Chapter 33- Veil of Thick Darkness
Marcus lets out an antagonizing scream before his grip finally falters and he falls to his death.
Tris POV
It is beautiful autumn night.
At eleven in the evening the whole vast city avenue below is blazing with light. The night sky itself, as far as my blurred vision can see, is thickly covered in a delicate veil of black, fringed with a smudge of crimson and a shine of silver stars.
I wish, I wish, I wish, I could focus on that.
For several seconds, I feel as if the world has frozen over. A heavy silence follows the loud echo of Marcus pounding into the hard ground below. I stagger backwards a few steps, my heart painfully hammering into my chest, overcome by disbelief and shock at what has just happened.
And what the consequences might be.
The sharp intake of breath snaps me to attention. Tobias' chest is heaving up and down, his breaths coming quick and shallow, eyes wide with shock.
The air is heavy with tension, shock and a hush of guilt.
I can't seem to move my feet.
Tobias is staring at the spot where Marcus just vanished. Then, everything changes, like something clicked in his mind.
'We need to get out of here.' He says, his face devoid of expression. Then, in an instant, shock flashes onto his face - as if he was surprised to find his voice so firm in his savagery memory.
Grasping my hand, making me forego a slight tremble over my heels on the gravel floor from being pulled so abruptly, he pulls me across the length of the roof, towards the stairwell.
I can see from the whirl in his eyes that multiple emotions are battling for dominance in his mind.
How would I feel if my abusive father accidently got pushed over a roof?
I shudder.
Our feet smack and thump, smack and thump their way through the pale concrete stairwell, illuminated by the faintest of lights. The sound rumbles throughout the entire fire escape and then does a turnaround at last second and decides to pound my ears instead.
We reach the bottom and Tobias carefully sticks his head out of the door before opening it wider and letting me through: towards a small, secluded hallway that leads to the bathrooms. I place my hand against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat.
'Tobias,' I whisper, gently caressing his cheek as he looks to the side, his eyes glazed over. 'Talk to me.'
A thousand emotions swirl in his eyes as he lifts them up to meet mine. 'I. Can't. Breathe.' He whispers, cringing.
Gasping, I take a step away from him, my hands falling to my side and more pain forms in his eyes. 'No… Tris. Not like that.' He flicks his hand over his hair, gripping the ends, before falling it to his side. 'I need to get away,' he breathes, raising his eyes to summon mine as he tucks a fallen piece of hair behind my ear.
'Where?' I whisper.
'Not our hotel. Somewhere else. Anywhere.'
I nod once and flick my eyes to the ground. 'You need to keep your head down and just follow me okay?' he inhales slowly.
'Yes. Okay.'
He exhales and fakes a small smile for the world to see, wrapping his large hand around my waist.
We wonder the maze of the rich-coloured ballroom, making sure our friends do not notice our departure.
We skip retrieving our coats since we don't want anyone seeing us- we'll get them another day- and stead through the breath-taking gallery reception and towards the opposite entrance to the way we came in. Snaking through a couple of doors and arches we reach a back exist for catering vehicles and sneak through the door to the empty road.
I inhale the fresh air as soon as it crashes onto me. It feels different to the air up on that roof. Stretching around a bend, we meet an almost deserted road. A few random stragglers hurriedly walk along the pavement, looking neither right or left of us,they keep their heads down, anxious to run their errands and escape from the rising wind.
Something bright white and completely out-of-character to our surroundings stands out in the near-distance. A car with a blazing light shining the word: Taxi.
We pick up the pace and rush towards the taxi. Waving our hands frantically, we capture the driver's attention and he pulls to the curb. I've never been in one before, but Eddie told me all about them. They are pretty useful, like our train.
Tobias opens the backseat door of the white taxi as we arrive and I slide in. He follows quickly behind me.
'Good evening!' The brown, slightly grey, haired man rumbles, bursting with life. 'Where can I take ya?' He asks, looking at us through the mirror.
'What's your plan?' I whisper under my breath.
In reply, Tobias raises his hand up to his forehead,pressing into his skull in concentration. He closes his eyes, then ruffles his hand through his hair.
'Can you take us to the east of the city?' Tobias says, addressing the taxi driver. 'Near the border?'
The east?
That's currently in the opposite direction of where we are now.
'That's a fair hour away, are you sure?'
'Yeah,' Tobias breathes, tapping his legs with his fingers, out of nerves or stress I'm not sure.
The taxi driver roars the acceleration and we twirl around the few cars on the main avenue. After a few minutes of silence, the taxi driver speaks up.
'It's none of ma business, but something the matter?' he says with a slight tinge of an accent, addressing Tobias, beaming. 'You seem stressed son.'
I smile as the old man calls Tobias son but then my mind wonders back to when the word was last used and I wince.
'It's just been a stressful day.' Tobias replies, grimly, not lifting his eyes to meet the driver's stare.
'Ah hope it's not because of this pretty lady next to yah. She's definitely a keeper.' He winks at me.
For the first time tonight, Tobias genuinely smiles as he looks at me, reaching for my hand and intertwining them.
'I think so too.' He whispers gently, more so to me than the driver as he lifts my hand up to his lips. I'm too caught up in Tobias' shining eyes to hear what the driver's response is.
Tobias kisses me. Hard and short, but enough to set my heart on fire. And as we break apart breathless, knowing we have an audience, I rest my head against his shoulder and I feel my eyes start to flutter, from the stress of this evening and I fall into a deep slumber.
A jolt wakes me. A bump in the road. Confusion clutches my sides as I flutter my eyes open. Where am I?
Soon, my senses kick in and I realise I'm still in the white taxi with Tobias. I swing my eyes up to Tobias' face, noticing a few hundred emotions. He's silent, gazing out the window with his eyebrows burred.
The expression on his face makes me nervous.
When he continues to keep his gaze outside of the window I clear my dry throat and speak sleepily: 'How long have we been in the car?'
Tobias snaps his head to mine at the sound of my voice. 'Nearly an hour. How was your sleep?'
'I've slept better.' I laugh. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep.'
'It's okay. It is nearly midnight. Besides, I needed the silence to think.' He whispers.
I nod in complete understanding. 'It wasn't your fault Tobias,' I whisper, leaning my forehead against his. I lower my voice further so the driver can't hear us. 'Whatever you are thinking, it was either him or me. You saved me, Tobias.'
He stares at me for the longest time, not saying a word. Then, when I think he is just about to say something, he kisses my forehead and tells me he loves me and turns around again so he is facing the window again.
My mind has a million and one thoughts buzzing through it. Instead of processing them for any longer, I decide to find out what's so curious about looking outside the window.
It's obvious this part of the city isn't as well funded. It's too dark to see the hard reality but in the darkness there is a distinct shape of several, run-down buildings every hundred metres or so, that are snaking along the old tarmac road we are driving on.
Navigating around a corner, ten minutes pass and then I see a blur of a sign:
Coral Hotel and Resort 3 STARS.
It's a small hotel complex. From what I can see, three buildings painted in white surround a large pool.
We thank the cab driver and pay him, then tumble out of the car, my feet aching in these shoes. Quickly, we stride up towards the reception in the first building where dim lights are blazing through the windows.
The receptionist looks up at our arrival, startled. 'Good evening Sir, ma'am! How may I help you?'
'Do you have a double room available for tonight?' Tobias leans against the marble counter.
The woman taps a dozen letters on her keyboard before she lifts her head up once more.
'Yes we do. Would you like to make your payment now?'
'Yes,' Tobias hurriedly says, flicking out his leather wallet from his back pocket and paying with a black credit card Eddie gave him.
I watch as Tobias enters something into a small device and an involuntarily yawn escapes me. My eyes slowly glance up at the several clocks displaying the time,behind the reception desk: it's midnight.
I wonder what has happened with Marcus' body…
The receptionist hands Tobias a white and blue key card and we follow her orders to get to our room.
It's an odd type of hotel.
Three buildings surround a gigantic blue pool that's currently shimmering with lights that throws a sheet of golden over the small wooden bridge we have to walk over to get to our room. To the left of the bridge, the trees are tall with sturdy trunks, packed tightly together. The canopy above the bridge is thick with leaves.
Soon, another glass door comes into our path and I pull it open.
The hallway has black and grey carpet.
Nausea throws my stomach and I have to cover my mouth when I look at the grey. It reminds me of too many things. What a despicable man he was.
I breathe through my nose as Tobias' gives me a concern look. I have to shake my head at him to tell him I'm fine. We reach out room door within minutes and I have to laugh: the number is 46.
A bed, a table, a chair.
The room is pleasant. Draping in light blues and white. It's clean with a double bed, a small vanity table with a large mirror and kettle. Two armchairs are placed near the door to what I imagine is a bathroom.
Sighing, I slide onto the bed, slipping off my heels. The past twenty four hours emotions crashing onto me as sharp as a shard of ice.
After an intake of breath, Tobias slowly sits next to me. His back is abruptly straight, his hands on his knees and his lips almost pursed.
My eyes are brimming with emotions.
'Tris.' He says, looking straight ahead instead of looking at me, his voice dry. 'I just murdered my father.'
I turn towards him on the edge of the bed but he doesn't move a muscle. 'Tobias! You DID NOT murder your dad. Do YOU understand?' I say.
He doesn't look at me. In fact, he bangs his fist on the closest table so abruptly it makes me jump.
'Tris. I'm a monster.' He's still staring at this fascinating spot on the wall. 'I just murdered a man. I could easily do that to you. I'll… hurt you.'
His voice breaks and a single tear escape his eyes. I've never seen Tobias cry before.
There's a wedge in my heart, desperately trying to split it in two.
'Tobias,' I say, the name coming off my mouth in a gentle whisper, 'look at me.' I raise my hands to cup his cheek and forcefully turn his chin to face me. He doesn't move.
'It was out of self-defence.' I whisper.
Rather aggressively, he bats my hands away from his face and shock and deep heartbreak rages through me.
He gets to his feet. 'DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?' He shouts, his voice getting louder and louder at every word. 'WE CAN'T BE TOGETHER OKAY? I'LL HURT YOU! I SO EASILY KILLED MARCUS I CAN EASILY DO THAT TO YOU. AND GOD TRIS, IF YOU GOT HURT BECAUSE OF ME,' he breathes, anger and more tears evaporating off of him. 'I would never forgive myself.' He whispers the last sentence: 'I would die.'
I get to my feet now. He's always been taller than me but right now I feel as if the distance is a kilometre.
'Don't you understand that if you left me it would hurt, hell, it would cripple me Tobias! YOU DID NOT MURDER YOUR FATHER!' I shout, raising my hands in my hair and I breathe, trying to calm down. 'He fell from the rooftop. He pushed you and you used self-defence! It was either me or him Tobias. You SAVED ME Tobias.'
He throws a box of complimentary shampoo and conditioner on the floor in outrage and it lands with a large smack!
He grits his teeth as he raises his eyes to me. He looks deadly. 'Like father like son.'
I'm brave enough to take a step forward and not cower when he looks at me like that. Like I'm some prey. I shudder escapes me. He's never looked at me like that.
'You are not your father. And if you say you are, you are insulting me because I would never date someone who is abusive like Marcus.'
Forty nine muscles in his body twirl and contract and he collapses onto my shoulder, he's silent but I feel the dampness on my shoulder that means a tear has slipped or two. I feel my eyes desperately trying to hold back the dampness in my eyes threatening to escape. I need to stay strong for him.
He pulls back after a minute slips by, embarrassed. 'God!' he says with a grimly smile. 'I'm supposed to be Four! Scary, menacing, not someone you speak to. And look at me I'm crying! I'm pathetic!'
I laugh and he brings his eyes up to the sound. 'It's okay, I think all real men cry.' I grin.
He laughs and looks my dead in the eye. 'This is never leaving the room.'
'Not even Zeke can know?' I pout, my eyes full of mischief.
'Especially Zeke!' he exclaims.
A minute slips past of silence and he's looking at me. My eyes, my lips, my body.
The past twenty four hours emotions pour out of his eyes and he crashes his lips to mine, passion streaking through.
He kisses his way across my cheek, stopping at the corner of my mouth. 'I'll never let anything happen to you.' He whispers. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.' I breathe, ' so much.'
His hands waver down my body as he kisses me. Every touch ignites me and I burst into flames.
His lips find their way to my neck and collarbone. He pushes himself flush against me, so much so that I stagger back a bit and feel the edge of the desk at my knees.
Breathless, he moans my name and lifts me up, kissing along my neck. My legs are wrapped around his waist as sits my down on the wooden desk and continues to kiss me.
My breasts ache as he slowly kisses his way down my bare shoulders, frowning at the scratches from this evening. He replaces that smile with a dozen of kisses and I smile into the kiss. His tongue dances with mine, battling for dominance.
A sudden bolt of noise makes me plunge upwards. Tobias, eyes wide in surprise, takes a small step back and I realise that I accidently turned on the TV. My leg is underneath the remote control.
We are about to ignore it and continue kissing Tobias when I see something flash onto screen and I gasp.
He's there on screen.
Marcus' lifeless body. Wrapped up in cocoon of black blankets.
'What is it?' Tobias asks, his voice full of concern.
Unable to tear my eyes away from the TV, he follows my line of view and I watch as all the blood drains from his face.
I leap off the desk and watch the TV. 'I am reporting live from the south of the city.' The reporter says, her face straight. 'Where Leader Nicholas-Collins hosted the Gala of the century to celebrate second in command Edward Brown's Man of the Year Award.' My eyes fall down in shock as I read the title: Death at Gala of the Year. 'A man, who has yet to be identified, has fallen from the thirty storey rooftop, hitting the ground hard, instantly killing him. Police are working furiously hard to try to get to the bottom of what happened, whether it was murder or suicide. Unfortunately, we are yet to find witnesses. Police say any suspects will be brought in for questioning and if found guilty will be punished by death for manslaughter.'
I don't move for an entire minute.
I'm unable to utter a single sound, my whole body trembling in fear.
I slowly tumble around. 'Tobias,' my eyes are staring at the floor, 'I can't lose you.'
He seems to recover a lot faster than me after being told he might be punished by death and he reaches his arms out and I fall against his safe arms.
'Tris,' he whispers against my ear. And then he pulls back.
Something changes inside of him. I can feel it.
'I can't do this.'
Confusion bubbles around me as he takes my arms off of his chest.
'What-What do you mean?' I stutter.
'I'm breaking up with you.' He whispers, emotionless again. His eyes are flickering to anyone but me. 'I can't be with you.'
He's staggering back now, creating as much distance between him and me as possible.
He turns on his heels, walking out of the door. He slams it behind him.
And never looks back.
And that's when I feel the nothingness. The slow burning pain in chest.
I feel as if my heart has been ripped out of my body and chucked and manhandled elsewhere. I chuck something on the floor, bursting into a flame of tears. It smashes to the ground.
And I sink to the ground, pouring my heart to the ground.
How could Tobias break up with me after everything we've been through?!
I'm not sure how long I sit there, my back against the wall, my head in my hands and my eyes dripping from tears until my brain forcefully tells me to be brave. To stop being pathetic.
My limbs force me to move and I do: dragging my heavy body out of the room and down into the garden.
My mind is buzzing a mile a minute as I wipe away my tears, clutching my stomach. When I open the doors, I notice it's pouring with rain. It's as if the night sky is mourning for me too. At least the moon is a trusty companion, always by my side.
Thunder rumbles in the distance and I'm about to turn back around when I see him.
There, on the bench near the far side of the pool. With his head in his hands. A small lamp shines a clear sheet of white over him as he water drenches him. He doesn't seem to care.
And neither do I. Quickly, I stomp out of the glass door, barefooted. I forgot my shoes.
He finally notices me when I'm a metre in front of him. He's been crying, or he looks like he has been crying or that might be the rain.
He shoots up when he sees me and my angry face.
When he's in distance and before he can say anything I take a step closer and slap his face. Hard.
'You bastard!' I scream. 'You think you can just break up with me?' He staggers back a bit in shock at my assault and raises his hand to his cheek.
'I…' I cut him off.
'I'm talking here! You think you can protect me by breaking up with me? Disposing everything we have? Eliminating all what we have worked for?'
I force my eyes to not drift from his face, in fear that I would see his devastatingly handsome chiseled chest through his now see-through white shirt, that's drenched in rain and have desirable thoughts cloud my mind.
'I will not let you do this to me Tobias! Don't you understand! You need to stop shutting me out because if you do you will hurt me a lot more.'
'You're right.' He mumbles.
'And I won't let you do that to me- wait what?'
'I said you are right.' He pauses.
It's then that I notice something dark in his hand. A box.
'Tris. Tearing myself away from you hurts me just as much as it hurts you. I love you so much. You are stunning, brave, selfless and you are my other half and without you I'm lost.'
The words are whispers that engrain themselves into my heart.
'But Tris, I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore.'
And my whole world crushes beneath me. Suddenly, the texture of the rain is much heavier than it used to be. Suddenly, I'm drowning.
My eyes won't peel away from his in confusion and heartbreak.
He hands me something.
Something square-like and velvet. It's small but I don't look at it.
And then he does something imaginable and for the second time today I'm shocked into silence.
The rain feels like kisses now.
He places his hands over the box I'm holding and kneels down on one knee.
'Beatrice Prior, I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning and fall asleep in your arms every night, I want to make love to you and I want that love to turn into a house of children, pitter pattering around our house. I want to grow old with you and watch our children have children. And I'm so terribly sorry for before, I thought I was saving you. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you and I just did.' He pauses and inhales a large breath.
'Tris, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?'
Cliffhanger...
Sorry for this being shorter but my average is around 4,000, but still I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I was going to make this longer, however I was really busy moving this week and I just didn't have time for it and I wanted to do it justice.
This is not edited. So, I know there are mistakes.
Two more action packed chapters to go!
Thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter, tell me your thoughts on this one!
-See you next Tuesday. (26/08/15)