Inferno

Chapter 29: Meetings

You guys made me so happy with all your comments and support that I whipped this up for you. Lots of Eric interaction (though you may not like what it is.)

Things do get better, I promise.

Love you all ❤

~Caruscus

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For the past two hours I've been sobbing into Tris's shoulder. When I passed out Tobias freaked and took me into his apartment where I regained consciousness ten minutes later. They were extremely worried but once I started talking about Eric he got uncomfortable. Tris shooed him out of the room and there I told her what happened and I've been crying on her ever since.

A knock sounds on the outside of the bedroom door. "Crys?"

I sit up and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. "What?" I sniffle.

Tobias steps in and approaches the bed slowly, almost as if he's afraid of scaring a wounded animal. When I don't scuttle and hide under the bed he sits beside me on the mattress.

"I heard what you told Tris."

I feel new tears fester in my eyes but I hold them back. If I shed any more tears then I might die of dehydration.

"I'm really sorry, sis."

The tears fall down my face. I can't control it and don't stop him when Tobias pulls me back into his arms. He's strong and supportive, so much nicer and more comforting than the old Tobias I used to know.

The Eric I know is gone. He's gone and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with that bitch Jeanine and her god damn serum.

Four weeks. He lost four weeks of memories. All the progress I made with him, all the things we did together. Oh god, he saved my life and he doesn't remember it. Al's death. Going through my fears with him. All of it just--gone.

"Tobias, I think I have an idea." Tris murmurs quietly. She watches the two of us from the one side of the bed. "My parents are going to be staying with me for a while. Just until things get sorted out and Dauntless forms a new plan." She reaches over and takes my hand in hers. "I want you to stay here with Tobias until then, okay?"

"Tris, you don't have to--" I say, pulling away from Tobias.

"No, I want to be with my parents for a little bit." She leans forward and presses a kiss to Tobias's cheek quickly. I make a small gagging noise, to which Tobias just squeezes me.

"Shut up," Tris says with a smile. Then she leans forward and hugs me tightly. "I need to go make some preparations. Crystal, can I have the apartment keys?"

My face pales. "I-I left them... they're in..."

She seems to understand what I can't say. "It's okay, I'll just go talk to one of the cleaning people. They'll be able to verify that it's my apartment. Tomorrow I'll get a spare set."

She stands and rises from the bed, leaving with a small 'bye'.

Silence surrounds Tobias and I as we just sit, him holding me. It reminds me of when Marcus used to be in a particularly bad mood, and he would do awful things to Tobias and say worse things to me.

"Tobi?" I whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Our lives are fucked up, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they really are."

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Today is the day. The day where Hendricks, Ange and Lauren expect me to somehow convince the other faction leaders about change, and also to discuss what we're going to do now that Erudite has been labeled as a traitorous and untrustworthy faction. That kind of sucks when they're the brains of our factions.