Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the support (especially DD for lovely reviews in the last two chapers), I really appreciate it.
I promise there is going to be more of Eric in the next chapter, but I hope you are going to like this one as well.
Let me know, what you think! :)
P.S. I just have to boast myself a little bit - I've been officially accepted to med school! Yay!
I am standing right in front of him, having no idea what to say.
"I..." I try to say something, but the words just won't come out. I look at his face. His expression is just as hard as always, and that doesn't help me to calm myself down.
"I don't know, what I am going to do," I finally whisper desperately. And that´s true. I really have no idea, what I am going to do. I have never thought something like this could happen to me. I can feel the tears forming in my eyes. I desperately try to wink, in order to prevent crying in front of him, but I already know it is too late. As soon as I feel the first tear falls on my cheek, I wipe it off with my sleeve.
"I will talk to Max and explain the situation. You can use the car and the driver anytime you need it. Just do what you always do and try to keep thing for yourself, at least for now," he says with stern face. I manage to nod again and wipe other tears off. "I have to go, now. The initiates are having their first dinner and I need to be there."
He walks past me, opens the door and indicates that I should leave the office as well. As I walk around him I hear him say: "You should eat something, too."
xXx
Almost four weeks passed and I was slowly getting used to the changes. They weren't big, but there were some. First of all, my morning sicknesses have gotten worse and I have been even late for one of the leaders´ meetings because of them. As I rushed into the room already filled with all five leaders, I just sent a look to Eric. He seemed to understand and nodded at Max, who started to speak immediately.
When the meeting was over and other started to leave, Eric grabbed my hand. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, just bad morning sickness," I answered and looked at him, little bit surprised by his concern. "Okay. Just tell me if you need something." And with that he left the room.
The only people, who knew about my condition so far, were Eric, Max, Lauren and I. Well, at least until today's morning. I finished my breakfast and was on my way to my apartment when suddenly a figure ran past me and made me lose my balance. My whole world slowed down, as I was rolling down the stairs to their very bottom.
I was lying down, breathing heavily and afraid to move. I could hear people gathering around me and instinctively, I put a hand on my stomach.
"Are you alright?" I recognized Max's voice as he kneeled beside me.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully with shaking voice. He moved his sight to my stomach. "Let's get you to the infirmary." And with that, he helped me to my feet. There was deadly silence around us and everyone was watching me. Someone falling of the stairs shouldn't be such a big deal. But I could see some of them realised the situation, as they watched my hand, protectively on my stomach.
I walked slowly beside Max, my whole body shaking and praying nothing happened to the tiny baby inside of me. Suddenly, Max stopped and turned to some guy I didn't know. "Get Eric a send him to the infirmary. Now," he commanded quietly.
As we were leaving I could hear everyone started to whisper. I was quite sure that by the end of the day, everyone would know.
And I was damn right. When I entered the dining hall for lunch everyone looked at me. I quickly south Lauren, I have taken a burger and headed to sit with her. And right now, I'm listening to her version of events.
"Apparently, Gorge – the initiate who shoved you, was late for his morning training, so he was in a hurry," she started, "I was with my class so I can only tell you what I had heard. Eric was with Four's class at that time, when someone ran to him, telling him that he was to go to infirmary immediately." The next part, I already know. The nurse was just telling me, that everything was fine, when Eric stormed into the room. I told him what had happened and he vanished from the room just as quickly as he came.
"I've heard that George didn´t really get away with it." I never got the chance to answer that.
I can hear some gasps and moment later I can see why. My brother burst into the room, in few seconds was at the leaders' table, grabbed Eric by his collar and punched him in the face.
I can see he wants to give him another punch, but he is taken by two guys, preventing him to do any more damage.
I quickly run to them. Eric is holding his nose and I can see the blood coming from it. But Four looks furious. "My sister? Of all the people, you had to choose my sister?!" he yelled at him.
"That's enough," Max intervened. I'm not sure who I should go to, but seeing Four at this state says me, that I should perhaps let him calm down, before speaking to him. So I approach Eric instead.
"You should go to the infirmary," I say to him as I can see his hands are covered with the blood coming from his nose.
xXx
I am nervously hovering before I finally decide to knock on the door to Eric's apartment. After a while, I hear the footsteps and the door opens. He doesn't say anything, but he just steps aside, so I can come in.
"How is your nose?" I ask after an awkward moment of silence.
"It hurts like hell," he says and then he practically throws himself on the couch. Not sure what I should do, I go to the kitchen, open the freezer, take some ice, and put it into a plastic bag I find in one of the shelves and take it to him.
"Don't move," I order him quietly as I apply it to his swollen nose. He hisses, as the ice meets his nose but he doesn't move.
"I'm sorry," I say and I really am. The broken nose looks really painful.
"I still don´t understand, how you managed to get through the initiation. You are anything but Dauntless," he says after a while. I am a little bit offended by his proclamation so I frown at him. "Thank you," I say ironically. He looks at me, but doesn't say anything in response.
I stand up to take some fresh ice from the freezer and I can feel his eyes following me. As I approach him again, he just grabs the package with ice out of my hand and puts in on his face himself.
"Go, I'll manage it on my own," he suddenly sneers at me. I'm wondering what caused the change of mood, but I still don't dare to ask, so I just nod and quietly leave his room.
One more surprise waits for me in front of my apartment.
"Hi," I whisper to Four. He doesn't answer, so I just open the door and let him come in. He waits until I close the door before he speaks. "Are you going to tell me, how this had happened?"
I give him tired look. This day has been terrible day from start to finish. "Four-," I start but I am interrupted.
"Are you two together?" he asks with clinched jaw. I am slightly taken by his question. I really can't imagine Eric being together with anyone. "No, we're not," I answer quietly.
"Were you together?" he asks again, this time even with more fury in his voice.
"No, we weren't," I answer quietly again and I patiently wait for him to understand, that it was just a one night stand.
"I can't say, how much you have disappointed me," he whispered, his fists clenched. "You are the last person I would expect, that lets something like this happen." With this said, I have to fight with myself, so I don't burst into tears.
"Please, leave," I tell him with a shaking voice. He doesn't move so I look at him again, this time with tears falling to my cheeks. "Leave!" I yell at him.
As he finally leaves my apartment, my cheeks are completely wet from the tears. I'm trying to find a way to calm myself down, so I reach the fringe to eat something, but seeing it is completely empty, my depression just deepens. But as I find a chocolate in one of my cupboard, I feel I little bit better. But I don't go to have dinner in the dining hall today; the stares would just make me more miserable.
After calming down, I lie in my bed, bored with nothing to do. Suddenly, I get up and reach for the tablet on my table. I have the electronic files of all the initiates, so it comes to my mind, which one George is.
I find him almost immediately; he is a transfer from Candor. What takes me by surprise is that according to his chart, he was ranked as number tree this morning and now is just number seven. I remember what Lauren told me at lunch. "I've heard that George didn´t really get away with it." But they couldn't possibly move him to a lower rank position because of what happened, could they? Well, Eric would probably find a reason. He looked furious when he came to see me to the infirmary. But right now, I don't want to think about it. Being really tired, I decide to go to sleep.
The next morning is the worst so far. I'm sitting on the floor in bathroom, my head leaning against the wall and I'm desperately trying to breath. I've already vomited three times and I really don't want to repeat it again. I'm sure the breakfast is already over.
I don't even know how long I am sitting here, when I hear someone knocking on the door. Firstly, I try to ignore it, but the person seems persistent. As he knocks for second time, I manage to get up a head to the door.
"Ronnie, are you alright? Open the door!" I'm relieved to hear Nathan's voice. I slowly open the door. "Oh my god, you look terrible," Nathan says the moment he sees me.
I just frown at him, turn back a head back to the bathroom. I'm slightly offended. I am aware that my appearance isn't really appealing right now, but it is something different to actually hear it from someone else.
But the way to the door wasn't really pleasant for my stomach, so I need to run the last few steps to the toilet. As I start to throw up again, Nathan slowly approaches me and takes my hair out of my face.
"Lauren was worried when you didn't show up for the breakfast, so she sent me to check on you. She's with the initiates," he explains his presence.
"Thank you," I nod at him and give him a grateful look.
I start to brush my teeth and he watches me for a while before he speaks again. "So the rumours are true? Are you really pregnant? And with Eric?" I stop right after I hear the first question and turn to him, with the toothbrush still in my mouth.
"You know what, do not answer. I don't think I actually want to hear it aloud." I just raise my eyebrows and stay silent.
"I heard Four didn't take it well," he says after another moment of silence.
"No, he didn't," I answer back, this time with stern voice. Just as sad as I was yesterday, I am angry with Four today.
He seems he doesn't know what to say next but finally, he whispers: "I'm sorry for making fun of you about your night with Eric the whole time."