Stoupající

1

Closing the file in front of me, I groan. There is still a whole pile of them that I have to work through today.

It's been six weeks since I have accepted my position in leadership and started training with Eric. Six weeks of never ending paper work. Six weeks of getting my ass kicked by my co-leader every morning during physical training. Six weeks since Four and I have gotten into our worst argument – about me working with Eric, of course. I know that he's afraid that Eric might find out about my Divergence. I also know, however, that my boyfriend is simply jealous and doesn't want me to spend so much time around his nemesis.

A knock on my door breaks me out of my thoughts. I almost groan again. Speak of the devil.

"Four," I greet, "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have a minute?" he asks, nervously scratching his neck. Behind him, across the hallway, I can see Eric looking up from his own pile of paper work, raising his pierced eyebrow.

"I'm busy," I answer, "Can we do this later?"

Or never, I silently add.

"Please, Tris," he begs, "I really need you to hear me out."

I sigh and nod toward the door. Eric raises his second eyebrow and I roll my eyes at him while Four closes the door behind him.

I get up and step around my desk before casually leaning against it.

"So," he starts and I already know that I'm not going to like his next words, "Did you tell him?"

I furrow my brows. "Tell who what?"

I know exactly what he is asking me but I want to give him the chance to not repeat what we once again talked – or rather, screamed – about last night.

"Eric," he continues completely oblivious, "Did you tell him that you want to switch jobs?"

I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"No? I told you, I won't quit. I love this job. I like being part of leadership."

"For fuck's sake, Tris," he curses, ruffling his hair in exasperation, "The more time you spend with him the higher the risk that he finds out about you. He will kill you. Or hand you over. I'm trying to protect you here."

"No, you're trying to control me," I counter, getting angrier by the second, "Because if you're being honest, worrying about my safety is not your only reason."

He stays quiet and it's all the confirmation I need.

"Please, just go," I sigh, "I can't do this anymore. You and I – we aren't working. Not anymore."

"Well, we would still have a chance if we actually worked through our problems," he snaps, "but for that you'd have to spend more time with me and less with Eric."

My mouth falls open.

"You really want to blame this on Eric?" I half shout.

"Well, you are spending an awful lot of time with him," he continues, "Every morning two hours of training, then eight hours of work. Lunch breaks. I hardly get to see you anymore. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're already replacing me."

"With Eric?"

"I've heard my name twice now," Eric barks from across the hall, "Either stop talking about me or open the fucking door!"

"You know what," I say to Four, completely ignoring the idiot in the other office who only wants to provoke anyway. "You work in the control room. If there was something going on between me and Eric you would've seen it."