Divergent: Before We Chose

Page Twelve

The Eatons' are not busy tonight.

In fact, Marcus comes home from work with my father with a reddened face and harsh breath. He looks flustered and angry, as if he's barely bottling up the rage that lies inside him. "That lying, cunning, pugnacious -" he begins, shrugging off his grey overcoat and tossing it into my arms, as if I am some sort of housemaid. I feel my expression sour. Marcus looks in my direction expectantly. "Wait are you standing there for?" he looks at me, bemused but still angry.

It's as if he's used to people doing things for him, especially women. Which would be strange, since he didn't have a wife anymore. I am about to voice this statement when my mother comes up behind me and puts her arms gently around my shoulders: "Beatrice, put away Mr. Eaton's coat, will you?"

I am about to say no, about to throw the coat back in the sexist man's arms, when Tobias walks in. Despite myself, something coils in my stomach, and I feel my cheeks beginning to turn pink. Before anyone notices, I scurry off to hang up Marcus's coat and go serve dinner, but not without throwing him another unimpressed look.

By the time my mother and I rush the end of the dinner preparations, Marcus is on his third decanter of red wine, slugging it back to calm himself. It isn't working. He's talking a mile a minute, still spewing out a string of abusive comments that are rude yet still professional at the same time. I am too distracted to notice who he is talking about the moment I realise the only place left at the table is the seat next to Tobias.

Internally, I scold myself, knowing this these nervous, jittery feelings that his prescence have on me are only a result of my brother's teasing. But still, as he smiles at me, discreetly, without anyone else noticing, I can't help but acknowledge the squeeze my heart gives.

"Jeanine Matthews deserves nothing worse than to be thrown out of her faction!" Marcus spits, sending food particles flying across the table towards me. He is disgusting me, but I'm not allowed to show it. He continues his rant, and I try to remember why exactly he hates the leader of Erudite. He explains for me. "How dare she state something so... so... incredulous!"

"Maybe we should talk about it later," Dad suggests in a quiet tone. Marcus listens, surprisingly, but reluctantly, taking another swig of wine. It seems he's familiar enough to our home to drink excess wine, but yet he still feels as if he should be treated as a guest at the door.

"Tell us, Tobias - how are you finding your work placement?" my mother asks, trying to clear the air. My gut tightens as the attention is drawn to Tobias who sits next to me. He is completely relaxed and at ease, not half as het-up as his father is. I ignore Caleb's sneaky smile from the other side of the table.

"Good, thank you for the enquiry, Mrs. Prior." He's smile is pleasant, but I detect something else off it. I know he must be lying. He told me he would hate working there, because he hates Abnegation, and even more so, his father. Then, he adds: "I'm learning a lot of... interesting things about our faction."

This sparks my interest. The way he said the sentence made my skin tingle in a way that made me sure that he'd phrased it that way just to tell me something. He'd found something important out.

"Thanks good," my mother smiled, unaware. "And your collegues? I hope Andrew isn't giving you a hard time." She smiles again at my Dad, who returns her grin half-heartedly. He's also worked up about the new revelations over Jeanine Matthews, but in his own reserved, private way.

"I'm getting along with them quite well, actually, despite my reputation for leaving Abnegation in the first place," Tobias answers. "In fact, I've met a girl."

Caleb's smile drops, and relief washes over me.

At least, I think it's relief.

"I need to use the bathroom," I say too suddenly, getting up quickly from the table. On my way out, I knock over the bottle of wine on the counter, and send it sprawling onto the hanger which hold's Marcus's coat.