Haunt

Ch. 23- Innocence

Lianna's POV

Eric's dark blue eyes bore into my own. For a short second, there is silence throughout the whole building. I collect my thoughts before speaking. Whatever comes next is inevitable.

"Y-yes."

What else can I say? There's no denying the truth and Eric sees through any lie. I would dig my own grave to not answer with full honesty.

He releases my arm to only cross his over his chest. He continues to look at me with disdain. I take a slight step back but only to be followed.

"Why did you leave, Lianna?"

I roll my eyes down to the floor, hoping to find clarity in the dirt and disarray. Do I tell him what I saw? Would Four be in trouble for showing me? Does any of it really even matter?

I take an exasperated sigh and finally answer him. "I know you lied to me, Eric. I know and it's nobody's fault but my own. It was silly of me to come with you in the first place."

Bringing my eyes up to him, I find a face of confusion staring back down at me. He couldn't possibly be doing this again...where he acts like he doesn't remember the wrong he's done.

"What did Four tell you?" Eric's tone is serious. The same tone that he uses when giving out warnings.

"It's what he showed me."

This just confuses him more. How could he not know what I'm speaking of. He's a fairly smart individual. Unless, he honestly thinks that Four wouldn't find out about him and Bethany...that Four wouldn't even think to use that against him.

Eric once again takes hold of my arm, this time using much more force. I crane my neck back to look up at him. He grinds his words together with his teeth.

"What did he show you, exactly?"

I take no hesitating moment.

"You."

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Eric's POV

Me?

The green eyes that stare up at me know something that they shouldn't. What did Four show her?

"Lianna, what did Four show you?"

She takes a hesitant breath and tears her eyes away from me again and turns her face towards the ground.

"It was you....and you were with that girl."

No.

No. This couldn't possibly be what I think it is. That bastard, Four. He knows nothing. And neither does she.

Lianna glances up in my direction and I try to calm myself from the impending rage that flares inside me.

"Lianna." I call out.

"Remember what I said about you shouldn't speak of things you know nothing about?"

She says nothing.

I put more pressure to the arm I hold and she winces in pain, slightly.

"Answer me."

"I remember."

I bring my head down to hers, placing my lips to her ear.

"Don't think that this is any different."

****************************************************************************

Everything she said was true. What she knows, I can't say otherwise. What she saw is what happened. But somehow I have to convince her that it is not what it seemed. It's a dirty game we play in Dauntless. Sometimes you do what you don't want to, to achieve goals that you might not have been able to do before.

Bethany was and is apart of that. Her mother, Jeanine Matthews, rules over Erudite now. I'm aware of her plans to take the faction system little by little. It is only a matter of time before everyone else becomes slaves to the system. I had to get information. It seemed like the best option to go after her own daughter.

Yes, I slept with her and kept up the casual game of her and I being attracted to one another. But that isn't real. That is a card to play to get to the bigger picture.

Lianna, though. She is the real gamble.

It was my mistake to bring her to Dauntless without knowing her well enough or to think matters through first. I underestimated Four when I knew better all along.

And now, as I sit and stare at the house that holds this mysterious girl, I wonder why I make the choices that I do.

I watch as she stares back at me. It's a wonder that I didn't scare her away this afternoon. There was nothing I could do, though. Amity is surrounded by more Dauntless guards than I could handle by myself. I don't need to make a scene and ruin everything that I've worked for.

How do I get to her now? How do I make her trust me? How do I make her mine?

I want so badly to be close to her but the closer I get, the farther we are torn apart. This attraction came on suddenly and forcefully.

How do I fix this?

And then suddenly, it occurs to me that the only way to prove my innocence to her, is for her to talk to the person that brought her back in the first place.

I stand and begin walking back to the Dauntless set up.

I think it's time that Four and I had a little heart to heart.

This chapter was a pain in the butt to write. I wrote about three different versions until I finally settled on this one. I think it is important that you all be able to see Eric's side of things. He's a strange one, for sure. I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be updating shortly! Comment and Vote!