Haunt

Ch. 26- Who He Is.

Eric's POV

The fear that runs across Lianna's face is clearly evident. She starts to panic, breathing hard and fast. I place both my hands on either side of her face and stare her dead in the eye.

"It is going to be okay." I say, reassuringly.

She shakes her head with doubt and moves away from touch, heading towards the door. On instinct, I grab for her. My hand catching her small, feeble wrist.

She jumps with fright and I regret my action but knowing that I couldn't help myself.

"I'll take you back."

Lianna hesitates, thinking over what I've said. I'm sure she is cautious after everything that has happened. It must be hard to be able to trust me.

I had hurt her in the past. Physically and emotionally. I would pay for that. Those were my doings, though. In all my control. But, when Bethany told me she had gone to Lianna, I was in a rage. She had no right. It is my fault, though. I made Bethany believe that we were more.

I should have made it clear to her that this wasn't a monogamous relationship. Hell, it wasn't a relationship at all, really. My efforts to gain information on Erudite were slowly but surely fading. Bethany never wanted to talk of her mother or her past life in another faction.

She craved sex more than I did and it was becoming laborious. It needed to all stop. I wanted to focus on one thing and that was Lianna. Focusing on her could maybe change me. Make me a better person and realize that there was more to this life than just taking and giving out orders.

"Eric, we need to go." Her sweet voice calls to me.

We both walk out the door. Daylight is quickly fading and a small surge of urgency passes through me. I want to get her home so that she can be safe and so that her parents won't be angry at her anymore. She did nothing wrong. Curiosity is not something to be punished for.

"What if they're there when we make it back?" She asks, picking up her pace.

I stay in stride next to her and place my hand on the small of her back. Her body tingles under my touch and I can't help but smile. She effected so easily.

"Than you will have to face them."

There is nothing else to say. The truth hurts. A thought does occur to me. Something I hadn't thought of before. I stop walking all together and Lianna looks back at me, confused.

"You're 18 now." I say.

She nods her head in agreement. "So?"

"So that means you could move out of your parents house. You don't have to be there."

It seems silly that neither one of us thought of this before. It seems even more silly that her parents would not have said something to her about it already.

Realization hits her. "I never thought about that."

"You should say something to your father. He has no right to keep you any longer."

We continue to walk along the fence and up ahead I see the glimmer of house lights. Amity is so different. So open. It makes me not want to leave. I will always be Dauntless but I will forever miss being able to see the outdoors as much.

"You're right, Eric."

In that moment, her saying those words, a trigger sets off inside me. I can't say what it is. I know, though, that I could tell her anything. That I am able to trust her. It may be because it has been so long that someone has agreed with that I forgot what that feels like.

Lianna's house is close now. We're only a few yards away. I stop and catch her before she can go any further. I take her hands in my own and pull her close. The need to feel her lips on mine devours me but I hold back.

"When things get settled, I'll come find you."

I drop my hold on her but she catches my hand again.

"Eric."

Her green eyes pear up at me with kindness. I squeeze her hand, tightly.

"Thank you." She says, and places a small kiss to the side of my cheek.

It's all I needed. I don't smile but inside I do. My face goes expressionless but I know she understands. We both let go at the same time and walk in opposite directions.

Sorry for this chapter being much shorter than the others. It's a bit more difficult to write in Eric's POV. I hope this clears things up for everyone. I tried my hardest to give as much information as I could without giving anything away.