Tris's Contenders

chapter 26

Tris POV

I don't know how long I stood there starring at the big black 'C' that named Zeke and Tobias's apartment door. The scratching irratation of Al's unexpected and unwanted kiss took home to my lips. What was I going to tell Tobias? Was I going to tell Tobias? No. Yes. No. Yes. Yes of course I am going to tell him. I sighed looking down at my fidgiting fingers. "Come on Tris move." I whispered to myself.

Tobias POV

I felt her presence before I even heard her footsteps enter the kitchen. Turning around from the sauce I was making for the pasta I saw Tris's small smile. It wasn't real. It held very little and I felt my stomach flip flop and fall. "Everything okay?" My voice came out shakier than I anticipated.

She pulled out a stool from the island lifting herself up on it as she layed a bag on the counter top. "Um...i dont know." She started folding and unfolding her hands.

I dialed down the heat on sauce and hung the hand towel on the oven handle. She only sat twelve feet away from me, but the walk towards her felt like a hundred and tweleve feet. Pulling out a twin stool I sat turned towards her. "What is it babe."

Babe. The word kept surprising me. It tasted so unbelieavbly sweet coming out of my mouth. Her eyes slid up my body and meeting mine I saw her confusion and fear. "You...you were right." I was right about what? My thoughts swam and she threw a buey to them. "About Al. He likes me." She looked into my eyes. Scanning them for what her words just stabbed at me. I opened my mouth, but shut it as her voice hoarsely continued. "He kissed me."

I starred at her as she traced nervous circles on the countertop. The sound of the sauce simmering described my exact feelings as of this moment. My insides were heating to nearly boiling over as I moved my eyes to Tris's lips. Imagining Al's lips on hers, hell imagining anyone's but mine made my skin crawl with murderous schemes. "Say something. Tobias. Please."

I turned from her rubbing and pinching the bridge of my nose. Wishing I could permanently scorch the images in my head away. "Dinner is almost done." I walked to the stovetop and stirred the sauce bringing it to my lips to sample. It was sweet, tangy, salty, just right. Her feet met the floor as she jumped from the chair and I felt her arms circle around my waist. Placing the sauce spoon on a napkin a enclosed her hands with mine using my fingers to pry her hands a part. I turned around to face her holding her arm length from me.

Her eyes were swimming in shallow pools of tears. "Did you kiss him back?"

"No. I. Didn't. "

"Do you like him?"

"No. Not like that."

"Then I have no reason to be mad...at you." I positioned my words carefully because they were true. It wasn't Tris that made that move nor conceded to it. All though, he will be lucky if he gets away with just a broken nose. Okay maybe I'd have just a few pissing-in-your-pants choice words with the kid. "Anyway we aren't official."

Her eyes sunk and I knew my ego was cutting sharp corners with this conversation. I lifted her chin with my index finger, "I have one more question for you.."

Her eyes brows met together out of confusion and wonder. "Yeah?"

"Can we make this official? I really don't want any other guys lips touching..." She didn't let me finish before she slammed her mouth to mine. Her tongue tasted like sweet mint and I ran my tongue along her smooth teeth. My hands grabbed the curves of her tight ass as I lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around my waist as her hands roamed my hair.

A pop strangled the air and hot droplets of sauce burned at my elbow. Pulling from Tris's lips I turned the heat off on the stove. Kissing the side of her mouth I let her down from our entanglement. "Is that a yes?"