she would appreciate how he had said Snape's lines.
But instead, she turned away. "Why? How?" She whispered, not looking at him.
"Well..." he said, unsure of what to say. His brain whipped up into a frenzy, trying to think of things to say that wouldn't get her mad. "I moved. Back. Here," he finished lamely, hoping his tone projected a please-don't-kill-me-brutally-and-please-forgive-me tone.
"You moved back?" All of sudden, Sophie whipped around and glared at him.
"Um. Yeah?" Keefe said, trying to keep in a chuckle. She's still cute when she's angry, he thought fondly, remembering their time as best friends back in elementary school.
Apparently, he didn't do a good enough job of keeping his amusement in check, because she got up straight in his face and snapped, "You think this is funny? Two-and-a-half years of not replying to my texts, my calls? Ignoring me?"
"I—" For once, Keefe was at a loss for words. "My parents..." he said hesitantly, not wanting to anger her even more. It was a solid fact that Sophie hated his parents for treating him so horribly.
Fortunately, he was spared from her impending rant when Grady appeared behind her.
"Keefe?" He said, his expression almost identical to how Sophie had looked at him when he first arrived at her front door.
"Hi?" This time, he tried for an awkward wave, hoping that the outcome this time would be different from Sophie's outburst.
It seemed that luck was not on his side that day, for Grady exploded.
"You." He pointed a shaky finger at him. If it was any other adult, Keefe would have just smirked and said, "Me." But this was Grady. And you always trod carefully around Grady.
"You. My daughter. Sophie." Grady snapped his jaw shut when he realized that he was speaking in incoherent phrases. Please let that be the end of his rant, Keefe prayed.
But he continued. "Do you know how many times I found Sophie sobbing in her bedroom because of YOU?" He barked, staring at Keefe with utter disappointment and anger.
He paced around, wringing his hands and glaring at him. "You left, and barely a few months later, you stopped answering her texts and calls. DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED SHE WAS?" He snapped, then lowered his voice. "How worried we were," he finished softly.
"I-I'm sorry," Keefe said weakly, shocked into silence. "I didn't mean to..."
"'Sorry' doesn't erase what you did," Grady growled, stalking back to the kitchen. "Dex should be here anytime soon... I'm definitely not letting that boy walk Sophie to school..."
"Who's Dex?" Keefe asked, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice. Is that Sophie's boyfriend? He wondered.
"My cousin," Sophie said, trying not to look at him. "Or have you forgotten that much about me already?"
He flinched. Ouch, he thought, still stinging from the bitterness in her voice. He opened his mouth, ready for a retort to come to his lips. But the words died on his tongue, and he only stepped closer to where Sophie was sitting at the table.
"I'm sorry. I have no excuse." He swept his hands through his hair. "I really messed up this time."
"You did," Sophie agreed, then stood up, finally meeting his eyes. "But..." she continued, letting the word hang there. She suddenly ran toward him, engulfing him in a gigantic teddy bear hug.
"I also really missed you," she whispered against his shirt. She squeezed him tighter.
"Ouch!" Keefe yelped, trying to untangle himself from Sophie's arms as she hugged him more firmly. "Are you trying to strangle me?"
"You deserve it," Sophie said. He could hear the smirk in her voice.
"Okay, okay, I beg for mercy, oh great queen!" He bobbed his head, trying to bow as much as he could in the strange position.
Sophie giggled, and loosened her arms a bit. Keefe took that moment to pull his arms free, and started tickling her.
"Stop! Stop!" Sophie cried, squirming. "That's not fair! You know where I'm ticklish!"
"Yep. Payback," he replied, finally releasing her. "But I'm still not done with you." He poked her in the chest, and she giggled.
"Ahem," a voice cleared their throat, and they pulled away from each other, cheeks flushed as they glanced at where the voice came from.