The Distance Between Us | Eric Coulter

twenty-four

To say I was in an amazing mood, while not inaccurate, felt like a little bit of an understatement.

I felt like I was walking on air as I skipped my way to the dining hall for lunch, earning myself a couple of weird glances, but even that couldn't bring my mood down. I was that fucking ecstatic.

The look on Eric's face, when I caught a glimpse of him after the game ended, was downright murderous, which brought me so much joy I almost threw my head back to laugh in a classic evil-villain moment right then and there.

Humming a cheerful tune under my breath, I plop down across from Zeke and Shauna, and beside Four at our usual table.

Zeke's face twists into a look of confusion the moment he sees me and points his fork at me, "You were up to no good, weren't you?"

"Me? Never!" I say feigning innocence that makes Four scoff and Zeke roll his eyes.

"I heard you won the game for your team last night!" Shauna leans in excitedly, "People are saying that it's the fastest game has ever been won. How the hell did you manage that?"

This time, I do throw my head back in one of those evil-villain laughs- and for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I found the fact that I managed to get two orgasms out and still win the game in record time absolutely hilarious. And secondly, the look of admiration on Shauna's face was less than justified because what Eric and I did was less admirable and more downright dirty.

Zeke frowns at me, "Not gonna lie, you kind of scare me sometimes."

"Which is why she's amazing," Shauna tells him, leaning across the table towards me. "Now, tell me everything!"

With a smirk, I lean closer, cupping my hands around my mouth as I whisper into her ear, telling her everything- but not going into the raunchy details too much.

Shauna throws her head back, not unlike how I did before, and lets out a loud laugh that draws curious looks from the people around us. "Oh my god! That is fucking gold!"

Zeke and Four exchange a look before Four turns to us, "Care to share with the class?"

Shauna wags a finger at him in return, "Uh-uh, it's girl talk! You guys don't need to know."

I nod in agreement, "Our little secret."

"But I'm your boyfriend," Zeke protests but Shauna's not having any of it.

"No exceptions! This stays between Rory and I."

My senses prickle as I feel a tall body stop behind me and I can already guess who it is judging by the silence that descends on our table...that is until a laugh that Shauna has been holding back slips past her lips the moment she catches a glimpse of Eric's face.

I turn to see that he has his features pulled taut into a scowl directed right at Shauna, who can't seem to contain her laughter.

Her laugh was apparently contagious, because the next thing I knew, I was doubled over the table, laughing so hard I felt as if I was about to throw up everything I'd just eaten.

The boys look on at us; Eric, looking none too pleased, and Zeke and Four, as if we'd just lost our goddamn minds.

"What the fuck is up with you two?" Zeke asks, which only makes us laugh harder.

"Pedrad, if you were smart, you'll get your girlfriend under control right now," Eric warns lowly and I snort.

"Oh, please. She's his girlfriend, not his dog. He doesn't own her, Eric."

Suddenly, his hand sweeps down to grip my arm- not to the point of pain, but firm enough so I can't wriggle out of it- and he pulls me to my feet, whirling me around to face him.

"Maybe not, but you...you are mine," He growls lowly, his voice carrying an underlying warning.

I hum thoughtfully, "Really? That's not how it seemed last night."

He narrows his eyes at me, looking like he's close to blowing an artery.

"I would sleep with one eye open if I were you, Rory. Mark my words, I'll get you back."

I hold my hand up to shut him up, "Oh, please. Save me the speech. I'm not scared of you, Eric."

His voice deepens warningly, "You should be."

I roll my eyes again as I watch him stalk away from our table. It was only then that I realised that we had become a nice mealtime entertainment for the other Dauntless members.

"What the hell are you looking at?" I snapped in annoyance at our neighbouring table, who were in all ears and Shauna snickers.

"Fuck, babes," She whistles, "I know we're supposed to hate him, but damn, that was hot."

Zeke shot Shauna a look but leaned forward towards me, "I thought you said you guys already cleared things up? Doesn't look like anything has changed to me."

"That's because clearing the air doesn't change the fact that he's still a fucking asshole," I returned, chomping down on the croutons in my salad I'd been picking out.

"Not arguing with you there," Four mutters as he continues digging into his meal. Though he doesn't seem like it, the dude can't hide the fact that he's just as big of a gossip as the rest of us are.

"So, the war continues," Zeke drawls with a sigh, "Don't you ever get tired of it?"

I smile at him, "Not at fucking all," I reply cheerfully, "I actually quite enjoy it."

Zeke pulls a face, "This isn't some kind of weird-ass foreplay, is it?" He asks, looking a little green, "Because if it is, I refuse to be your accomplice any more."

"It's not!" I deny it immediately. Though, if I were being honest, my fights with Eric did kind of feel like it. "I just enjoy messing with him."

Shauna gives me a doubtful look but I ignore it. Feeling someone's gaze on me, I turn to meet Eric's withering glare with a sparkling smile and wave my fingers at him.

I notice just then that Emily enters the cafeteria, keeping wide berth of Eric even though it looks like she wants to approach him. I narrow my eyes. I wonder what happened there.

Four lets out a laugh, drawing my eyes back to him and I find him shaking his head at me.

"What?" I snap at him, which makes him laugh a little more.

"You're obsessed," He states.

My jaw slackens in offence, "I am not!"

Four raises a brow at me, "Oh, so you get to call me out on my supposed obsession and I don't get to do the same for you?"

I point a finger at him, "Are you admitting to it?"

His face falls, "That's not what I said."

I smirk at that, "But you're acknowledging how it looks."

"You're ridiculous."

"And you're being defensive," I shot back.

Just as I see Four's mouth part to argue further, Shauna cuts in, "Alright, you're both obsessed. And don't even think of arguing with me."

I'm so not obsessed. I cross my arms, leaning back in my seat. I wasn't going to say it out loud though, because knowing Shauna, she was going to be relentless in her arguments.

Turning my head, my eyes search out Eric again on their own accord and I find him, still settled comfortably at the empty table in the far corner. This time though, his steely glare wasn't focused on me, but on Four instead.

I just knew that the reason for his animosity was because he'd witnessed our bantering, and I'd be lying if I said his possessiveness didn't make my heart flutter a little in my chest...Well, fuck. I'm fucking screwed, aren't I?