Lost

23

Tobias POV
Tris is asleep.
We're on a Central Park bench, and she lays on my lap. I wasn't sure what to do. When I gently pulled out her phone to call a friend, I took note of how easy it would be to grab her purse and run. But I can't-and won't- do that. So, when I pull out the phone, ignoring her wallet, I look for the recent contacts. Christina Gold. How coincidental that her best friend is Christina Gold. The One I robbed.
"Hello?" I ask into the phone.
Christina answers, "Tris? Is that you?"
"No, it's her friend" I say, "I wanted to ask if you were busy right now?"
"Why?" she asks, curious.
"There's something wrong with Tris. She's acting childish, and a bit drunk"
There's a long silence.
"Was she in the sun?"
"Yes"
"Was she wearing a sweater or something?"
I look down at her, seeing her sweatshirt is still on.
"Yes" I reply.
"Of course. Tris has heat stroke" Christina says.
"Is it bad?"
"No, she gets it often" Christina says, then in a joking manner, "Since the stubborn thing just refuses to take off her sweatshirt. Just keep her in the cold, away from sun. She'll be alright. If you need anything, call me
again"
Christina then hangs up. I sigh, and carefully slip the phone back into the purse.
The purse I could've stolen from, yet I chose not to. Tris leaving her purse unattended should make my job easy. But I just can't betray her.
I hook my arm under Tris' leg and another hand holding her up from the back.
I carry her into a jewelry store, the closest store to us, with air conditioning.
"She needs to rest here, she's too hot" I explained to the shopkeeper. He agrees, letting me stay for ten minutes.
While she rests, I look around the store. There could be something of value to steal, that I could later use instead of stealing from Tris.
Then something catches my eye. A ring, a beautiful ring. With a crystal clear diamond. It's so beautiful.
I imagine it around Tris'- no. She's with Al. That can't happen.
I tear my eyes away from the ring and look at Tris, who is waking up.
"You okay?" I ask, walking towards her.
"I think so. What happened?"
"Heat stroke, I think"
"Ugh. That."she says, rolling her eyes.
"Here, I'll hold your sweater for you" I say, offering an outstretched hand.
She pulls back, "It's okay. I'll keep it on"
"Tris, I don't want you to get heat stroke again" I say.
"I'm just going home. I'll be fine" she says.
"I'll take you" I immediately say.
She smiles, "I'd like that"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thank you" she says, as we near her hotel room, "For taking me"
"I wouldn't would be a very good gentleman if I didn't, now would I?"
She giggles, "I suppose not"
"Tris!" someone else yells. I turn my head, expecting to be face-to-face with Al, but rather, it's Christina. She nears us, and whistles, "Is this your friend?"
Tris smiles, "Yeah, Christina, this is Tobias"
Christina's eyes immediately widen, "The Tobias? From...."
"Yeah" she says, lifting her eyebrows, "This is him"
"Is he the one who called me?"
Tris faces me, "You called her? I thought you didn't have a phone."
"I used yours" I shrug.
She rolls her eyes, and I'm glad she shrugs it off, not making a big deal of it. I've dealt with girls who make a fit of the tiniest things, so I'm
glad I met Tris instead.
"You okay, Tris?" Christina asks.
"Yeah. Just tired"
"Okay. Let's get some rest. Wait in the lobby, Tobias" Christina say, "We need some girl time"
I nod, smiling, and sit in a pchair.
I hate admit of to myself, but I still like Tris.
Then I realized I never stopped liking her.
Tris Prior POV
"Can we trust him?" I'd the first thing Christina asks when we close the door.
"Christina, of course" I say.
"Well, you know, people change" she argues.
"Yes. But some qualities you never lose" I try to explain.
She lies me down on her own bed. Yes, we decided to stray from Al's hotel and stay at Christina's. Al had asked me not to see Tobias, and yet, I did. I did and he was guide to New York City and I wouldn't regret any of it. 
"So, are those burns ever going away?"
"I hope so. I've been rubbing scar cream on it, it says they'll vanish in two to three months" I say.
"Speaking of that: did you tell him?"
"Huh?" I ask.
"Tell Tobias. About Al"
"No. I don't want him to know. I don't want him to think I'm weak"
"You're not weak, Tris-"
"I can't fight back! I don't even try to fight back"
"Oh. Tris-"
"See. You know it too. I'm a weak"
"I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say that. I was going to say, may be that's what you were before. But Tobias can-and will-change you. I think you should be with him"
"Romantically? Christina, if Al-"
"Al, Al, Al. That's all I ever hear. 'I can't go because Al said so'"
"Christina-"
"Don't you think it's time that you break those chains tied around your wrist and just do what you want?"
I stare down at my lap, and think of how those chains were always wrapped around my wrist. My brother was the one to clip them on.
Then he lent them to Al.
I sigh, "I can't. You don't understand. I just can't"
There's a beat of silence between us.
"You get some rest" she says,
"I'll be back"
And she goes out the door.
Tobias POV
I see Christina emerge from the elevator and I plant my feet into the ground.
"Hey" Christina says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Hello" I say awkwardly.
She takes a deep breath, "Okay. There's something I have to tell you about Tris. She doesn't want you to know this, but I think you need to"
I lean in closer, because her voice level lowers.
"Tris.....is a broken women. Like you, she's been 'mistreated' throughout her life"
The first thing that comes into my head is how much I wish Al could explode from the face of the earth. The second is, how did Christina know I was abused? Third, I realized she must've read the book Tris wrote.
I nod for her to continue, "Mostly verbally, so she's very self-conscious. Occasionally physically. But that ones rare"
"So Al was there her whole life?"
"No, first it was her brother" she says.
It takes me nearly a second to recall what Tris had told me on our journey. How her brother would yell at her. My eyes flick up to Christina's, and she shifts, "I just wanted you be aware of that. Don't tell Tris I told you though"
"Don't worry. I won't."
"Can you watch her? I have some promo to do, I don't want her to wake up alone"
"You're a good friend Christina" I say, "I'll do it"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAILENE DIANN WOODLEY.
Sorry it wasn't a birthday chap, I meant to post on Friday, in honor of the trailer release, but I did pod one chap on Fanfiction.net (which if you haven't checked that out, I highly recommend that you check me out I do FourTris. I'm Booknrd187)
So, yeah.
Till next time.
Isi