From Here On Out

thirteen

"I know why you're lonely. It's time you knew it too."

Present Day

"I'll see you tomorrow." Al says with a warm smile.

Tris shares the same smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him in for one more kiss. "Tomorrow."

Watching him leave, Tris turns back around and shuts the door. Sitting down on the couch thinking about the next day, makes the nerves bubble inside her.

Sipping the wine that sits in her glass, her phone rings.

"Hello?" Answering still in her own head, not really focusing on what the number was.

"Hey Tris." Zeke's voice floats through the other end of the phone.

She sets her glass down on the oak coffee table in front of her, "Hey Zeke, what's going on?"

"Nothin much," He pauses. "how are the wedding jitters?"

Zeke had already rsvp'd with Shauna so Tris knows she'll see him there tomorrow.

"Not too bad," She laughs. "what made you call me up?"

It'd been a while since the two just talked on the phone, rather than in person or text.

"I uh," He clears his throat, unsure of how to say the things he wants to say.

"Zeke? Everything okay?"

"Not exactly," His deep sigh sounding louder on the line. "I know I shouldn't be calling you about this, I know that. But Tobias--"

His name makes her heart beat faster, it's her natural reaction now.

"he's drinking again."

Tris's eyes shut tightly, "How badly?"

"It's bad Tris," Zeke admits. "He won't talk to me, won't talk to nobody. Hasn't said a word to me in two weeks, and we live together!"

"When did it start?"

Zeke stays silent for a moment, "The night he got your call."

Her answer...

"You think I can do something?" Tris asks.

"I know you can Tris," Zeke tells her. "look. I really didn't want to call you, but about three hours ago when your fiancé showed up--"

"What? Al showed up at your guy's place?"

"Yeah," Zeke pauses. "you didn't know? Came by yelling at Tobias to stay away from you and punched him in the face."

"Oh god.." She breathes out.

"He came back in with blood running out his nose, and I'm sure by now his jaw's turning blue. But he came in and destroyed the place. Furniture thrown everywhere, and he just kept breaking things. I couldn't get him to talk to me at all."

"It's one of those times huh?" Tris asks, as she knows the feeling Zeke has right now. This is all too familiar to her.

"Do you think you could--"

"I'll come over."

Zeke laughs dryly, "That's uh, the other thing. He left about thirty minutes ago, I got no idea where he went."

Tris thinks for a moment, "I know where he is. I'll call you later kay?"

"Thank you Tris," He whisper. "I'm sorry."

Hanging up, her hand moves upward to cover her mouth. As the tears pierce her eyes, her mind spinning in circles as both men she share so much with... are breaking apart right in front of her.

/    /     /    /

A Year and A Half Ago

"Tobias, talk to me!" Tris exclaims, as she watches her drunk and raging boyfriend punch the mirror in the living room.

No response.

"What the hell is with you." Looking around the room at the torn couch, and flipped table.

Bottles lay everywhere, the smell of alcohol not only on his breath but drenched in the carpet.

"Why are you--" Backing her into the corner of the wall he punches a hole in the wall right next to her head making her let out a small scream.

Even with drinks clouding his mind, Tobias knows he's scaring her. And that only fuels his anger more.

/     /     /     /

Present Day

Taking the keys out of the ignition, Tris closes the door to her car and walks along the crooked pavement to the abandoned building.

The door is gone, so she walks into the shadowy room. The dusted stained glass still there, the tables laying up against the cracked walls. And the man who used to work in the same place, sits on a stool by the still stable counter.

"Don't do it." Her voice echoes as she watches him swirl the amber colored liquid in his glass.

Tobias's head lifts at the sound of Tris' voice, looking towards the doorway even in the dull light and shine of the moon he can tell she wears the same emotion on her face she did years ago whenever this happened.

Shaking his head, he looks away. "How'd you know I was here?"

His voice is empty, as Tris walks closer. Pulling up an extra stool to  sit beside him, taking off her scarf from around her neck.

"I've known you for years Tobias," She explains. "I remember the places you go in times like these."

Her freshly painted nails traces the carvings on the polished wood counter.

"What are you even doing here Tris?" He asks, his grip on his glass tightening.

Tris looks at him from the corner of her eye, "Making sure you're okay."

He snorts rudely at her answer, "What do you care?"

Tris tilts her head, "Tobias. I still care about you, nothin will ever make me stop caring and lookin out for you."

"I think your fiancé would feel differently." His remark makes her roll her eyes.

"I didn't know he was going to do that, so I'm sorry." She says, noticing the purplish mark on his jaw.

Silence hovers over them until Tris speaks up again, "How much have you had?"

Tobias shakes his head. "Don't matter."

Her hand grabs his, still resting on the wood. "It does."

Sighing he tells her, "Today? Two bottles."

Mumbling it Tris shakes her head, "Tobias."

"Don't." He snaps, taking his hand away from her grasp. "I don't want to hear it from you."

Grabbing his face in her hands, making him look at her. His skin warm to her freezing hands, "I'm going to say something I told you I don't even know how many times..."

Looking into his deep blue eyes, she sees the pain he's feeling. But masking it with booze.

"If you don't stop," She whispers. "you're gonna drink your way into a grave."

That's when he tears his face from her hold, "Better that way, then you can really live your life without me in it."

His remark sparks something inside her, something she hadn't realized fully till now... the truth.

"No." Shaking her head, Tobias looks at her.

"I don't want that Tobias, because I--" She stops herself, running a hand through her hair standing up.

"You what?" As she reaches the door frame Tobias asks her.

Turning around, she says the thing he needed to hear in that exact moment. "Because I don't want to live a life without you in it."