Sorry for the delay! Hopefully, it's still Friday wherever you are ;)

A major thank you to Bamberlee for editing this chapter.

I'd recommend reading chapter eight of The Training along with this one. For the few wondering, the chapters align with each other in each version.


I shove her forward.

I don't wait for her reaction, nor do I want to. Last night told me plenty about her, and I now knew that she was cold. That she'd slept like shit in the guest room. That next to me, she was happy and content, finally warm. Sleeping beside me was a prize she wouldn't want to turn down, especially now.

I also knew she'd kick Derek's ass and it would be incredibly enjoyable for me to watch. This little shit has been eyeing her this entire time, and his mouthiness is finally getting the best of him. He'd spoken at the worst time possible, his words slicing the bubble of hard work and privacy Everly and I had been in. He was ignorant to think I'd let it go, and even dumber to think I'd ignore what he said.

He felt like the start of an epidemic. Four's class was on my very last nerve, not just because they were after Everly. Their constant concern over what I was doing was extremely annoying, and Four had done little to squelch it. He would say he'd tried, doing his best to redirect their attention to what they should be doing. But it wasn't enough, and it was only growing by the day.

This boy, Derek, would be an outstanding example of why not to cross me. Not only to his peers, but to Four.

"Go."

She takes off, her eyes trained on her opponent, and she pulls her shoulders back. I like her mental preparation. She's nowhere near as tall as him, and in theory- he should easily win against her. But she's undeterred. I watch as she approaches him, sizing him up and down, before her expression changes to a confident smirk.

He panics.

For someone who's been so vocal about how subpar his instructor is, Derek has little confidence in himself. The expression on his face is utter fear as she steps closer, cocking her head to the side and waiting for him to move first. She's playing him, giving him the chance to come to her, and I feel a rush of arrogance when he looks over at me, throwing one final pleading stare my way.

It's his second mistake.

Everly takes off, smashing her fist into the side of his head. He's unprepared; his own thinking is to blame, and so is his lack of discipline. Four might have shown him how to fight and defend himself, but in this moment, he retains nothing. She hits him again, her second blow hitting his nose, and he tries to get away from her like the coward he is.

She doesn't stop.

It becomes clear she'll win.

Easily.

She goes after him, her third punch causing a loud crunching sound as she hits his jaw, and he collapses immediately. She takes advantage of his position, pinning him down as though he's far smaller than her, and she only hesitates for the briefest of seconds. She says something to him that I don't catch, and I'm surprised to find there's some vengeance in her. But she smiles at him ever so sweetly, before she returns to punching his head.

I can't look away.

I am scoring her, after all.

I watch carefully, making sure she's fighting fairly, pleased when she is. Eventually he screams for her to stop, and to my dismay, she does.

I should rip her apart for that, for those aren't our rules, but once he stands up, I understand why. He stumbles to his feet, and holds one hand up to keep her away, and the other on his jaw. He looks at her in defeat, then me, silently begging for me to call the match.

"Do you need to stop?" I spit my words at Derek, debating on whether I should let Everly have another go at him. She's waiting, still primed to fight on my command. In front of me, Derek nods, cringing when I look down at him.

I grant him a sliver of mercy, only because I know there's really no point in continuing. I could let her have at him, the same way James went after her- getting out every ounce of pent up aggression, but letting her walk away while he crawls to the infirmary is enough for me.

"I'll let Four know how you did. Now, get out of here," I snap.

Derek staggers away, his head down, his jaw definitely needing to be examined, and his pride trashed. He has no clue how bad I could have made this for him, but I've seen enough.

Everly and I both watch him, and when he's gone, I turn and smile at her. It happens spontaneously, and I have to admit I'm proud of what she's done. She's retained almost everything I've taught her, and she was impressively smart in plotting out the fight.

She slowly exits the ring, her hair a mess and her face shiny, and I meet her at the end of the mat. I reach out, examining her quickly, then sliding my palm over her ribcage. Derek had given a single halfhearted swing at her, but she and I both know he barely touched her.

"You did well, Amity." I let my hand glide over her side, and I notice the slow, wide smile across her face. "We'll shower here and head home. It'll give Derek some space so he doesn't run into you in the hallway for round two."

She smiles even wider, and it takes a long time for me to let go of her.


"Does that fight count?"

Everly asks over the spray of the water. She's washing her hair, only stopping to sigh in relief as she rinses it clean from Derek's tears.

Rather than head home, I'd made the decision to take her to the trainers' showers. I had no real reason to, other than she was drenched in sweat and Four's class was still hanging around, some snickering, some horrified. They'd either want to tear her apart for beating him, or they'd want to know how she did it.

I had zero desire to have her experience either of those situations.

My apartment felt like a far walk back and showering here would buy us some time before Four came in, having caught wind of their match. He wouldn't be pleased I'd had her fight against someone in his class, nor would be pleased she'd won. More than likely, Derek would be out for a few days, and this just pushed Everly higher up in the rankings.

I smirk as I wash my own hair, thinking of Four's sad little face when he reads today's scores.

"It does. You should be very pleased with how well you did. I don't think you have anything else to worry about now. We know you can fight."

"I'm really happy I beat him. I knew I could. He told me…" She pauses, and her cheery tone turns dark for a split second, drowned out beneath the spray of water. "He told me I should have stayed on the farm."

I'm surprised at her confession, but oddly content she told me. She sounds unexpectedly angry, but she has every right to be. I'm sure Derek thought she was a sure bet as someone who wouldn't last through initiation. Her winning, and outright embarrassing him, only made things worse. I feel a flash of exasperation for her, because I'm sure the judgement upon her arrival was still in full effect.

"I'm sure he feels stupid now." I point out, thinking of the way he'd taken off, his pride mortally wounded. "It'll be a while before he recovers from his loss."

"Good." I can tell Everly looks over at me, but all she's seeing is the shitty, ancient shower curtain dividing the showers. This area is private, set aside for Leaders when they are done working out, and far more secluded than anything in Dauntless. Most members have no idea these are back here, and no one really uses them. I do from time to time, because I know it is almost always quiet.

I am right.

Everly had trailed in after me, waiting while I turned on both showers and told her they'd need to warm up. I informed her I'd be back, leaving to shut the door to this locker room so no one wandered in, and I came back to the sight of her closing the curtain behind her as she stepped in.

I'd followed suit, pulling the curtain open and heading into the other side, enjoying the feeling of the hot water after a long day. We are both silent as we shower, letting her fight against Derek sink in, and I glance at her side every so often. I can barely make out her form through the old curtain, but that's probably for the best.

"Will Four be mad I fought Derek?" She asks quietly, bumping into the curtain as she conditions her hair.

"I'm sure." I grin, squeezing out a glob of the shampoo that's been in here.

"Too bad," she jokes, and she washes her arms with what I can only assume is something Lauren has left behind. The air is steamy and humid, and I close my eyes and lean back into the spray.

Four would absolutely die if he knew she was in here.

This was surely crossing a very bold line, especially in his book. Showering with the initiates wasn't something he'd ever do, even if we had a hundred private showers. I grin as she rinses off, imagining her next to me.

I wasn't blind.

I'd always been aware of her, but now I was hyper aware of every move she made. It was easy; I'd noticed she wasn't doing anything to stop me from being close to her, and in fact- she seemed to like it. It was obvious she preferred my training. She certainly preferred my bed, and I was starting to find the idea of her fascinating. I certainly didn't want Four's class near her, and I felt it was best if she stuck by me.

I knew she was attractive, and I had to admit it would be downright pleasant if she had ended up in this shower. I knew what she felt like pressed against me, and her naked skin would be far better than her training clothes. I could picture her in here, standing still as I reached for her hair, and maybe I'd tell her she'd surpassed my expectations today.

"Does everyone know these are here?"

Her voice breaks my daydream, stopping right at the part where I was imagining the way she'd step back into my chest as I'd pull her close. My intentions in this daydream weren't even close to innocent, and I have to ignore the feeling of my dick begging me to shove the curtain aside and show her just how thrilled I was at her fighting skills.

"No. Just the Leaders and trainers use them when they work out. No one really comes down here."

I wash the shampoo out of my hair, blinking the water away. She makes a noise of approval, humming beside me, and I turn my shower off.

"Eric, did you bring a towel by any chance?" She asks as I step out of the shower, somewhat concerned at the idea she'd now have to walk back through Dauntless naked and dripping wet. Fortunately, I've got her covered.

Or I could cover her.

Literally.

I force myself to think logically here.

Lately, my thoughts toward her have taken a salacious turn. The image of Everly in my bed, is in the forefront, always slinking up when I thought I'd rid myself of it. I've gone from wondering what it might be like- sleeping with her in other ways than just beside her, to envisioning it. Daily. Hourly.

I imagine she'd be willing. Ambitious. Lovely as she lay beneath me, one of her hands pinned above her head as the other held onto me. I could see her eyes darken as I thrust into her and her head would tilt back. Her hips working against mine. Her legs wrapped around mine, her pale skin just as fair as my own, flushing as our night went on.

I could picture her on her knees, straddling me, her dark hair wrapped around my fingers and one of her hands on my thigh. Her nails digging into my skin as I urged her on, coaxing her where I wanted her, giving into the sensation of her.

While a wonderful image it was, it made the thought of her next to me, naked and wet in the shower, that much harder to deal with. I quickly remind myself there's interest in her. Not just from Four's class, either. Max might have a few things to say. Since her appointment, he'd messaged me a few times, bugging me to reveal why she had my last name. Arlene had called as well, leaving a message and insisting I call her back because it was personal.

I knew what both of them wanted, so I hadn't answered either.

Arlene was hung up on the last name, and there was little doubt she'd filled Max in. He was already highly invested in Everly's progress, so this was just one more thing for him to mull over. While she'd worked out this morning, I'd ignored his text asking how Everly Coulter was doing, refusing to give him the satisfaction of responding.

I stalk over to the lockers and open up the one that had been assigned to me years ago. I use it sporadically, but I keep plenty of things in it in case I decide to shower down here. Extra training clothes, towels, a pair of running shoes, a comb, and some extra body wash. I wrap one of the towels around my waist, then walk back over with the other one in my hand. She's still not done showering, so I hang it up on the ancient hook, standing for a moment until the water stops.

"It's hanging up."

I return to my locker and grab the clothes out of it, realizing I'll have to throw her a bone and give her something to wear. She could always walk back in her towel, but I struggle with the thought for a few reasons. I don't want all of Dauntless gaping at her, nor do I want her to feel humiliated. I debate it while I dry off quickly, pulling on the pair of pants, and combing my hair. By the time I'm done, I turn around to see her walking over to me.

I smirk at her as she approaches me, clutching the towel around her chest and looking far more alive than a few minutes ago. Her hair and skin are still wet, but she smiles up at me when she stops near my locker.

"Thanks for the towel…but I have nothing to wear." Everly brightly informs me. She doesn't look terribly put out, and she's staring at me with this smirky look on her face that tells me she's waiting for me to have a brilliant solution to my plan.

Which I do.

"Here." I throw the shirt and boxers at her, and she manages to catch them without losing her towel, blinking in surprise. "Put those on. They'll do for the walk back. Or you can walk back naked if you'd like."

I leer at her for a second, pretending to patiently wait for her answer.

"Thank you. I guess you really do think of everything, don't you?" She waits for me to move, but I stand there, looking down at her. The sight of her is delectable, far better than her in her training clothes. "Okay, now turn around so I can get dressed."

I cock an eyebrow at her, and her cheeks flush.

"Are you really going to stand there?" She asks incredulously, but her smile tells me Amity isn't at all shy. "Really?"

"Fine. Only because you won your fight." I mostly teasingly inform her, turning around with an exaggerated sigh. I wait patiently, examining the lockers with great intent, and stretching my arms over my head when I grow bored. I'm not sure what's taking her so long to put on a shirt and boxers, so I give her two more seconds before I turn around.

She's dressed but fumbling with the waistband of my boxers.

"They keep sliding down so I'm fixing them." She meets my eyes, then goes back to twisting the fabric into some neat little trick. "There. Are you ready to go?"

"I am." I answer, picking up my discarded towel.

She grins over at me, walking back to pick up her own training clothes. I follow her, reaching my hand out for them when she's done.

"Wait, you want these?" She looks at me in confusion.

I nod, still keeping my hand out, until she hands me her laundry with a suspicious look on her face.

"Just this once," I smirk.

She seems to think this is amusing, and I let her lead the way out of the locker room, keeping my stare on her dark hair.

She better appreciate this chivalrous moment.

Our walk home is quiet and easy, sort of chilly, and she bumps into me at every turn. A few members stare at us, taking in her oversized shirt, wet hair, and naked legs. When they get to my bare chest, they do a double take, and I sneer until they look away.

I'd love for one of them to dare come up and ask what was going on.

"Do you think he'll say anything else?" Everly asks when we emerge from the hallway. It's dark in here, and she's careful where she steps. "He was stupid to say it front of you, but do you think he'll tell his friends what happened?"

"I'm sure." I answer, not at all concerned. Should Derek run his mouth again, I'd make sure he paid for it. Especially if it got back to me. "I wouldn't waste too much time on it."

Everly nods, slowing her pace suddenly. When I look down at her, I notice she's chewing on her lip- a terrible nervous habit that only draws my focus to her mouth. She's lost in her thoughts, thinking of Derek and his friends. I slow down as well, and I nudge her so she looks up at me.

"Do you feel better about it all?" I ask, and she stops in her tracks to look up at me. "They all know you can fight. They know you passed your simulation. Even if he does say something, they know he's made an ass of himself."

"And the rest? What comes after that?" She asks, stepping close to me. "Is there more?"

"You'll do fine." I answer shortly, trying to sound somewhat reassuring. "It's nothing you can't handle. A few days of survival training. But it's with me, and you shouldn't have any issues."

"Survival training. Anything else?" She asks, and I flash back to our conversation on my couch. Where I barely answered her questions and crushed her hopes by snapping at her because I was irritated.

I swallow, and I look over her head.

"There's nothing you'll go through that you can't pass. Understood? I would hope by now, you know I've trained you to be able to handle anything that comes your way."

She smiles in relief. "Thank you for that. I do feel like I'm ready now." She sounds happy, truthfully very thankful, and my response happens without my thinking.

I smile at her.

I'm not sure where it comes from, but it's a reaction I didn't plan. I'm proud of how well she's done, and she's earned every second of it herself. Though it was by my training, she put in all the work. I still can't figure out why she came here, or what on Earth possessed her to choose Dauntless over any of the other factions, but right now, it doesn't matter. I smile at her and now she's staring at me differently, like she's happy I'm happy, and I take the time to revel in the feeling.

"We should get home." I step toward her, and I impulsively touch the small of her back. My own shirt is soft and worn, far too large for her. My intent is to push her on, but neither of us move.

"Yeah," Everly answers, but her gaze jerks away at the sound of someone shrieking in the hallway. "What was that?"

"No clue." I respond, squinting in the dark. I don't see anyone, but honestly, it could be anything. A drunken member, someone who'd tripped in the dark, or someone who'd gotten lost. Jason had long held a theory that our hallways were haunted, so I make a mental note to send him down here to investigate. He'd lose his mind over someone hearing a voice in the dark.

"Come on." I tell her; we take off together, and I look over my shoulder once, just to see if there's someone there.

I don't see anything, but I'm not entirely convinced we were alone.


She falls asleep on the couch before I finish making dinner.

I know, because the apartment falls silent, her occasional questions coming to a grinding halt as her eyes slip shut. I don't notice it right away; I'd been making some noodle dish she'd mentioned on the walk back, and I'd spent most of my time while cooking thinking about our day. It was distracting in a soothing way, and when I'd finally relived every moment possible, I look up to call her over, but I can't see her.

I knew she was here.

She'd changed when we'd gotten home, putting on a pair of leggings and a loose fitting tank top that was impractical for fighting despite being sold as workout wear, and sunk down on to the couch. When I'd last looked at her, she was reading a book I'd given her to go through, and I was happy it kept her occupied while I cooked.

"Did you hear me? Amity?" I bark at her, wiping my hands on the towel. I leave the food on the plates, and walk over to the couch. "Amity?"

Of course- she's sound asleep.

Her head is resting on the same pillow as last time, and she's slumped over as if she'd literally passed right the fuck out.

I stare at her, wondering if this is a joke.

I think she might be messing with me, but I realize after today, she could genuinely be exhausted. I decide it's not even worth trying to wake her back up, so once again, I bend down to pick her up.

"Everly."

I say her name just in the off chance she's sort of awake, but it's useless. I push her hair out of her eyes, wondering if maybe she'll move, suddenly waking up out of nowhere. She doesn't. Her hair falls everywhere as I pick her up, and I notice it's still damp from our shower earlier.

"I'm starting to think you have narcolepsy."

She doesn't answer me, because she's fast asleep, and I scowl as I carry her to bed. I head to my own room, keeping my word from earlier, and she barely moves when I pull the sheets back with one hand. I set her down on the side opposite mine, and I sigh exasperatedly.

"Fuck, Everly wake up."

I snap her name out of frustration, an angry feeling washing over me when I realize I'll be eating dinner alone. It wasn't that I needed her company or even wanted it, but I'd gone out of my way to make sure she knew I was pleased with her training, and now, she was dead asleep. I shake her slightly, and she eventually opens her eyes, but I can tell she's not really awake. She blinks at me in confusion, and I motion at her leggings.

"Are you sleeping in those?"

She blinks at the rough tone of my voice, then slowly kicks them off without saying a word. She starts to lie back down, but I catch her arm, and I reach for the same shirt she'd worn earlier.

"Here."

She turns in confusion but works with me to shrug the tank top off. My bedroom is dark, and the only thing I catch sight of is the bare skin of her back as I help her pull my shirt over her head. She then collapses back onto my sheets, clutching my pillow toward her and falling fast asleep.

I stare at her, then stomp out of my own bedroom, heading to eat my dinner in silence.


Jason and Rylan show up right at seven.

Both of them head in with their arms full of beers and wide, pleased smiles on their faces. I'd sat and eaten my dinner while watching the security feed, and when I had grown bored, I'd invited them over. They were a common sight at my apartment, but tonight, their appearance made me edgy. I'd been neglecting them, scraping together a few minutes here and there to make sure they were alive, but they knew they'd fallen to the wayside. I rarely felt guilty, but these two had been by my side since initiation, and I hated to jeopardize our friendship even if they'd understand.

It was just that having them here gave them plenty of opportunity to grill me about Everly. They were both aware she took up most of my time, but they found my silence on her suspicious. Any other initiate would have been subject to my scathing review, and their training would have been heavily discussed.

With Everly, I'd been mute. I'd given up few, precious details, but for good reason. The fact she was female played a large part in it. I wasn't stupid enough to believe no one would find this situation entertaining, and there was heavy interest in just how we got along.

I'd also grown used to having her everywhere I looked, and my thoughts have shifted to thinking that she belonged with me. Not to me, but alongside me.

For the past few weeks, she and I had existed in a world inside Dauntless that was our own. It felt so sharply private, mentioning her to Rylan or Jason felt wrong.

But really, she was none of their business. She was mine and mine alone, and so far, I'd kept it that way. Now that they were here, I'm sure they'd use this time to their advantage. Neither of them had dared breathe a word of where she was staying, but they'd be on the lookout once they arrived.

Besides, I couldn't ignore them forever, and eventually, we'd all cross paths.

So, I had them come by, relieved when their presence felt like old times.

Jason had flopped down on the couch, sitting where Everly normally sat, and Rylan had sat down next to him. I'd grabbed a beer and taken a seat, reclining back to listen to their stories. After bitching about their work- Jason's day off having been ruined by Harrison needing his help in archiving some files that wound up taking hours, and Rylan having been forced to review the reports about factional boundaries, they were burnt out. Both of those could have easily been done by me, since I didn't give a shit, but they'd fallen to them on top of their own work.

And they gave a shit.

"When are you done, again?" Jason asks, propping his feet up on my coffee table. "How long is this initiation?"

"How do you not know how long it is?" Rylan laughs at him, shaking his head. "We all went through it. They're all the same amount of time."

"Yeah, sorry. I must have forgotten to write the dates down in my diary." Jason shoots back, and he looks over at me. "I bet you can't wait to be done. I'm sure you miss being out there, doing anything other than training that girl."

I look at him, forcing my expression to stay neutral, mulling over his words. "I am looking forward to getting my routine back."

"Jeanine's probably counting down the minutes." Rylan muses, but his expression sours. "Have you looked at any of the names yet? I'd say I could help you, but she's not my favorite person in the world. Especially after the last meeting."

"No," I answer shortly, and I take another swig of the beer he's brought. "I haven't had time. But I'm sure they'll be easy to find and even easier to bring to her. I'm not too worried about it. Don't get yourself involved unless you have to."

"You in on that, too?" Jason looks over curiously, and Rylan shakes his head no.

"Nah, son. Jeanine only likes Eric working for her. She doesn't think the rest of us are smart enough."

I roll my eyes, biting back the urge to tell him he could happily take over for me, but he'd regret it immediately. She might have come through with everything she'd promised, but her demands were high. Working for her wasn't a walk in the park, and I doubt he'd understand her thought process. You had to be willing to overlook the manic side of her and push through to see her theories. I knew what I could and couldn't ignore, but even I was pushing her limits. I hadn't answered her since our last meeting, and it wouldn't be long before she wanted to know what I was doing.

Again.

"Hey, uh, I wanted to ask. Your uh…the girl. She's ranking high, right?" Jason asks, grinning at me as he not so subtly changes the subject. "What's her name again?"

The mood in the room shifts to something tense. I feel it creep up my spine, closing in around my throat. He's prying, and though he has every right to be curious, I have the urge to tell him to shut up. It felt wrong to be talking about her, especially while she was here.

"Eric?" He asks cautiously, breaking the silence.

"Everly. Her name's Everly."

They stare back at me.

"She's uh, sort of…young…younger right?" Rylan fumbles with his drink, and meets my stare. "I mean, she's of age…because she's here but she's…young?"

He trails off, and I stare him down, watching him try hard not to smile at his own stupid question.

"Well no shit she's younger." Jason elbows him. "You can't come here unless you choose to. What's she like? Is she hot? Someone said she's hot but like, really short. Almost too short."

"Jason," Rylan warns him, and he shoots me a look across the room, when the discussion slides toward her appearance. "She's…nice. She works hard. She was ranked first last time I looked at the scores. All thanks to Eric. I was sort of surprised she was first, but yeah..."

I say nothing.

I take a sip of beer, debating how to answer this. I'd thought the same thing, but there she was, first in the class, far surpassing Four's initiates.

"So, she's number one, huh?" Jason answers, and he looks at me in disbelief. "How the fuck did you manage that?"

I smile lazily at him, setting my drink down. I wonder if he really thought I'd let her rank lower than anyone from Four's class. "You expected any less?"

Jason snorts. "You just trained her, huh? I don't actually believe that. Are you sure you and Four figured out the scoring right?"

I throw him a dirty look, and he sneers right back.

"Of course I trained her," I snap, growing irritated he'd jokingly imply otherwise. "For the most part, she's listened and taken direction well."

Rylan must have had a few drinks on the walk over, because he lets out a loud laugh. "Oh, I bet you've trained her to take direction very well."

Jason looks at him, equally amused. I get the sudden idea they had a long discussion about her on the way over, especially when Jason looks around frantically, as if trying to summon her out of nowhere. "Is she here? Can we see her?"

My reaction is immediate. I shoot him a murderous look, staring at him and wondering if he'd like to make it out of here alive. Everly isn't anything to seen. His words suggest she's only here for my entertainment and they dismiss her entire existence.

"Well, that's certainly creepy." I take a swig of my drink and narrow my eyes at him. "And no, you may not see her."

I sound haughty at the last part, and they both burst out laughing, more at my tone. It dies down when Rylan begins to fidget with his drink, and I steel myself for what's coming. He's not stupid, and I know he's been doing his research. "You gonna explain why she's listed with your last name?"

And there it is.

Jason snaps his gaze toward me, his hand frozen halfway to his mouth. His eyes are lit up in utter delight at this nugget of information, and he tilts his head in anticipation of my answer. He clearly hasn't been paying attention, and I realize with a slow snap of horror that neither have I.

I hadn't noticed that her name, now officially in the system thanks to Arlene's appointment, is listed as Everly Coulter instead of Everly Carlen.

This has Arlene written all over it, her sly way of getting back at me for ignoring her. She'd have insisted Max change it, after all- it was her official name on her paperwork, and she'd chosen to keep it as Coulter.

"What? Why does she have your last name? Let me see those rankings." He sets his drink down and fumbles for the tablet I'd left sitting on the table. The screen in unlocked, the security feed still active.

I smack his hand away, shooting him a warning glare.

"Drop it," I snarl.

I try to play off the sick feeling of awkwardness that's pooling in my stomach. I may have great reasons for putting Coulter as her last name, but Jason and Rylan won't see it that way. There's no way either of them would be satisfied with my practical reasoning, either.

They aren't.

Rylan chokes his drink down, snorting next to him. He glances at me once, knowing he's backed me into a corner, despite the little information I've told him. "I'll tell you why. Because Eric here seems to have developed some microscopic fondness for little Amity. And he filled out her paperwork and decided his last name looked better in place of hers."

There is silence in the room.

"Fuck you," I finally answer him, but it's not a threat. I play this off casually, hoping my answer will shut them up. "I filled it out in a hurry. I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh, you not paying attention? Really? You sure you weren't just thinking ahead to your impending marriage?" Rylan grins at me again, and I glare at him. He's clearly made this connection after our two-minute discussion on how she was performing, and I take great delight when I kick him as hard I can.

"Give up the dream. It was just a mistake and I've had the pleasure of dealing with the fallout from it all fucking day."

Jason shakes his head. "Max offer to officiate the ceremony?"

I roll my eyes at him, but I can't help but smirk at his question. Judging from the messages I'd received earlier, Max would be absolutely on board if I asked him to officiate anything in regard to Amity. Unfortunately for him, the idea of marrying her is ridiculous. "You gonna be the flower girl, Jason?"

Jason frowns, his expression strange as if he's thinking really hard. "You have to admit, she is pretty. She wouldn't be half bad to be forced to be around." He looks at me curiously, and Rylan nods in agreement.

"She is. Wait, I thought you hadn't seen her?" He stares at Jason suspiciously.

"Of course I have. I walked into the control room with Eric after Max brought her there. You should know that. You were there, too. I just want to see where she's sleeping," Jason answers him, clearly forgetting I was standing with him when Max brought her in. But his comment evokes the wrong reaction from me, and my eyes flick toward my bedroom door.

They pick up on it immediately. Both turn their heads, then look back at me in an accusatory manner.

"No fucking way." Jason's words are loud. "She's asleep in your bed right now, isn't she?"

I keep my expression perfectly bored, picking away the paper label on the bottle.

"She's asleep," I bark at them, not at all clarifying where she's sleeping, and they both loudly voice their approval.

"Holy FUCK." Jason announces, letting out this loud whooping sound as he settles back into the couch. "I never thought I'd see the day. How long did that take? A week? The first day? It was the dress, wasn't it? Is pink your new favorite color?"

"Funny." I answer, pulling the label off the bottle in a satisfactory strip. "Now, drop it."

"Ok, but you do think she's pretty. Don't you?" Rylan chimes in, liquid courage pushing him on. He stares at me so intently I steel myself so I don't lose it.

Jason, contributes as well, making me regret ever becoming friendly toward him. "You can tell us. It's not like we're gonna run through the halls screaming your secrets to the world. This isn't initiation all over again."

His words make me flash back to our initiation, and I feel the weight of this situation pressing down upon me. Confessing Everly wasn't a hideous creature wouldn't be terribly awful, and from the sound of it, they both agreed.

I stare at my two friends, eagerly awaiting my answer, and I shrug my shoulders and stare behind them.

It takes everything in me to dredge up an answer, and it feels painful and wrong.

"Yeah." I pause, stretching my head to the side until my spine cracks in relief. "She's pretty."

I say it with great hesitation, as though she's standing there listening, and will come out and mock me to my face at the idea that I find her attractive. I finally look at them, so ecstatic they might explode, and Rylan reaches over to slap my shoulder in congratulations. Jason is strangely as thrilled, even more so than Rylan, like his whole life had no purpose up until this point.

"Yes!" he crows. "We've been waiting for you to admit this."

I put a halt to their party immediately. I've given them no reason to think there was anything going on between Everly and myself, and I have half a mind to snap at them to get their heads out of their asses.

Instead I stand up, glancing at him in a lethal manner to shut him down.

"I said she was pretty. I don't remember professing my love for her. So calm the fuck down." I finish my drink in one gulp, my good mood vanishing, and I slam it down onto the table. "Be right back."

I head toward my bedroom, compelled to take a break from this little debate. I feel sweaty, like I've been caught red handed doing something I shouldn't have, which normally wouldn't bother me at all. I do plenty of things others wouldn't approve of, and admitting Amity wasn't ugly shouldn't make me feel nauseous.

Maybe it's the disgusting beer they'd brought.

Either way, I stomp over to my room, throwing the door open, and my eyes catch sight of our topic of conversation. If I hadn't stopped, I'd have crashed right into her. Everly stands there, her eyes wide and guilty, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out she's been listening to us talk.

"What are you doing?" I ask her lowly, and there's a hint of something in my voice, something just for her. Maybe it's the sight of her, half asleep and in nothing but my shirt, or maybe it's the slippery realization that she's still in my bedroom. Either way, I find it amusing she's in the doorway, trying to appear innocent. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? You did win your fight, after all."

I smirk at her, and she swallows nervously under my heavy stare. I wait for her brilliant response, but all that comes out of her mouth is something rather insulting.

"I didn't know you had friends," She blurts out, then has the decency to look horrified.

I roll my eyes at her, not at all entertained. Of course, she'd think I hated everyone. There's a lot she doesn't know about me, but my friends are the least of her worries.

"Go back to bed, Amity."

I ignore her stare, walking past her and into the bathroom. I stand there, staring at my reflection, before opening up the cabinet to take something out. It's a mild painkiller, and with all hope, it'll put off any sort of hangover I know is coming.

I leave after downing some water, and she's still there, standing and waiting for me. I eye her warily, ignoring her bare legs and bare shoulder as I stalk past her. I'm hesitant to ask her what she's heard. I decide it's safer for everyone if she just goes back to sleep, so I turn and look at her once more, holding her gaze.

"Goodnight, Amity."

I shut the door behind me, returning to my friends, both of whom are crowing over their accomplishment of pulling such a confession out of me. Fortunately, their glee is short lived. Neither can stay much longer- Rylan has plans to meet Christina, and Jason has plans to stare at a video game all night with Megan, so after a few more questions that I refuse to answer, they leave at the same time.

I sit on my couch for a long time after they've left. I stare at my tablet, halfheartedly responding to Jeanine, telling her I'll be in Amity tomorrow. She replies instantly, but I don't answer it. I log out, and sit, rubbing my hands over my face.

Eventually, when I grow tired enough, I head into my bedroom to go to bed.


I sleep next to her.

I fall into bed as a wave of exhaustion washes over me, and the idea of sleeping elsewhere doesn't even cross my mind. I climb in on my own side, sinking into my sheets and pulling them up as I turn over.

I fall asleep facing Everly, her face illuminated even in the low light, the last thing I see before my eyes close. I wake up a few hours later to pounding on my door, and I scowl into the darkness.

You have to be fucking kidding me.

My alarm clock blinks 1:35 am, and I blearily climb out of bed and head toward my door. To my surprise, both Rylan and Jason are there once again, both far drunker than the last time I saw them.

"Christina isn't in a good mood." Rylan mumbles, pushing past my dark look. "She ditched me for Tris and some dude."

"Megan sucks, too." Jason says slowly, holding his arms out in front to keep his balance. "She threw my controller in my face when I wasn't paying enough attention to her."

I let them both wander in, rubbing my eyes and blinking.

"What?" I start, but I'm interrupted by Jason.

"We're gonna stay here. We can't figure out…where we live." Jason flings himself onto the couch, kicking his shoes off and grabbing the pillows.

"Three doors down is where you live." I bark, eyeing them both.

"Is it hot in here?" Jason asks, trying to get comfortable. I watch Rylan follow suit with a dejected look on his face, and I realize there's no point in kicking them out. They both will only return, and possibly wake Everly up as well.

"Fine." I bark, even though they aren't listening. "But don't wake me up again and don't expect me to wake either of you up tomorrow."

"Tell Everly goodnight. Give her a kiss for me." Jason calls out, and he's lucky he's drunk.

I head back to bed, grumpily climbing in, and I most certainly do not tell Everly anything.


The messages start early.

We'll discuss your findings today.

When are you available?

Should I set up a meeting with Max as well?

Should I be questioning your support on this project? Perhaps you've changed your stance on the issue.

Jeanine must have stayed awake all night.

I'd woken up to Everly's back against my chest, and I'd pushed her away and gone straight to get ready for work. By eight, I'd answered six more messages, promising her I'd have some answers for her today. By eight thirty, I stalked out into my hallway, ignoring my snoring friends, and waited for Everly. She'd woken up sometime while I was making coffee, and I stall outside my door, clicking through a few messages.

See you in an hour. Don't forget your scores.

I sneer at my tablet. This time it's Max, but there's absolutely no reason I need to bring him my scores. He's simply trying to reinforce his nonexistent authority over me. I finish responding to Max- politely telling him he can see the fucking scores by looking at them on the reports he receives- just as Everly walks out the door. She looks surprised when she sees me, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and a long-sleeved shirt on.

"I'll walk you to the simulation room."

I tell her tersely, not at all enthused to leave her with Four again.

She nods, and I take her by the elbow, my hand lingering as we walk.

She's quiet; I wonder if she's nervous all over again, or maybe concerned she'll have the same reaction to the simulation as last time. She doesn't tell me, she just walks, occasionally a beat slower than me. We come to a stop outside the doors, and I can see Four fumbling with the computer, getting ready to start. I throw him a dirty look and one less dirty look at Everly.

"Good luck today." I watch her for any sign of panic, knowing I'm about to be trapped in a meeting for a few hours. "I'll see you for lunch."

"Okay." She nods again, not moving, until Four frowns in her direction. "Thanks."

I leave her to go first, but not without one final glare in Four's direction.


The meeting is long.

I respond to a few texts I'd been meaning to; I tell Christian to drop my jackets off at the apartment because Carol will be there, and I tell Arlene to go fuck a cactus when she asks how Everly is doing.

I spend most of it researching the names Jeanine had sent me. I start with those with the highest percentages, in the Amity faction. I highlight them when I find anything I can use, but there's not a ton. A few names whose profiles are dull and uninteresting, and only one looks suspect. It'll be easy to scope out Amity the next time I'm there.

I zone out while Max yammers on, only half listening as he talks about some rumors from Abnegation. That faction is of absolutely no interest to me, but I do listen when he talks about a small issue with Marcus. Other than that, I type away, until I reach maximum boredom.

I scoot my tablet closer to me, and I type in Everly's name.

Her real name.

Her face pops up immediately, her profile still associated with the Amity faction. She's listed as an in-process transfer, with Dauntless as her chosen faction. The picture of her is exactly the same girl I'd met the first day she came here. She looks young, bright eyed, and far more put together than most in Amity. Her dress is yellow in this picture, and her black hair hangs down, far beneath the bottom of the photo. I read about her parents, both alive and in Amity, and I click out of it when Tori announces we're breaking for lunch.

I realize I've missed the entire last half hour of the meeting.

We head to the mess hall as a group, and I find Amity selecting something from one of the lines. She's alone, and once he sees her, Max cheerfully waves her over.

"I've been meaning to check in on her." He announces, and he points to a table smack in the middle of the room. "I'll meet you over there."

Fifteen minutes later, Quinten has made him toast, and Max is seated across from me. Everly is next to me, her eyes flitting from leader to leader, and she scoots over when Harrison shoves himself between Tori and Max.

"Did you send her the results? She said she was interested to hear about this group." Max uses his time wisely, deciding we should continue talking about the meeting I wasn't paying attention to. I shake my head. I hadn't had a chance.

"No. Not yet. I will once the sims are done." I take a bite of my hamburger, shifting in my seat as Everly listens to him talk. She takes it all in, all the Leaders crammed around her, arguing left and right.

"Eric?" Tori calls out, and I look up.

"Are you attending the simulations?" She asks nosily, knowing full well I'm not.

"No." I bark, and she sits back, narrowing her eyes at me.

I feel antsy; our table is crowded and so is the mess hall, and the lack of personal space is driving me nuts. Every time I move, I bump into Everly. It's not the worst thing to happen, but Max watches like a hawk, smiling at Everly as though they share some secret.

I could stab him.

She tries to adjust herself as Harrison stands up abruptly, and her arm nudges mine.

Max's eyes widen, as though she's done something far more dramatic than elbow me. I glare at him, but he's gone blind.

"I hear everything is going very well, Everly. We're really impressed with your progress here." Max abruptly changes the subject, his full attention on Everly, and she looks at me out of the corner of her eye. She looks nervous under their stares.

"Thank you," She answers genuinely. "I'm trying really hard."

"I'm sure you are. It helps that you and Eric work well together." Max sounds like a moron, too enthused for his own good.

I clear my throat, hoping he'll wrap up his none too subtle inquisition.

"You two seem like you have a good trainer and initiate relationship." He stresses the last word, and I can feel him looking at me. I sit up straighter, hot spikes stabbing at my back, and I look over at him with great disdain. Next to me, Everly chokes on her chicken nugget.

"It's been great," I answer him, my voice laced with sarcasm. I shoot him a dark glare, and next to me, Everly looks up, the smallest flicker of offense flashing quickly.

Max lets out a small snicker, and Tori gives him a dirty look.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harrison clears his throat and looks at Everly and me with a confused stare. "Who is Everly?"

The table falls silent. Tori looks at him in disbelief, and a weird tension hangs in the air. No one bothers to answer him. Tori changes the subject, going back to the topic of Marcus Eaton and his refusal to adapt to the new technology, and I relax.

"Yeah, fuck him." Harrison agrees, waving his fork enthusiastically. "That man should loosen up. Let everyone live their lives and keep up with the times."

Everyone is distracted, except for me.

Every time Harrison waves his fork in the air (which is often), Everly pushes herself closer and closer to avoid being stabbed. It doesn't bother me at all, since I'd like her to keep both eyes intact, but it does catch Max's watchful gaze.

He watches us carefully, his brown eyes glued to her, and I realize he's never asked me why her last name is still listed as mine.


Four sends Karl to bring her to my office.

I'd returned after lunch, watching Everly slink off back to Four's class, drenched in the heavy feeling of regret that she'd have to spend the entire day with Four. The pace of the simulations was increasing, and I'd been half waiting for someone to call all day, telling me she'd finally had a bad run. It was inevitable; the simulations amplified in their level of difficulty, and while she was doing well, it would affect her at some point.

To my surprise, it didn't happen till later on.

The knock on my door is obnoxious, loud as I try to put together the paperwork I need for Amity. I'd already decided I'd head there as soon as I could, catching Johanna off guard. It would be easier to get her to agree if she were pressed for time, and my surprise presence was something she would loathe. She'd smile through it. She and I both found the other to be suspicious, though she was less obvious about it.

I don't look up at the knock, assuming it's someone who's lost, but eventually I bark a nasty 'What?!' as I keep typing.

I flip the page over the last incident report Johanna did not fill out, looking up in time to catch Everly stumble in through the door. I raise an eyebrow at her, taking in her pale appearance and her big eyes. Behind her, Karl walks in, strutting around like he owns the place.

His presence irks me.

"Did something happen?" I ask flatly, but Everly shakes her head and walks toward the desk. Karl doesn't respond; he's too busy taking in my office, memorizing every detail of what's in here. There's plenty to look at, all in perfect order and incredibly neat. He finally joins her, stopping directly behind her to greet me.

"Four wanted me to walk Everly here, Sir." Karl's voice has an important tone to it, as though he's done more than walk her down a hallway. I make a mental note to tell Four not to have his initiates do his work for him, and if Everly needed to come back to me, then he should have walked her here himself.

I glimpse at her in front of my desk. She's looking better than when she walked in, the color returning to her face, and she smiles in an attempt to prove she's fine. I stare at Karl for half a second, returning to signing off on the report. I wait for him to leave on his own, but he lingers, not getting the hint.

"Thank you." I dismiss him, turning the page over.

When I finish signing the papers, I realize I haven't heard the door shut. I look up slowly, and discover Everly, looking like she's trying hard not to laugh, and Karl still behind her.

"Do you need something, initiate?" I snap.

Karl shakes his head, and he finally realizes I have no use for him. He shoves his hands in his pockets, and still smiles anyway, heading for my door. His posture tells me he's thinking he's ruined this moment to show how trust worthy he is, and he has.

"Thanks, Karl," Everly calls out when he leaves, and he perks up in the slightest. Of course, she's nice, thanking him for simply walking her a few steps.

I return to my computer, officially putting in a request for a truck, and typing an electronic signature. I look at Everly out of the corner of my eye, waiting to hear why she was brought here. She still has a few hours left of time that should be spent with Four's class, though she'd typically return home. But there's a reason he had her come here, and my curiosity gets the better of me. "Something happen during your simulation?"

She takes the seat in front of my desk, pulling her legs up in front of her. "I got kind of sick," she tells me, but she keeps her stare on her shoe laces. "I feel better now, though."

I process what she said while I read through the approval. One of the head security guards responds he'll have a truck ready to go in the next ten minutes, and I make the snap decision she's probably fine. She looks normal now, and she doesn't look like she's about to take a nap. My printer beeps, printing out a security pass that I most certainly don't need. I grab it, along with the security paperwork needing Johanna's signature, and I shuffle them together.

I already have a headache.

"Good. Then you can come with me on this errand. I've got a meeting to attend, and it might be good for you to experience it." I stand up, pushing my desk chair back, taking in the sight of Everly before me. It feels wrong to be taking her along with me, mostly because this could fuck everything up, but I decide the experience could outweigh all that.

Besides, leaving her here alone isn't my highest choice.

"Where are we going?" She looks up at me, her dark hair lost against the dark chair, and I smile tightly at her.

"Back to your old faction."


Amity is hideous right now.

We stand at the edge of the property line and I mentally prepare myself to deal with the dirty hippies who reside here. The air is sharp and icy. It's been on the verge of snowing all day, and the sun is now hours away from setting. Despite the change in temperature it feels dull here, especially as the faction winds their day down.

We watch as the members scramble around, working like zombies who don't know any better. The idea of Amity is absurd to me. I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to live here, nor can I picture Everly growing up in this place. The thought of spending their days farming like peasants, picking crops and watering plants, then sitting around campfires and singing, makes my skin hurt. Even worse, they fancied themselves to be agricultural geniuses, proud of their greenhouses and fields of crops as though they were the only faction with dirt.

Everly is transfixed by the sight before her.

I can't tell if it's giving her violent flashbacks or if she's wishing she'd stayed here, but I let her have it. Her expression is something itself; soft and warm, and in the fading sunlight- glowing. I stand next to her, watching her out of the corner of my eye as she blinks at those emerging from the tall stalks.

She eventually rips her gaze from the corn fields to look at me, and I nod.

Together we take off.

She walks beside me, looking like she came straight from Dauntless. Her jacket, a surprise from Christian- made far before she'd passed her initiation, is a heavy Leader's jacket. She has no clue it's not the regular uniform, but I'm sure she was happy it was warm. She'd worn the same boots I had on, and while it had been hard to picture her in the uniform when she first arrived, it looks just fine on her.

It doesn't quite suit her though; it's a little too formal, too harsh on her small frame and too covered up considering she seemed to favor clothes that barely stayed on her. But she wore it proudly. She'd fixed her hair before we left, pulling the sides up and out of her face, and she didn't draw quite as many stares as we'd walked through the compound.

She follows after me quickly; our boots crunching over dry leaves as we approach the center of the community, the main area filled with a large swarm of members. I take in the surroundings with great annoyance, hating the sight of everything. I already feel hot, embarrassed for those who think this faction is paradise.

"This way."

I call out to her, as though she hadn't lived her entire life here, and we head to the large barn doors. I know Johanna would have been alerted to our arrival, and I have every intention of making this meeting as quick as possible. We can get in and out of here, be home for a slightly later dinner than normal, and go about our routine.

My plan goes to shit the minute we approach the doors. Before she can take another step, Everly is ambushed by a blur of colored fabrics. It's a bunch of girls shrieking at a high-pitched volume as they grab her, ecstatic to see her. They hug her tightly, as if she's been gone for years, and it's not long before she's lost in a sea of blonde hair and jeweled tones.

"Everly! You look so different!" One of them shrieks, and I immediately decide she's the most annoying. The girls reach out to touch Everly's hair, sliding their hands through it and staring at her like they've never seen her before. Everly smiles back, her eyes flitting to me once, and the smile on her face isn't quite real. I've seen her smile, really smile, and this isn't it. I'd go as far as to say she looks confused, but she plays it off well, even when they touch her jacket.

I smirk as I watch them fawn over it. I feel a flash of superiority over them and their shock and awe over her uniform. She's no longer a part of the Amity faction, and the distinction is huge. She belongs to us now. She belongs with me, not here, wandering through the woods with her air headed friends.

My smirk dies when I see Johanna wandering over, a genuine smile plastered across her face. She looks very pleased to see Everly alive and well, and she conducts a quick, but obvious, examination as she walks over. Her smile slides right off her face when she sees me, but she forces it back into place, polite as ever.

"Eric. Amity welcomes you." She greets me because she has to, then nods at Everly's fan club. They get the hint, scattering immediately so Johanna can make her way through them. "Everly. It's so good to see you again."

I watch as she embraces her, reaching toward her as though she's her mother. One of her hands cups the back of her hair, and she holds on to her, tightly. I can't really see Everly right then; her head is bent down, and judging by the way her shoulders crunch up, she's swallowing down the rotten feeling of homesickness.

Not that I knew anything about that.

"It's so good to see you, too," Everly tells her, and Johanna pushes Everly's hair out of her eyes. I narrow my stare at them, growing irritable at the thought of Everly feeling wistful over this place, and Johanna picks up on it immediately.

She hugs Everly tighter, unconsciously protecting her from what I can only assume is myself. She stays like that until I clear my throat. Her expression changes, back to the forced politeness she'll be required to have for the next hour, and she steps away from Everly slowly.

"Shall we try to finish this before sundown? If we have time, we'd love for you to join us for dinner." She smiles at me, the barest hint of dislike hidden somewhere in there, and Everly looks at me with a funny look on her face.

Max won't be thrilled if I say no, so I shrug, and motion for Johanna to lead the way.


Dinner in Amity is by far the least pleasant experience of my life.

The sun sets quickly. The night is dark, but there are plenty of fires lit and the tree lights blink off and on, most needing to be replaced. The air is cold despite the fires, and the actual dining area is crowded and noisy. I watch in repulsion as families laugh together, letting their children run up and down between the tables without disciplining them. There's a chaos to the air, food everywhere and people spilling into every free space, and I feel like a caged animal.

They shoot plenty of looks our way, their gazes stuck on our uniforms, for we stick out like sore thumbs.

I keep bumping my knee against Everly, shifting to avoid being touched by anyone from here. After a few times, I do it on purpose, watching in amusement as she tries hard to keep the polite expression on her face. The ramshackle table seems like it was built for children, and it's even more repulsive when someone puts down a plate in front of me. They'd graciously brought me dinner, which I most certainly will not eat, though Everly seems happy with it. I narrow my eyes at the food, at her, the table, the person next to her, and everything in my general vicinity. It's painful to sit here, so I elbow Everly, hoping she'll hurry up and finish whatever it is she's currently enjoying. I elbow her again, this time rougher, and she looks over at me slowly, an entertained expression on her face.

"What is this?" I ask in a scathing tone. I look down at my plate, and I can feel my face scrunching up. I wouldn't normally give such a juvenile reaction, but this food deserves it.

It looks like they've served me a plate of cold, baby shit.

Everly laughs and hands me a piece of pita bread as though I'd asked for some. "It's hummus. It's good. You should try it."

The grimace on my face is replaced with extreme irritation that she'd be dumb enough to think I'd eat their bread. I'm far from stupid, and the last thing I want is to be stoned off their dinner.

"Oh, no, I'm not eating that bread," I scoff, but she's undeterred.

She smiles at me, her skin once again lit up by their terrible lighting and takes a large bite of the piece in front of her. Nothing happens, obviously, because her demonstration is shit. "Serum is only in the dinner rolls and sandwich breads," She eventually whispers, and I shove the plate away from me.

"I'm not taking any chances."

"Suit yourself." She shrugs, not concerned I'll go hungry. I scowl at her when she turns back to her friend, her hair brushing my arm. I watch her finish eating her disgusting bread and weird hummus, less for my benefit and more because she likes it. I make a mental note never ever to make it for her. When she's done, she leans back from the table, and I decide I've had enough. I lean in close to her, and I yank on the bottom of her hair.

"As soon as you are done, we are leaving."

My reactions have reached a whole new level of childishness, but I can't take sitting here much longer. My head is beginning to hurt, there are children crying in the distance, and Everly's friend is talking about how she just planted something, despite winter being days away. I'd already spent an hour telling Johanna to send in her reports we'd asked for, sliding in the paper work for new security cameras, and patiently explaining they'd go up whether she liked them or not. I'd taken a few minutes to watch her slowly type her password into her computer, and I'd spent six whole minutes I'd never get back while she slowly read through the layout of the boundaries and where our patrols would be increasing.

So, I was done. Their sorry excuse for a meal wasn't cutting it, I needed something other than water to drink, and I needed to get away from the Good Vibes Only tribe that was currently trying to round up people to sit around a bonfire.

Not that it matters, but Everly agrees immediately.

"Okay," she answers, standing up and gently telling the woman next to her goodbye. She looks back at me, then at my full plate, and smiles smugly. "I'll be right back. I'm going to turn my plate in."

I wave her off, hating that she'd be polite enough to take her dish back to the kitchen, but she is. I watch her walk through the tables, greeting a few people here and there, until she vanishes into the crowd.

"So, you work in Dauntless?"

I look over slowly, dragging my stare from the crowd, over to the woman Everly had been talking to. She looks confused, squinting at my uniform and staring at me suspiciously. She's trying to be kind, but she frowns every time she looks at the black fabric.

"What happened to your eyebrow? Do you need a medic?"

She reaches her hand out toward me, fully ready to actually touch me, and I swat her away and stumble off the bench before she can get any closer.

"No." I bark, drawing the attention of a few others around us. One woman with long, tangled blonde hair looks at me, and elbows the guy next to her. He watches with a funny look that reminds me of Everly. His hair is cut surprisingly short on the sides, and he's one of the more coherent looking ones here. But he's eating the bread just like they all are, so I doubt that will last long.

"I can take you there if you've been impaled." The lady keeps talking, concern all over her face now. She also stands, drawing her dress around her so she won't trip. "It's not far from here."

"No thanks." I snap, and I take a step back. I survey the area quickly, but Everly is nowhere to be found. I take off before she can come any closer, violently heading in the direction Everly went. I get stuck behind a large group of people waiting to plate their food, I shove through them rudely, and they are all too nice to stop me.

I look left, then right, irritation growing when I still don't see her anywhere. I decide I've had enough of being here, and we're leaving this second. Forget her plate. I walk toward where I can only assume the kitchens are, making a sharp left and I come to a dead stop.

There she is.

Her plate is long forgotten, cast aside as some guy holds her attention. He towers over her, blocking her from leaving. I immediately notice his long brown hair is a mess, his shirt is dirty from his work, and his hand is on her cheek.

I tense unexpectedly.

This isn't some random stranger or friend. There's something about the way he touches her, this possessiveness oozing from him, that tells me he knows her on a level I don't. He gently slides his hand into her hair, attempting to draw her closer, and I have the revolting feeling he's done this before.

I watch while he says something to her I can't hear, then he leans in and kisses her.

Bile rises up my throat.

I want to look away, but I watch this unfold before me, a mix of deep anger and envy coming out of nowhere. The only saving grace in this moment is whatever this guy's plan was, it doesn't entirely go in his favor. He kisses her for the briefest of moments before she stiffens, clearly uncomfortable, and her hands fly to his chest to push him away.

He doesn't handle it well. He looks surprised at her rejection or possibly the violence of her pushing him away. He shakes his head when she doesn't return his affection, and he does his best to keep her focus on him. When she says something to him, something else I can't hear, he frowns at her, trying to appear wounded.

From my angle there is no hurt, only impatience, like she's slow to catch on.

Everly looks uneasy, and when he doesn't let go, she shoves him away forcefully. He looks surprised then, and I'd bet he has no clue she could do far worse if she wanted to. Violence is not something he'd ever partake in, and even the action of her backing away is offensive to him.

I take a step closer, my boots stomping into the ground, and I hear her protest.

"How can you say that? I'm doing really well there."

It dawns on me, a weighty realization that they were once close. Very close. I can only assume she left him behind when she chose Dauntless, and he didn't take her departure well. I'm almost right next to them when I hear him mumble lowly, pleading something to her in one more pathetic attempt to do whatever it is he is asking. It still doesn't work. She doesn't buy it, and he removes his hands from her hair, letting them slide down the strands dejectedly.

I stop when she looks up at him. It's not exactly the same way she looks up at me because there's a hint of anger behind her eyes, and I feel a slow building rage take over. He's hovering over her greedily, still not backing down, but he's wrong.

So wrong.

She's no longer his.

Everly has been my initiate for weeks. She's been sharing my bed for days now. She's been invading every single inch of my life, pressing herself so close to me, that the thought of her and him is horrendous. I don't know where it comes from, this deep-seated desire to yank her away and drag her over to me, but I push it down. I have a reputation to uphold, and it won't do Dauntless any good if I start a fight while I'm here.

How fortunate for him.

"Are you two done?" I snap at the both of them, the words out of my mouth before I can think. My reactions feel automatic. My hands have balled into fists and I glare at the both of them, nasty as ever.

I stare at Everly, furious at her for daring to ever be involved with someone like him, even though he's a perfectly fine member of Amity. I'm sure here- amongst the rougher looking members, he's an ideal catch. He's not entirely hideous, he's tall and strong, and judging by his attachment to Everly- he's loyal.

Everly looks over at me, horror all over her face, and I hate that I want to hurt her. I want to make her step away from him, regret ever knowing him, and never ever come back here. I try to slow my rage, for really- she's done nothing to earn it, but I have to admit- bringing her along was a mistake.

One I won't repeat.

"We need to get back to Dauntless. Unless you've got other plans."

She nods a few times, panic spilling out of every movement. She steps away from him immediately and she quickly tells him it was good to see him.

"Think about what I said," he begs her, completely ignoring my presence until now. He finally looks over at me, frowning when he puts it together that I'm the reason she's leaving. Once he catches the snarl on my face, he steps closer to her, his body language telling me everything I need to know.

He cares for her, deeply. She's not mine the way she was his, and he knows it. Even if she stays in Dauntless, done with her training, she'll be done with me. He thinks she'll seek him out, wanting someone kinder than me.

I feel ill.

I've been toying with her for days now. Letting her sleep on me, touching her like she was mine, letting myself enjoy her presence.

Not anymore.

I don't wait to see what happens. I take off toward the truck. I can't stand to look at the two of them, especially together. I try to ignore the image of her looking at him, the way her face tilted up, the way her hair fell. I try to forget she'd lived here with him, that she'd possibly cared for him in any manner, and I find it nearly impossible to shake off the thought she'd slept with him.

I knew.

The way he touched her, his closeness, his desperation to keep her with him.

I stalk through Amity, forcing myself to think of nothing. I ignore everything around me, including her. She sprints after me, doing her best to keep up, and by the time we reach the truck, she has a wild look on her face. I can't read it, but I don't try to. She flings the door open and climbs in, looking over at me for a full minute, frantic for me to say something.

When I glance over briefly, her expression is pleading, apologetic, anxious.

I ignore her.

I drive us home in silence. Once we return to Dauntless, I'm out of the truck and through the doors before she's even undone her seatbelt.


I find her in the kitchen.

She's standing there, finishing her drink by the sink. I'd avoided her since we'd been back, trying hard to finish up what I needed to do. She'd tried to keep up with me through the hallways, and she'd made it through the door before I slammed it shut. Though worried, she was smart. She didn't try to say anything, and she shouldn't. I wouldn't have answered her.

My actions were beyond pathetic. I was riled up over some farm girl and her former boyfriend, and I had no reason to be.

So, I'd emailed Max, I emailed Jeanine, and I refrained from punching a hole in my wall. I'd thought of her, of why I felt so angry over what I'd witnessed, and I decided to find out why. I knew I had to put a stop to all of this, and now.

I wasn't expecting to find her there, but I use it to my advantage.

She jumps when she turns around, her eyes widening at the sight of me. I don't smile at her, and I can't bring myself to think kindly right now. She looks worried at my stare, but she stands her ground, gazing up at my dark expression.

"What did he say to you?" I demand.

It wasn't what I had planned to say to her. But his words had bothered her, and I wanted to know why. What power he had over her that he could make her doubt herself.

It takes her a second to reply. A despondent look washes over her face and she shakes her head, trying to forget what he said. "He told me I didn't belong in Dauntless."

I stare at her. "Why?"

She shrugs her shoulders, and both of us react slowly. I step closer to her, and she steps away from the counter ever so slightly. She's right in front of my chest, and she cranes her neck up to look at me, ever brave. Anyone else would have caved, bolted from the spot or shut their eyes and hoped for the best. But not her. She meets my stare, and I notice how dark her eyes look, and how pale her skin is.

She's far more lovely than I'd noticed before. I can see why he wanted her back, why he was so disgustingly determined for her to return to Amity.

"He said I'm not cut out for Dauntless. He thinks I'm going to fail initiation."

"Impossible. I'm not about to let you fail." I answer her quickly, narrowing my eyes as his face pops into my mind. "Who is he?"

"What do you mean?" She asks, and she's so close she's nearly touching me. "You want his name?"

She's holding my gaze, and there is absolutely nothing behind hers except longing.

As if something's taken over me, I reach up and touch her. It's not my intent at all, but I trace across her cheekbone, slowly, purposefully. Her skin is cool from her shower, and soft. I slide my fingers into her hair, the feeling familiar, sliding them further until I graze her ear.

I think of him, touching her like this, and my fingers tighten.

He's had her like this. He's touched her in ways I haven't, ways I've been thinking about. Every daydream I've had about her, he's lived out. Every single moment I've wondered, he's already known. There was a reason he wanted her back, and it makes me furious to know he's had what I wanted.

My plan to stop this between us slowly unravels, thread by thread, when she leans into me.

"Was he the one you told Arlene about?" I ask her, my voice heavy with a strange dose of jealousy. "Was he your first?"

When she nods, ever so slowly, I feel my shoulders rise up. I expected her answer, and though it's not the one I wanted, there's nothing I can do about it. I reach my free hand up to touch the other side of her hair, and my fingers curl in, pulling her forward, always closer. She belongs here, I think frantically. With me.

She swallows down whatever she was going to say, and she's right against my chest, so close I can feel every breath she takes.

"Why did you put my last name as Coulter?" She looks up at me intently, but she's not the least bit upset. In fact, she's sort of straining upward, inching herself closer. I smirk when she leans in, pushing together like he had wanted. "On that paper."

My fingers dig into her scalp.

She hadn't forgotten her last name had been written as mine. I hadn't bothered to change it. I saw no reason to. After today, I should have. Brought her back to Everly Carlen, but I can't.

I don't want to.

My head bends down, millimeters from hers, and I answer her quietly, mostly honestly.

"In case they found something wrong during your physical. The results would be sent to me instead of anyone else. They would associate it with my last name, and not yours. Had something been wrong, it would have given me a chance to take care of it."

"Oh." She tilts her head up, and my nose brushes against hers, the act strangely intimate. I take a deep breath, my lungs filled with whatever she's washed her hair with, and I feel her sigh into me. My forehead touches hers, resting there as I make a sudden decision.

"You're not to go back to Amity. That's an order."

It is an order, one that I would try to enforce to my fullest extent. I can only hope she doesn't ever want to go back there, for a multitude of reasons. I stay perfectly still as she closes her eyes and nods.

It seems like an eternity passes between us, and something inside me snaps. My intent was to push her away, putting her back in her place as my initiate and nothing more. But seeing her and him together has made me feel unsettled, lost as to why I'd be so upset.

She was no one there.

She was no one here.

She was no one with me.

Except it's clear that's not true anymore.

I want her in the worst way possible. A pulsing, debilitating ache that pushes me to close the distance between us. My logic falls apart in front of me when my nails dig into her scalp and I lean in to press my lips against hers.