A Different Divergent: A Better Tomorrow

~seventy-nine~

Chapter 79

I adjust Peanut in her sling as my feet slowly carry me down the long, steep, winding path toward the Pit. Tobias thoughtfully let me sleep for about an hour this afternoon then I freshened up for our meeting with Bobby Ridinger's parents. We've been careful not to touch each other since I fell asleep in his arms earlier. The temptation is just too great but I'm craving his contact so I reach out and take his hand in mine. After a couple steps I sneak a peek up at him, and he's looking down at me.

"I need to apologize about earlier," I say. "You didn't make me cry ... the stupid hormones did. You know, no one ever told me that the irrational ups and downs I had throughout the pregnancy would plague me long afterwards. A warning would have been nice." He chuckles at my comment, probably secretly agreeing with me.

"You don't have to apologize," he says. "I should have laid down with you to begin with, saved you the tears and me the ..."

"Distress?"

"No heartache," he says as a frown overtakes his beautiful face. I hate that I'm the one who put it there. "Seeing you with tears in your eyes is always hard but knowing I'm the one who put them there was gut-wrenching." It always amazes me how much we think alike. I look around us but see no one following or approaching.

"I wanted you. That's why the tears came. It wasn't your fault or mine," I quietly say, color flooding my cheeks for being so bold in public. "Do you have an idea of a different way we can work off these ... feelings? I don't want to keep doing this."

"Well short of moving into separate apartments ..."

"Not an option."

"Separate bedrooms?" I emphatically shake my head no. Hell, I'd end up a walking zombie. My sleep isn't refreshing without him by my side. Suddenly his eyes light up. "The training room! We both need to take an hour a day and go to the training room to work off this ... excess energy."

"Not a bad idea, Mr. Eaton," I say. "Maybe I should stop by the infirmary after our meeting and get it okayed with Zander or Isobel if she happens to be there. I've been feeling really good, and I wouldn't want to hurt anything."

"You jumped on and off a train," he says. "I'm sure that beating the hell out of a punching bag would be fine."

"I'd still like to ask. The last time I talked to Isobel she said no exercise until my next appointment," I say.

"I must have missed that," he says.

"I think we were both sleep walking that day," I say with a giggle.

"God, I love that sound," he mumbles. He hesitates for a moment then drapes his arm over my shoulder and kisses my temple. I put my arm around his waist and cuddle into his side.

"How's our little Peanut doing?" Tobias asks as we stop outside the door of the daycare center. He peeks inside the sling at our sleeping daughter.

"She's got her belly full so she content just sleeping against her mommy's chest," I say, caressing her plump little cheek causing her lips to curl up in a smile.

"She's so stinking cute," he says. He's not wrong about that.

"Are you ready for this?" I ask. He takes a deep breath and blows it out.

"Even if I wasn't, it needs to be done," he says. "I'm tired of this boy making Tyler feel bad about himself. It stops today." He gives me a quick kiss then opens the door for me.

"Thank you," I say.

"Hello, Four, Tris, oh and little Miss Teagan," Mrs. Wheeler says as she comes down the hallway. "Jennifer Chaucer is waiting for us in my office."