Bare Hands (Sequel To No Sympathy)

Regroup

Sure enough, everyone is here. I don't know what's more surprising; the fact that Evelyn was telling the truth, or the fact that I hadn't believed her even after everything else she said came true.

Zeke greets me with a bone-crushing hug.

"Man I thought you died! I waited for you to come out but you never did, at least not the way I was standing bt, so I thought the best thing for me to do would be to leave." His words were rushed, like if he said it any slower I wouldn't forgive him.

But even though I was a little hurt by him leaving me behind, I was even more mad at myself for forgetting to meet him.

"It's alright. Don't sweat it, I'm okay." I tried giving him a smile but I don't think it was very effective.

"I take it you got her out okay?" He said, subconsciously being the first one to acknowledge Tris's presence beside me. It seemed that Peter had slunk into the shadows.

"Yeah,and thank God for it." I had the certain impulse to kiss her but decided to wait until we were alone.

After a few more minutes of small talk with Zeke, I choose to go find a house for us to stay in that isn't run down or destroyed. Tris decides to make sure all her friends are here. She's starting to look very glum. My best guess as to why has to be that she's remembering her parents. I decide to let her be. I'll talk to her later.

I leave the house we first walked into and without realizing it, find myself gravitating towards my house. Marcus's house.

Knowing that I won't let myself sleep anywhere else, despite the memories, I go inside.

It looks and smells the exact same way and just for a second I let myself believe that he's home, and that if I don't get in my room fast enough, he'll come out of his and beat me more.

But I know this is not true.

I know I'm not that little Abnegation boy anymore and that I've accepted my past but have also set the record straight. I don't need to be afraid of him anymore.

I need to stop being afraid of myself.

I got straight to my room, and when I enter, it feels like all of my tears, my pain come rushing back at me and I stumble back a few steps.

Shaking my head to clear it, step into the room again and go over to my bed. The sheets are made nicely, just like Marcus would've liked. He probably hasn't touched them since the last time I made it - the day of the Choosing Ceremony.

Tired of letting him have hi s way and deiscarding the fact that he could come back at any moment, I yank the sheet off of the bed and throw it to the floor alongside my empty chest. It was once full of prized possessions my mom and I had gathered up, that is, until Marcus discovered it. Now they're all gone.

Except for one.

I go over to my dresser drawer, the only one that's locked, and start feeling for where I put the key all those years ago.

I then unlock the drawer.

And there it is: The blue porcelain dove in all its glory.

I still remember the exact day my mom gave it to me. It was a particularly bad day for me. Marcus had beat me first thing in the morning but he'd left for work by the time my mom came in the room. She had something behind her back I'd noticed right away, although I didn't know what it was at the time.

She said nothing as she brought it to me and sat on my bed. We inspected it together, trying to make sense of it.

It is the most prized possession I own.

I thank God I had it somewhere else when Marcus came in and destroyed everything in the chest.

I pick it up and examine it. It looks just as I remembered, and I am very grateful for that.

Suddenly, my door opens and I nearly drop it on the floor.

I whirl around ready to tell Marcus to get out, but when I look at the door.

It's not Marcus.

It's Tris.

She eyes the object in my hand.

"What's that?" She asks.

"Something my mom gave me."

Her face seems to soften at that. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah...i guess. You?"

She nods but I see the sadness in her eyes.

I wish there was something to do to help her but I don't see any solutions that would end on new being happy.

So I go up to bet a kiss her.

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I'm so sorry for taking a really long time to update.... 😢 please forgive me. Hope you enjoy