Don't Go Away - Divergent Eric/ Four x OC

Chapter 17 - Eric's POV

I watched her run off and went to chase after her but thought better of it. The last thing I wanted to come across like was an over protective boyfriend who wasn't actually her boyfriend. I just felt this deep need to protect her.

I don't know why....I had never felt like that about anyone before. I generally despised the initiates. Well for the past two years I had done...but she was different. I don't know what it was. Her curled brunette hair bounced in a high ponytail as she ran off, following her brother.

I turned and walked in the opposite direction, towards my family home. The house in Erudite were small, white washed buildings with high ceilings and lots of glass. I pushed open the front door and called out.

"Mom??"

She came round the corner, her eyes wide.

"Eric?!" the lines around her eyes were deeper than the last time I had seen her. "What on earth are you doing here?!" she asked, pulling me down to her level and embracing me.

"I needed to speak with you....urgently."

She nodded and led the way into the living room. She took a seat and I sat opposite her.

"What's troubling you my son? You would not be in Eruidite if something wasn't on your mind."

I took a deep breath. I had lied to Aria before when I said I had spoken to my mother about her memory. I hadn't been able to find the words so I never came. I never spoke to her.

"Well....I guess I should start with Aria."

My mother looked up but looked unfased..."It always starts with a girl..." she smiled and I smiled weakly back.

"Well...she is a new transfer....Amity born. During her training some...details of her past came out and um...."

I felt my mothers hand on top of my own and looked at her.

"I know...." she muttered.

So she did know....what I had said to Aria wasn't a total lie.

She took a deep breath and fixed her skirt.

"When you were about 6 or 7 your father was out every night. I wasn't stupid. I knew where he was going...I just didn't know where or who with. At the time a young lady by the name of Jeanine Matthews had just started within leadership. She was young - only 25 maybe? But it was instantly apparently that your father took a liking to her. And she saw him as a way to the top, you know how respected your father is in this community."

I nodded and encouraged her to go on.

"Well I turned a blind eye. You would occupy me most days and your sister was only toddling so the pair of you kept me sane. One night he came in, drunk and told me everything. I didn't believe him. You know how good he is at making up stories. But then about a week later I heard him come in at about 2 in the morning. It was winter and he was covered in mud. You know as well as I do there's no where in Erudite with enough land to get dirty. He had been out to the Amity fields to meet with her. Only something had gone wrong. A child had caught them and had heard their conversation. The child ran away and your father followed. He needed to make sure she wouldn't tell anyone. I don't think he actually wanted to harm her but I just don't know anymore. Anyway, the girls father was out looking for her. They are very casual with discipline in the Amity faction and she had gone out looking for rabbits or something I seem to remember it was reported as. The child vanished and her father accused Frey of hurting her as she normally always came home when her name was called. They got into a scuffle and her father fell into some farming equipment and it pierced his heart."