Chapter Two
"Keefe?"
Tears were cried and laughs were heard as everyone threw themselves at him.
I hugged him fiercely, and Keefe pats my back. "Foster, I know you missed me but I didn't think you missed me this bad."
"I will always miss you this bad, Keefe," I whisper, and before I could change my mind, I press my lips to his cheeks. When I see the surprised expression arise on Keefe's face I quickly yank my face away from his, flushing. "Sorry- I, uh, didn't mean to-"
"Come here," orders Keefe.
I obey and he curls an arm around mine, hiding his face in my tunic. My chin rests on his head. I hug him back and he pulls away with a pink tinge to his cheeks.
"Okay okay everyone!" Elwin yells, hurrying over with a trayful of medicine bottles and supplements. "Give him some space! Keefe, how are you feeling?"
"Better now, thanks to Foster." He winks at me and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Biana averts her gaze to the wall and her mouth was in a tight rigid line. Her fists dug into the sheets of the cot she was sitting on, across from Keefe's.
A jolt of guilt runs up my throat and I stare down at my wrung hands. How could I be so insensitive? Obviously it hurt Biana for me to kiss her crush- well, on the cheek, but still- and for him to actually like it.
"I'm gonna need you to drink these," Elwin instructs, and Keefe acquiesces, glugging down three vials of disgusting looking liquids.
He grinned triumphantly when he finished the tray. The beam soon disappeared when his stomach gurgled. "I'm hungry," he complains, poking it.
"I'm on it," Elwin promises, a blur as he went out the door and returned with a plateful of custard bursts. "Eat up."
Lord Cassius awkwardly stands by Keefe's cot with a stoic face.
"Uh, we'll give you some privacy now," Biana mumbled uncomfortably, exiting the room.
After I see the look Elwin gives me I reluctantly get to my feet and pat Keefe's hand gently. "I'm glad you woke up," I whisper as I walk away, not sure if Keefe heard. But as I turn back one more time, I see the slight hints of a smile playing at the ends of Keefe's lips and I know he did.
When I reach the door, Biana's still not looking at me.
She's checking her makeup in a compact mirror, which she hasn't done for a long time. I reach out and touch her arm but she abruptly pulls away. "Stop, Sophie," she murmurs, her voice like a rose carried in a rough hurricane. Torn up and ragged.
Her eyes are glossed over with tears of pain and I hug myself. "I'm sorry, Biana," I apologize. "I don't like Keefe like that, you know I don't. I was just so happy he was awake. You guys still have a chance." I mentally cringe. Why did I say that? It sounded so stuck-up.
I open my mouth to apologize again but Biana presses her lips together tightly and looks as if she's fighting an internal storm. "You're amazing, Soph. Don't ever forget that, okay?"