Red

38

"Tris," I hear a whisper in my ear. "Wake up, darlin."

I flutter my eyes open and remember where I am, and that was with Van, right where I wanted to be. "Hmm?" I groan, snuggling deeper into his side. I didn't want him to say we needed to leave. I liked being in the forest, the sound of waterfall relaxing me, and being alone with Van.

"You fell asleep for a while. I think we should head back to the plane, but I want you to wash off first," he explains to me. I didn't even remember falling asleep. I don't know how I did since I had so many things on my mind, most of them being Mike, but part of me couldn't stop thinking about Van.

"How long was I asleep?" I ask curiously. I tilt my head up, still leaning on his chest, and look up at him.

"Not long," he says. "I only heard you start snoring maybe twenty minutes ago," he messes with me.

"I don't snore," I pout, adjusting myself on his lap so I could more properly look at him.

It was hard to keep my eyes open. I wasn't sure what time it was, but it had to be at least 4:00 a.m.. Definitely past the time I would usually go to sleep, or the time Van would make me go to sleep.

Van runs his thumb under my eye. "Well, we'll argue about that later. But you're tied," he says with a faint smile on his face.

"No, I'm not," I frown. There was no need for me to be arguing with him, he was right, and the yawn I let out after I spoke didn't help convince him at all. But I did anyway.

"Say that one more time," he says. "This time, without the yawn, sleepyhead," he adds with a cocky smirk. He already knew he had won this, he always wins our arguments, even if they're as small and stupid as this one.

"Fine," I sigh. I would have continued arguing if I had some more energy left in me, but I didn't. "I'm tired." Van loved when I confirmed what he already knew was true, his grin showed it.

"Now, that's what I thought. Why don't you get in and rinse off," he turns around. "You tell me when I can look."

"Ok," I agree, looking back at him once more to make sure he wasn't looking before taking off my shirt. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, or that I think Van wouldn't keep his promise, because I did. But part of me still needed to make sure.

I take off my black, lace underwear and bra before lifting myself into the cold water. It felt even colder when my whole body was in than when it was just my feet. I let out a squeal, one that I hadn't meant to, when the water reaches my chest.

"You okay, Tris?" Van asks immediately He sounded concerned. I didn't know it, but it was driving him mad that he couldn't keep his eyes on me, that he couldn't make sure nothing bad happened or no one bad came. After all, he did promise that he would never let me out of his sight or Bondy's, and that's exactly what he just did.

"It's just really cold," I tell him, making him sigh in relief.

"Sorry, love. You don't have to be in there for long, though," he says. I look over toward Van and see him still facing away from me as he said he would. He was leaning back on his hands and his legs were out in front of him. He was looking up at the sky, the stars or moon maybe. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

I turn back around, plug my nose and duck my head underwater, soaking my hair and washing my face off. Somehow, I almost didn't even mind the temperature of the water anymore. It reminded me of home in an odd way, or maybe it just reminded me of taking showers, something I hadn't done since the day before I left home. Whichever it was, it was nice.