Learning to Let Them In | Fourtris

Chapter 39

Tris's POV

"Welcome home, Cal."

We don't let go for a long time. I take my time breathing his scent in and memorizing him again.

"2 years was 2 years too long," he mumbles.

"I can second that," I say.

"So Bea wasn't going crazy when she told me you were alive," Tori says from behind us.

Caleb laughs and sets me down. "No, she wasn't. You're stuck with me for good now."

Tori tearily laughs and hugs Caleb. "My little Caleb is finally home."

I smile as I watch them reunite. I turn my head to Tobias who sits on the arm of the couch, jaw dropped. I walk over to him and smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I wanted to so bad, especially that night in Haviland."

I sit myself on his lap and wrap my arms gently around him. His arms come around me as well, holding me in place.

"This is the letter you went to go get?" he asks.

I nod. "Yes."

He sighs. "Well, you've successfully made me feel like the biggest ass in the world. I'm so sorry."

I shake my head. "You had every right to be mad; what I did was uncalled for."

"It still doesn't mean I should lose my head like that."

"And neither should have I."

"And who is this?" Caleb asks accusingly.

At a leisurely pace, I get up off of Tobias and take his hand, pulling him up too. I lace our fingers together.

"Caleb, this is Four, my boyfriend. Four, this is Caleb, my brother."

"Wait. So you're telling me that all the trouble I went to to get here early doesn't even have a purpose anymore?"

I smile sheepishly. "I may have forgotten to mention that to you."

He smiles back. "It's okay as long as you're happy." He sticks out his hand and makes eye contact with the boy holding my hand. They shake hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Caleb."

"And the same goes to you, Four."

They let go of each other's hands. We all look at Caleb. He sighs.

"I guess it's time for me to explain," he says.

"I think it is," Tori replies.

I sit between Caleb and Tobias, Caleb on my left and Tobias on my right. Caleb just got done explaining everything he told me already. Tori is the first to speak.

"I still can't believe you were so close to us…."

He sighs. "Trust me, to get up and walk away from you guys was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And it probably always will be."

"I imagine so."

"You're taking this really well," he states, surprised.

"Why wouldn't I? Someone I love just came back from the dead! I've missed you so much! How could I get mad?"

I feel myself blush and Caleb playfully throws one arm around me. I roll my eyes as he ruffles my hair.

"Well, this one here didn't see it that way."

"What'd she do?" Tobias laughs as Tori exclaims, "Beatrice!"

"She yelled at me for a good long while. She couldn't believe that I would do something like that to her. She saw my choosing to leave as a choice of abandonment instead of protection."