Part of this is an actual scene from the end of Neverseen. This scene happens between the time when Sophie releases the alicorns, and when Keefe leaves to join the Neverseen. I'll put a ~ ~ ~ where the scene from Neverseen ends and my writing starts. We're also gonna pretend that Grady and Edaline went ahead and left without telling Sophie. (Btw, as you could probably see from my last chapter, I suck at writing romance. Read at your own risk 🤣🤣🤣)

~ ~ ~

"So . . . do you want to come over, then?" She asked, fidgeting with the necklace he'd given her. "I thought I might try to make starkflower stew to give to Calla's tree—and I know that sounds super exciting, but . . . you could make fun of me. And then you could stay for dinner, and—"

"Foster, you don't have to take care of me."

"Maybe I just like you," she said—then realized how that sounded. "I'm just . . . worried about you."

Keefe stepped closer. "I know. It's one of the things I like about you."

Her stomach filled with fluttering things, which flitted around even more when she noticed how close they were now standing. The toes of their boots were almost touching, and his breath felt warm on her cheeks.

~ ~ ~

     Keefe leaned in even closer until his lips brushed her cheek. He then softly whispered into her ear, "Actually, it's one of the many things I love about you."

     Sophie's breath caught in her throat and her face burned brighter than the sun. She couldn't seem to come up with a response so she just stood there, frozen. He couldn't have meant that, no one would ever like her, much less love her.

     As if he could read her mind he said, "When I tease you, Sophie, I mean every single thing I say. It may sound like a joke, but it is the truth. I love you Sophie, and I have since the very first time we met. When you turned the corner of that hall and stumbled upon my ditching spot, I knew my life would never be the same. I know you don't love me, but I couldn't leave without telling you."

     Sophie was almost too caught up in Keefe's confession to catch what he had said in the last sentence, almost. "What do you mean by 'leave'?"

     Keefe stepped away from her with a broken expression. His facade was gone and all that was left was the broken boy he tried so hard to hide.

     "Keefe, you can tell me anything. Does it have anything to do with your dad? Did the Neverseen say something to you?" With the latter question Keefe's back went rigid. "What did the Neverseen say to you?"

     He cursed under his breath. "Please, Sophie, just let me end this. No one else needs to get hurt. I need to go, and I can't tell you where," Keefe pleaded. She realized that Keefe had said Sophie twice, not Foster.

     He looked so desperate that she wanted to give in, but she didn't want him to leave. So, she stood her ground. He didn't look like he was going to give in either, so she weighed her options.

     After a few minutes of helplessly standing in front of Keefe, she figured out a solution. There was only one person that he loved, only one person that could make him stay. And she was standing inches away from him. Inches turned into centimeters. Then their lips met and Sophie's eyes flickered closed.

     Keefe stood there, surprised, for a second and then kissed her back. It felt like her mind and heart had finally connected. The pitter-patter in her heart settled into it's normal rhythm as she melted into Keefe. Time stopped each time their lips connected. She now knew that her heart belonged to him. She was falling off the edge of the earth and she finally had someone to catch her. The whole world seemed to disappear as their kiss continued. It was just Sophie and Keefe.

     They eventually had to pull away for air. "Wow," she breathed. She had a stupid grin on her face and couldn't get her mind off of the sensations she felt during their kiss.

     Keefe breathlessly laughed. "Wow's right. You know Foster, your a good kisser."

     Sophie blushed as red as a tomato, but also squeaked out, "You too."

     "Did you just admit that I'm a good kisser?" Keefe teased with a smirk.

~ ~ ~

     Sophie and Keefe light leaped back to Havenfield hand in hand, all memories of their feud forgotten. All that mattered was them, and they knew they could do anything together. Because a team is stronger than one. Sophie knew for a fact that Team Foster-Keefe will always be cooler.