Chapter 7
I just can't bring myself to delete your number.
Just as Tris sat down on the couch after putting her pajamas on (which consisted of pajama pants and a sports bra), she received that text.
She sighed.
All within the past two days we've flirted, kissed, "separated," and now you're texting me. Pick a fucking side, Tobias, she sent him.
Tris rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. She walked into the kitchen and began to pop some popcorn. She just needed to binge on food and watch some movies on the couch. She didn't need Tobias, Tobias's drama, or even Four at this point. All she needed was food and movies. Simply those things.
When she sat back down on the couch, her phone buzzed through the couch.
I know. And I'm sorry for that.
Tris had enough.
I don't think you understand. You obviously have no regard for my feelings. First you tell me to stay away but then hours later you tell me you can't delete my number? I swear to god if you don't make up your mind within the next twenty seconds I will never speak to you again. And for being a former fuckboy, you don't have the lady skills you probably think you do. Sorry I wasn't as easy as any of your other girls.
And she sent it. She didn't feel bad, either. She turned on a movie on Netlfix called The Quiet Ones. She'd never seen it before, but it looked pretty good. Horror movies always helped her take her mind off of things because they scared the living hell out of her. She loved them. The adrenaline rushes, false sense of fear, and pure laughs. Some of them are just funny to her because she can just tell how fake they are.
The sad thing is… is that you're right.
Tris couldn't respond. She couldn't block him either, though. She just couldn't. And if she couldn't block him… God knows what else she might not be able to do.
Before she even knew what she was doing, she was out the door in a sweatshirt and leggings.
She arrived at the alley in two minutes.
"Four? I don't know if you're there, but you're the only person I know that could make me laugh at this point in my horrible day."
She waited a minute, but there was obviously no one there.
Tris turned away, a little sad.
"Hello, sweetcheeks," a voice said. Four's false voice. His deep, British, fake voice. "What's the matter?"
Tris turned around to see him sitting on the fire escape, just like last week. Without him telling her to, she climbed up there and sat next to him. She crossed her arms over the rail level with her face.
"Your damn cousin. He's such an ass."
"What'd he do this time?"
"He tells me I should stay away from him but then he goes off texting tonight. I mean, who does that?"
"He told me he would hurt you if you two were together. Unintentionally, of course. I think he's making the wrong decision though. See, if you and I were a thing, I would still want to be with you… even though I know I'll hurt you. Hypothetically. All hypothetical."
Tris shook her head. "One day I'm just going to fall apart. I'm just going to collapse. Break. And I don't want to break all alone."
"Well, when you do, just come here. You can break in my arms."
"Four," Tris said, "what happened to you? Why aren't you making silly innuendos?" she chuckled.
"Well this seems like more of a serious conversation," he laughed.
"I don't know what to think about you. You're just… freaky."
"Freaky… in the bed," he said, laughing.
Tris laughed along with him. "There you are."
They were silent for a minute or two more, just enjoying each other's company.
"Tris," he said.
She turned her head toward him, and their lips were just a few inches away. When she turned her head, she didn't even realize he was so close. And she still couldn't see his features. She was so tempted to just rip off his mask and pull down that hood. Before she wasn't that curious about finding out who he was, but… things change. She was so, so very curious.
"Yeah?" she said softly. She put a strand of loose hair that was falling from her bun behind her ear.
"You'd consider us friends, right?"
Tris shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, strangers don't totally confide in each other, do they?" she chuckled.
He smiled. "I suppose not. And friends… friends kiss, right?"
Tris's heartbeat sped up a little, but it didn't show. "No"—she smiled—"friends do not kiss. And we're friends."
He nodded. "Gotcha. So friends do kiss, right? And we're friends. So that means I can kiss you," he said.
Tris laughed. "No. Friends don't kiss. And we're friends. So that means you can't kiss me."
"Right. Okay. I think I've got it now. Friends kiss. And since we're friends, we kiss."
Tris laughed. "No, Four."
"Okay. So you just said 'Yes, Four,' so…" Four leaned in.
"Four," Tris said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No. I can't. Not now, not ever." She jumped down from the fire escape and walked in the direction of her home.
She didn't even know what to think, so she went straight to bed.
No thoughts means no worries, she told herself.
She was wrong.
In the morning she was swarmed with thoughts. She didn't know what to make of the night before, and all she knew was that she didn't want to think about it. So she turned on some music on as she got ready. Music had always helped get through whatever was bothering her. Bands like Three Days Grace and Tonight Alive always, always helped her. Even if she strayed from them for a while, she'd go back to them. Always. The first thing that turned on was "What Are You so Scared Of?"
"What are you so scared of? Judgement's not unfair. It's what we've learned to see. What are you afraid of? This is not unheard of. Nothing's how it wasn't always meant to be, always meant to be." Tris sang along, knowing every lyrics.
What was she so afraid of? She had her heart broken so many times before Four and Tobias. She should be used to it.
Tris knew she had to chose though. Tobias or Four? She couldn't have both. If they were the same person then, damn, that would've been amazing.
And then she realized. She dropped the brush that was running through her hair.
The same blue eyes. Same shape of the face. Same wittiness. Same height.
They were the same.
And Tris couldn't believe how blind she was. So, so very blind.
Four was Tobias, and Tobias was Four. The two men she found herself falling for, the same. But this, in fact, was not amazing. He'd been lying to her. They were cousins? Lie. His identity? Lie. Her feelings? Lie.
The sad thing was that there were so many more. So. Many. More. She honestly just could not believe it.
In shock, she picked up the hairbrush and finished getting ready.
She hardly recognized the girl in the mirror. Sure, she looked the same, but somehow everything had changed.
Everything. Changed.
And she realized right then, that she couldn't arrest him. She wouldn't be able to, and she didn't have the willpower to.
"We've got a homicide a few roads down. Detectives please report. Address 592 Underbrook Road," her radio announced.
She and Uriah shared a look, then started to walk outside. On the way out, she saw Tobias at his desk.
"Hey, Uriah, wait for me in the squad car? I'll only be a sec."
"Of course. Hurry up though."
Uriah was out the door when Tris approached Tobias's desk.
She stood in front of it. She leaned on it with her hands face down. She leaned in toward his face, only two to three inches away.
She whispered. "I know about you. I know what you are. And I hope to God that I'm wrong. But the thing is, is that I'm rarely wrong about my accusations. So, please tell me, how do you spend your nights?"
He sighed, looked down, put his face in his hands, and shut his eyes. "Tris…"
She dryly chuckled. "That's what I thought. Goodbye, Tobias. Or should I say—Four?" she whispered quietly, but harshly. Then she walked away, angry.
Tris simply walked out, and she knew that would be the last thing she ever said to him.
When Tris arrived in the passenger seat of the squad car, she simply said, "Drive."
They arrived in a matter of minutes. Tris needed this case to keep her mind off things. Any case, white frankly.
She showed her badge to the surrounding officers and ducked under the yellow tape. She stepped into the house to see a man, dead, on the ground. It looked like he had multiple bullet wounds to the chest. His wife, presumably, was standing on the opposite side of the room, and she heard her sobs fall behind the sounds of the sirens. She was sobbing on the shoulder of a man. Tris's heart broke for this woman.
Tris took a few steps toward them, nearing her.
"We had so many plans for our lives, Josh. So many."
"Excuse me, Ms….?" Tris asked. "Are you the wife?"
The woman nodded. "Patricia Young. I was his—Edward Young's—wife."
"Hello," Tris said. "My name is Tris Prior, head detective of the Chicago Police Department. I offer you my deepest condolences. I am so sorry for your loss. May I ask you some questions in a few minutes?"
"Of course."
Tris softly smiled at her and walked over to Uriah, who was taking notes.
"Brief me," Tris said to him.
"Edward Young. Late thirties. Appears to be murder, but still waiting for Will from forensics to confirm. After all, who commits suicide with four to chest y'know? We have to wait for the autopsy from Marlene to find out more. No signs of forced entry. Victim did seem to put up quite a fight with bloody knuckles and a few bruises to the face that were obviously made from punching and kicking. Like I said, we'll have to wait for the autopsy for more info."
Tris held out her hand, and she felt three sugary things in her hand. "Thanks, Uriah. We need to talk later, by the way," she said as she munched on a gummy worm.
"About what?"
"Long story."
"Okay. You want to take the wife? I'll take the friend. Josh Newberry, I guess."
"Sounds good."
They strutted over there.
"Hello again, Ms. Young. Mind if I ask you those questions now?"
"Of course. Anything."
"Where you the time the murder was committed?"
"Grocery shopping."
"What is your relationship with Josh Newberry?"
"Close friend. We all would play poker on Fridays," she said with a chuckle a she wiped her tears.
"Did you ever think Mr. Young got in any trouble?"
She nodded. "He was supposed to rob a bank with a couple of friends, but he backed out at the last minute. Said he couldn't do it. So the other two did it together and ended up getting caught a few years ago. They're supposed to be out now, so I think they might've been involved in this somehow."
Tris nodded as she scribbled down notes in her book. "And their names?"
"Tony Franklin and Jay York."
Tris nodded again and smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Young. I think that's all I'll be needing. If there's anything you ever need, just call me." Tris handed Patricia her card and headed out, side by side with Uriah.
"What'd you get?" she asked Uriah as he drove.
"Josh Newberry is a friend of the victim. Said he secretly was in love with the wife. Didn't know him long. About three months, but still close friends. You?"
"Patricia Young. Wife of victim, obviously. Said she was at the grocery store while crime was committed. Pretty sure she didn't murder him. Supposedly he and his friends were supposed to rob a bank together but he backed out last second. Tony Franklin and Jay York were their names. We need a background check on Josh, Patricia, Edward, Jay, and Tony. All of them. I think somehow they're connected with the wife. Even Jay and Tony."
"Wow," Uriah said. "That's all," he said sarcastically.
"Let's just get back to the station."
She needed anything to keep her mind off of Tobias. Anything.
