Chapter 40- At the Ruewens

                                    

                                          
Consider the fluff an apology for being mean last chapter
Love yall and enjoy
Get ready for a bunch of fluff
Sophie woke up to the smell of something delicious wafting through her room. Blinking against the morning light, she rubbed her eyes, her thoughts immediately going to Edaline. Worry tugged at her chest, but before she could swing her legs over the bed, the door creaked open, and in walked Keefe, balancing a tray with a very exaggerated amount of care. His grin was a mix of confidence and pure Keefe mischief.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said, setting the tray down on the bed beside her. His gaze was warm as he nudged her gently, coaxing her to sit up. "Brought you a little breakfast in bed. Figured you might need it."
Sophie couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes, but the warmth that filled her chest was undeniable. She looked at the tray—pancakes stacked high, fresh berries, and a steaming mug of coffee, perfectly how she liked it. "You really went all out."
He leaned in, brows waggling. "What can I say? I'm a natural breakfast genius." His tone softened as he brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "But mostly, I knew you'd wake up worrying, so I thought I'd handle step one of 'Operation Make Sophie Smile.'"
Sophie's cheeks flushed, her voice barely a whisper. "You're... kind of amazing, you know that?"
"Yeah, but don't go telling anyone, alright?" he teased, though his eyes held that deeper warmth she could never quite put words to. "Now eat up before it gets cold."
They ended up spending most of the morning cozied up in her room, laughing over silly jokes and stealing glances. Every time she let her fingers brush his or leaned against him, he'd pull her closer, his arm draped around her shoulders in a way that made her feel entirely safe. He kept her mind off everything that had been weighing on her, even if just for a little while.
By the time they finally made their way downstairs, Sophie felt a bit of that gnawing worry about Edaline loosen its grip on her heart. Just having Keefe there made everything seem... lighter. They hadn't made it halfway down the stairs, though, when Grady appeared, giving them both a suspicious once-over—especially Keefe's arm, still resting casually around her shoulders.
"Morning," Grady greeted, his tone half-guarded, half-amused.
Sophie smiled brightly, hoping her cheeriness would hide her racing pulse. She knew Grady still wasn't totally on board with her and Keefe, but she could tell he was at least trying. Today, that mattered more than ever.
Keefe was, of course, unfazed. He flashed Grady his most charming smile. "Good morning, Mr. Ruewen. I was actually thinking I'd stick around and help out if that's alright."
Grady raised an eyebrow. "Help out?"
"Yeah," Keefe said, completely earnest. "Anything you need—extra pair of hands, whatever. Thought it might make things a bit easier while Edaline's resting."
Grady eyed him thoughtfully, then gave a small nod. "We could use an extra hand, I suppose."
Sophie's heart swelled, a warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with the breakfast or the sun filtering in. All day, Keefe found any excuse to get close to her, whether it was brushing dirt off her cheek in the garden or slipping his hand into hers whenever they were out of Grady's sight.
By early afternoon, he pulled her aside to the shed, claiming he'd forgotten something. Sophie was about to tease him when he turned to her, his hand gently cradling her cheek.
"Hey," he murmured, his thumb tracing slow, comforting circles on her jaw. "I know you're worried about Edaline, Soph. And I just... wanted to make sure you're okay."