"Alexa!" Eric gasps. I'm pleased he used my nickname, as Alexandra always reminds me of Marcus. "Don't jump!"
I scoff, and arrive at the edge of the Chasm. It looks so big, the roaring water beneath me, the huge, jagged rocks ready to smash any body that was fool enough to jump.
I close my eyes and...run down the narrow path leading to a small clearing that Tobias—Four!—and I used to hang out around. No one can see the clearing from above, so they never noticed us.
I hear a sigh of relief, then the scuffling of shoes walking down the pebble-covered trail. I perch myself on a large rock that is shaped like a sofa. It has a tall back, and lumpy armrests, and it's hard as, well, a rock, but I love it anyway.
Eric sits on next to me, and doesn't speak for a minute. He's still panting for breath. After silence, he says, "You nearly gave me a heart attack, Alexandra."
I shiver, and scoot farther away from him. I really wish he wouldn't call me that.
Eric looks at me, surprised. "I won't call you anything you don't want me to call you." He says, his normally gruff voice softening.
It's my turn to be surprised. I guess I said that out loud. "I'm sorry," I say, shaking my head, "it's just...Marcus called me Alexandra all the time, and look how well that ended up." I can't keep the bitterness out of my voice, and I know Eric heard it.
"Look, Alexa, I know people call me a sadistic bastard, and maybe it's because I am one. But let me tell you one thing: I will never, ever harm you or any other girl. I swear."
I wipe my eyes and scoot back closer to Eric. He smells nice, like pines and something comforting, like warm bread fresh from the oven. I subconsciously snuggle into him, and he wraps an arm around me.
"Alexa," he says, shaking me gently. "Alexa, you can't fall asleep here; you have to go to Four's apartment or the dorms."
"Mmm," I murmur sleepily. "What?" My eyes rebel, and close without me telling them to.
Eric sighs and shifts. I complain, and he stands up, scooping me into his arms. I peek through my lashes as he carefully makes his way back up the narrow path. It feels nice to be here cradled against his firm chest. I wonder how much he works out.
If his chest is this solid and hard, I wonder what his...Whoa, Alexa, calm down! You can't crush on your instructor!
Tobias is crushing on the other Abnegation transfer, a voice nags in my mind. I settle further into Eric's arms and give up the struggle with my heavy eyelids.
A/N: You should all know that I would never kill Alexandra—sorry, Alexa—off. She's my baby!
Eric was a bit OOC here, and if you don't care for him that way, I understand and apologize.
I'm so sorry for the short chapter. My writing schedule has been off. As I said in my HP fanfic, Darkness Within the Light, I recently got braces, and my mouth really hurts, so please cut me some slack.
I am so thankful for all of you! I admit, I never thought AE could be this popular...Did you know that I have over 2,400 views?
Can we please get me to, let's say, 25 reviews? It would mean a lot to me.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, please check out my community, Best of the Wizarding World. You can find it on my profile page, and it has, in my opinion, some of the best fanfics. It is small right now, so let me know if you think your story should be in there and I'll read it. I could really use some help, so PM me if you want to become Staff.
How many fears should Alexa have in her landscape, and what should they be? Let me know in a review! I take all ideas seriously.
Sorry for the long Author's Note.
~ Via (I just got tired of closing with "4ever". Via makes me feel closer to all of you.)