Paint Me A Better Life

Chapter Five

Tobias's POV

"I'm surprised he's not here." Tris says standing by the end of my bed. It's been two days and they're finally letting me leave.

She hasn't left. Well, only once and that's because I insisted that she go home for an hour or two. But other than that, Tris has been here. For me.

I shrug, pulling on my hoodie over the plain t-shirt they gave me.

"Don't surprise me."

"Why?"

I look up at her, as she helps get the fabric over my shoulders. Seeing that I was having difficulty doing so.

"Not that he doesn't care, he's just probably with Shauna or at some interview."

"She his girlfriend?" I nod.

"Do you have a job?" Tris asks, helping lace up my boots.

I swallow as I find for the first time that the answer to that question embarrasses me.

"Uh," I pause standing up from the small bed I'd been in for days. "not exactly."

Tris smirks as I try to make the answer simpler, or at least better than the truth.

"No, I don't. The street fighting keeps me pretty secure."

She looks up at me through her lashes, "mhm."

"What? You think I'm lying??" I question walking with her to the door.

"Oh I know you are."

"How? We just met?"

Tris laughs, the sound unlike anything I'd yet to hear in life. Something beautiful, something someone would want to hear daily.

"I met you when you were beat up to a bloody pulp because of your "job". I wouldn't call that secure. And if you had enough money, you wouldn't have to keep doing it."

Things like that, make it harder to say something back to. Because what am I going to do... deny the truth?

"You went to college?" I ask, changing the subject as we reach the parking lot.

"Yeah," She nods. "why?"

I shake my head, "No reason, just seems like you did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tris asks defensively, as she zips her sweatshirt up as the weather is quite cold.

"Nothing bad, just the way you talk I guess. It's different than me." I shrug simply.

"We've had different life experiences."

Reaching her car, I look over the car at her. "Yeah, we certainly have."

Her car is warm, as the heat runs through the vehicle. Tris's thumbs drum on the steering wheel to the beat of the music playing softly through the radio.

"You didn't have to give me a ride you know," I tell her, turning my head to face her. "could've just taken the bus or something."

She looks over at me briefly, as she slows down at a red light. She send me a look like I'm nuts or something, "I wouldn't have made you take the bus or walk home from the hospital Four."

The sound of her saying that name makes me cringe a bit, the way it sounds so foreign in her mouth.

"What do you do?" I ask, as she begins to drive again.

Turning the music down lower, so you can't even hear it now. "Like as a job you mean?"

"Yeah," I nod, looking out the window at the passing buildings. "what do you do for a living?"

"Currently, I'm part of an internship at the local art museum. It's only temporary, but hopefully it'll boost my chances when I start really trying to sell and make a life off my paintings."

My eyebrows raise at all this new information about her, "Wow."

"What?"

I shake my head, still a little surprised by it all. "Nothing, it's just I didn't expect that answer I guess."

"I mean it's great really." I add.

"Yeah," She sighs. "thank you."

"So how long you been into art?"

Tris thinks a moment, as she turns on her blinker to turn left. "Since I was little, as long as I can remember really."

I smile lightly at this.

"I loved anything that had to do with art, and everything that had to do with paint. So when I got older I knew painting was what I wanted to do. What I was passionate about."

"What did your parents think?"

"About me becoming an artist? Uh, my mother was on board, I mean she knew my love for it and she saw the beauty in my work." She answers, chewing on her bottom lip as there's more and she's trying to decide how to start telling it.

"My father was a bit different, he knew the talent I had. Just didn't think it'd be a good long term idea."

I nod along, listening contently to Tris talking.

"You'll have to show me sometime." I tell her, and she looks over at me again briefly.

"You'd actually want to see my work?" She questions, returning her gaze back to the road.

"You kidding?" I ask, leaning my elbow on the arm rest. "I'd love to see it. The way you describe it all, you must be pretty damn good."

I can see from that comment the pink rising to her cheeks, a small smile beginning to grow on her lips.

"I'll show you sometime then." Tris nods, as we approach Zeke's house. I'll be staying here for a few days, Zeke and Shauna both making me.

"Thanks for the ride." I say as she turns off the engine.

"No problem, and here." Tris digs in her pocket, taking her hand back out with a small piece of paper. "My number."

I take it. "Call me if you need anything, or for whenever you're ready to see my paintings."

She laughs again, and I realize it's me that wants to be able to hear that noise every day.

"Okay." I nod, turning to look at her. Her eyes sparkling from the sun beating down through the window.

"Thanks again, you know for everything." I say, opening the door.

"Bye Four."

Walking up the steps and entering the house I can't help but watch her pull out of the driveway and drive away until out of sight.

A smile pulling at my lips, looking down at the paper with her number. Feeling as if I'd just scored something bigger and better than the lottery or the drugs I buy. And the truth of the matter is, that I did.

A/N: Just wrote this update today! Wanted to thank you all so much for making the two years I've been here on Wattpad so wonderful and amazing. Story by story the support I've gotten has been incredible. So thank you, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Luv to all!❤️