Eric took her training to a whole new level after that second kiss.
"Ten more laps, Stiff!"
"For what?" She panted, as incredulously as she could while her chest heaved from exhaustion.
"You're really going to talk back to me? Twenty, then. Go!"
She took off, shaking her head in disbelief.
With all the intense physical training, he was leaving her very little time to think about the implications of his actions.
That kiss... It was always at the back of her mind, leaving the atmosphere between the two awkward and mostly silent, other than when Eric was shouting orders. He was purposely keeping her too busy to voice any questions about the ordeal.
That didn't stop Tris from blushing whenever they made eye contact. She remembered the way he had slid his leg between hers, stimulating her senses like she'd never felt before. She perfectly recalled the pressure of his lips against hers, his familiar weight against her body...
She had been attracted to him, she couldn't lie to herself, though she thought she might take that secret to the grave, since it appeared that he fiercely regretted his actions.
Whenever she snuck a peak at Eric, she saw nothing of the man who had kissed her, only the hard ass trainer who would probably be the death of her.
Over the next week, Tris watched herself become little more than skin and bones. She was quite fit, though rest usually took precedence over meals after Eric's grueling training regiment and she was losing weight fast.
The only one to bring up her health was Four, looking concerned as he watched her pass the cafeteria in search of her bed.
You look exhausted, he had said.
What an understatement.
Tris felt her heart pounding against her chest like a drum as she ran, desperate to finish her laps before she collapsed. She wondered if all leaders went through the same training, or if Eric was just being a giant prick. Instinctively, she thought it was the latter. Revenge for striking him, or perhaps for injuring his ego.
The girl said nothing, however. She never once complained or considered quitting. She knew the training would make her stronger in the end, so she continued, despite her doubts about Eric.
She didn't know how to behave around him anymore, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss how things used to be between them. It was never great, but it was... something. Almost like friendship, but not quite. Now she felt like she had to walk on eggshells around him, so as not to set his horrible temper.
Tris glanced at Eric quickly as she passed, and was relieved to find that he wasn't looking at her. She could tell he was angry by the lines of his forehead and clenched jaw as he stared down at his tablet, eyes unmoving.
It seemed he was stuck in a perpetual bad mood and Tris was the cause of it. She wished she could apologize, but it was far too late for that. Tris knew he wouldn't take kindly to broaching the subject now. She knew that pride was important to a man like Eric, and she has wounded his badly.
Tris felt her head become light, and her sure steps wavered slightly. Quitting was not an option, she told herself, glancing at Eric. Their eyes met accidentally, though Tris was becoming dizzier by the minute and she did not let his scowl bother her. Gasping for breath to steady herself, somewhere in the back of her mind she thought there were only fourteen laps left...
And darkness slipped over her consciousness.