Eaton

17. Guilt Flood

Tris p.o.v.

That night I toss and turn around in my bed, unable to fall asleep. Not completely anyway. My mind kept wandering back to Tobias. How long has it been going on? How often does it happen? Shush Tris, you don't even know if it's true yet. I tried to comfort myself, saying that it couldn't possibly be true, I was just letting my imagination get the best of me. But I knew it was not the case. Marcus hit him. Marcus hits him. Then, like a tsunami of realization, I remembered the glare Marcus gave him, and the fear so clear in Tobias. Oh no! What happened to him after we left? How could I have been so stupid as to yell at him? I probably got him in so much trouble, Well done Tris!

I sigh and sit up in bed. I'm not going to get any sleep anyway. Then a sudden thought strikes me, I have to help him. I have to get him away from Marcus. We have to arrest Marcus, he can't go on abusing his son and just expect us all to stand and watch. I have to help him! God why can't time pass any faster?

Tobias p.o.v.

I am awakened by the blaring sound of my alarm. As I shift in bed to try and turn it off, pain shoots in from everywhere. My sides, my torso, especially my back. Oh God my back. I bite my lip to keep from crying out and, with tears in my eyes, use my wrists to try and turn over. I finally do and switch off the deafening horn. Seven a.m. I have to get up for school. Slowly and carefully I sit up in my bed. I wish, just once, I could have a day off. From school, from Marcus, from this life. All I ask for is a few hours away from it all. I stand up, biting my lip to keep from making any noise. God forbid I wake up my father, although knowing him, he's probably been up for hours. I pull the sheets straight and grab my bag. From the kitchen, I grab a piece and an apple. Off to school.

Marcus p.o.v.

I sip on my coffee as I go over the minutes of my last council meeting. I need to make a decision but I can't focus. All I can think about is Tobias' blood on my knuckles. How could I have been so cruel? I... he messed up. He got in a fight with the Prior's daughter after for so many years I've told him to be quiet and disappear. It's not that I don't want him around, I need to teach him that the fewer imprints he leaves the better. That way people have nothing to use against him.

Really Marcus? You can lie to the state but you can't lie to yourself.

He needed to learn. He'd just spent the night at the Priors and this was his way of thanking them? Unacceptable. He needs to understand that what he did was wrong and the only way I can show him that is through pain. I know my son, If I just tell him something it will bounce right off his head. But if I show him something he'll remember. I'm helping him. I know it.

Liar.

Might as well head to the office. If I'm going to spend the entire day feeling like my insides are being eaten away by guilt... I might as well head to the office and attempt to distract myself.

Will p.o.v

I wake up earlier than usual. I can't sleep, not with the immense disappointment I have for myself. I came here to protect him. The entire reason for going to the course, for leaving Florida, it was all to stop precisely this from happening. And what do I do? Head over to my girlfriend's house and let my nephew get beaten to a pulp while we split a pizza. Nice going Will. That's it. From now on I'm not leaving him alone. Wherever I go, he goes. From now on, Marcus will have to go through me first.