Tobias - after Allegiant ✔

36

The hours after she leaves, I just sit on the couch with my head in my hands. I can't face the truth of her words yet. Right now I just wish she was here, she was here with me to help me. But she isn't and she not going to be for a while.

A knock on the door brings me back to reality. I sigh, stand up and open the door. Evelyn is waiting for me on the other side.

"You have a key," I say. "You always use it and walk in without telling me about it. What's different about this time?"

"Well, I didn't want to walk in on expressions of love, so I knocked. How are you doing?"

I lean against the door. "The 'expressions of love' are not going to happen for a while."

She frowns. "What's going on, Tobias?"

"Tris left."

"She left?" Evelyn's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "She... broke up?"

"According to her - no."

I sigh and let her in, not wanting to have this conversation in the doorway, where everyone can hear us. Evelyn walks over to the couch and sits down. I walk after her, but keep standing. She looks at me expectantly and I sigh again.

"She said I needed to learn how to take care of myself," I say, rolling my eyes. "Something about how I became so dependent of her. She's staying somewhere else for a while."

"Smart girl," says Evelyn.

"What? You're choosing her side now?" I ask angry. "After all the hate between you two, you're choosing her?"

"Actually, I am," she says, nodding. "Didn't you tell me once that she had an aptitude for Erudite as well?"

I nod.

"She knows what's going on in your head. She knows you like nobody else does. And after you told me she is smart, you still don't trust her judgement?"

"I can take care of myself. I really can."

"Then show me! Show me, and she'll come back. And you started off really bad, because you haven't eaten already on your first day without her."

"Can you please leave the house?" I say.

"I don't think you realize what I'm saying," she says with squinted eyes. "I'm telling you what you need to do to get her back, and you're just full out ignoring it."

"Yeah, sure, I'll do what you said. Now leave the house."

She sighs and shakes her head at me. "This is going to be a long time."

Then she stands and leaves.

One sentence keeps repeating itself in my head. Show me and she'll come back. Show me and she'll come back.
Tris has contacted my mother. Clever. But if she wants to play the game like this, I do too. I'll get the help of Caleb. But first I'll go to Evelyn's apartment. If Tris contacted her, there is a chance she's there. I walk to the elevator of the building to the tenth floor. Just like Evelyn has the key of my apartment, I have the key of hers.
"Now you can come in whenever you need someone to talk to," she said when she gave me it. I never did, but now I'm glad she gave me that opportunity.

My mother sits in a lazy chair, knitting. When she was still in Abnegation, she used to knit scarfs for neighborhood children. I didn't think I would see her doing this again.

"She's not here," she says without looking up.

"I'm going to search this whole place," I say.

"Be my guest."