HA!
Did you think that the drama would be over? NO! There is way more drama to come, and it's gonna be in this chapter! Brace yerselves!
But seriously, did you think I pulled it off okay? The whole homecoming – David attack juxtaposition? I mean, I think I gave all the information needed but I hope there aren't any loopholes. Was the Fourtris okay? Let me tell you, if you liked that you're gonna hate this… oops! Spoilers! I'll shut up now. I've been planning this chapter for a while and I'm so excited to finally be writing it! No, it wasn't a spur of the moment this-will-be-a-good-idea thing, it was going to happen from the very start. Well, just after the very start. No, she won't die. But the drama goes from this chapter to the next. IT WILL CONTINUE. BAD STUFF WILL HAPPEN. Writing this killed me – I felt sick inside. Just so you know. I'm not a heartless bitch.
I'll actually shut up now.
TRIS POV
My parents wait for me outside the police station, and as I pull up in the police car their faces are troubled and anxious. Did someone explain to them what happened, or did they simply get a call saying that I was getting taken to the station?
The door is opened for me and as soon as my first foot leaves the door I am running to them. They engulf me in a hug, and only now do I realise how absolutely terrified I was. My body is racked with sobs and they only pull me to them firmer. My mom runs her hand over my hair, stroking it in a way that she always did when I was a child.
And a child is what I feel like – a scared child who wants reassurance that there isn't a monster under her bed. But in this case, I confronted the monster, which only made me aware that there are more monsters out there. They could come at any moment, attacking you in the streets, or breaking into your home.
I hope I stopped this monster. He deserves to be locked up. Evelyn too. Where he punched my eye will definitely form a bruise by tomorrow. Tomorrow? Is it already tomorrow though?
I pull away from my parents.
"What time is it?" I ask. I feel like I was with David for hours.
"Three am. Beatrice, what happened?" My dad asks. I shake my head. They'll find that out soon enough and I can't force myself to be the one to tell him that all his investigation colleagues worked for the man he was investigating.
"Okay, if you'd like to come inside now. We need to ask your daughter a few questions," the police woman says. I nod and she leads us inside. We pass many people, some of them in uniforms, some being escorted by people in uniforms. Some people are crying – probably because their child or friend or family member has been taken into custody. I don't feel sorry for them. If they know someone who's committed a crime, then they know someone like David. And there needs to be less people like him in the world.
We enter a room, and the woman asks us to sit down. She leaves once more and my parents and I are left in awkward silence.
Eventually a man comes back in. He doesn't wear a uniform, instead he wears a shirt and tie with dark jeans. Maybe the people who ask you questions don't have to wear the official policeman clothing.
"Beatrice, Natalie and Andrew Prior?" He asks. We nod. "I'm going to ask your daughter a few questions regarding David Black and her involvement in tonight's events," my mom gasps. "You don't have to answer every question, but it would be advisable in relation to administering a suitable punishment as soon as possible."
I nod. I notice there is a camera in the corner of the room. Do police normally video interviews? They probably need to, to make sure the officer isn't lying and that they can hold us to our statements.
"What are your ties with David Black?"
"He's my dad's new boss," I say.
"When did you first meet him?"
"He came to dinner a while ago,"
I remember that night, when Al called me for the first time. He warned me about David when I mentioned him. I had to look in further, didn't I? Stupid, stupid, stupid. I could have been killed!
"Would you please explain what happened tonight?"
I launch into the story of my dramatic night. I mention how I sneaked out, after Caleb having hacked David's emails and found out that tonight was when he planned on meeting with someone. I talk about how I waited for a while until they turned up and how they talked for a bit, but I later found out that was acting. Then I stop for a bit, allowing the painful memories to seep back into my brain after trying to shut them out for the past few minutes. I wince and look to where blood still runs down my arm. My mom follows my gaze, and gasps at the obvious injury. This alerts my dad, and he too looks to where I am bleeding. He frowns, angered.
I start to speak again, saying how I crept out and then David's men, who I then was told were my dad's investigation colleagues, grabbed me from behind.
I spill everything that David said to me. Everything about his plan to draw me in and kill me because he knew I had been investigating thanks to Evelyn who I had spoken to through my best friend, Al. I describe how he tried to stab me, but I flung myself to the side and he ended up stabbing one of my dad's 'colleagues' in the wrist. I explain how I screamed 'fire' at the top of my lungs to draw attention to me and where I was, and how that was what saved me. My dad swells with pride at this, as he should. He taught me something that saved my life.
"You've been through quite a night, Beatrice," The officer says, "We have recorded this interview, and it will be used against David and his supporters. If the evidence is enough, you will be asked to appear in court to provide a witness statement against these men. But in the meantime, perhaps you would like to go home and get some rest. I congratulate you on your bravery,"
We rise, and are about to leave before he calls us back.
"Mr and Mrs Prior, if what Beatrice says is correct, we will be wanting to speak to your son, Caleb. He hacked into government files. We will drop by your house in a few days time." My parents nod solemnly and leave the room. I follow, my eyes trained on the floor. I know I am in trouble, but I won't get told off for a few days. My parents now know the intensity of what I've been through and they wouldn't tell me off when it's clear all I need is sleep.
"Beatrice, you brave girl, it will be okay," my dad says. I am grateful for his words of comfort, but right now, I'm not sure that it will be okay.
PAGE BREAK
I spend most of Saturday in my bedroom, my mom and dad regularly coming in with warm meals and bowls of soup. Caleb has been in multiple times, apologizing for not taking my place. I don't care. I honestly have to emotions towards Caleb at the minute. Although it's stupid, I feel he could have done more to ensure it was safe. Now I'm left with a nasty bruise forming over my eye and a long, rather deep cut running down my arm that will surely scar.
When Sunday rolls around, my parents ask me if I want to go to school tomorrow. I tell them I do. Despite the fact that I wish I didn't, I really crave the support of my friends right now. They'll make me forget everything that happened with their banter and laughter.
I want to see Tobias the most though, I know that his kisses will ensure that I don't remember anything, at least for a minute while I am consumed by him. However, the fact remains that he didn't tell me that his mother was actually alive, and I had to find out from David, a criminal. I don't know how I feel about that, but I'm certainly not comfortable with it.
I know I need to tell my friends everything that happened, but I don't know how well I can. I could get Caleb to say, he surely heard the full story from my parents. But he doesn't know them, and knowing Zeke and Uriah, he would probably come home with a few bruises for not taking my place.
I wonder how my friends will react when they find out that I had planned on going. Will they be angry? Supportive? I really hope it's the latter.
My want for company isn't ignored, and when my mom asks me if I want to go out today to see my friends I say an immediate yes. I hop in the shower quickly and afterwards pull on a pair of loose jeans and my best fitting t-shirt. I don't bother trying to cover up my black eye with some of the makeup that Christina and I bought – I would probably end up being orange in the face.
I get my phone and send a text to Tobias.
Can I come over? ~ Tris
Thankfully, this time the reply comes instantly.
It's probably best you did. He's out. ~ Tobias
It's probably best I did? What does that mean? I take it he doesn't know what happened, but is it possible that he did? Did someone tell him? Did Evelyn somehow find out and tell him?
I find myself getting angry when I think of Evelyn. She left Tobias with Marcus and allowed him to think she was dead. What kind of mother does that? But worse – Tobias knew she was alive. She had contacted him, but he didn't tell me? If he can lie about his mother being dead what else can he lie about?
The idea that he's lied to me this whole time about everything pops up in my head, but I force it back down. He wouldn't do that. He told me he loved me, and I certainly love him. I'm sure I can trust my own instincts when they tell me I can trust Tobias. I wouldn't fall in love with someone who wasn't safe.
I assure my parents that I have my phone, and if there is any problems, no matter how small, I will call them. I can understand why they worry, and whilst some might find it annoying, it comforts me knowing that my mom and dad care.
I walk to Tobias's quickly, and when I ring the doorbell the door immediately swings open and I am folded into a warm hug. I let myself relax into Tobias's metallic and masculine scent, his warmth providing a feeling of safety that I didn't know I craved so much. He lifts me up, despite my protests and carries me into his house. He lays me down on the sofa and kneels on the floor by my head.
"Are you okay?" He asks. I nod. He must know something happened. He reaches out his arms and cups my cheek in his hand. His thumb runs along the bruise just under my eye and I wince slightly.
"What happened?" he asks. I shake my head lightly. When I look into his eyes, I can see something is wrong. There's something he's hiding at the back of his mind, trying to stop himself from bringing it up. I can tell, I'm doing it right now.
"Tobias?" I ask, "What are you thinking? You're forcing something to the back of your mind. What is it?" He chuckles, although there isn't much humour in the situation.
"Always so perceptive." He says. "But it really doesn't matter. What matters is that you're safe. Although, can I ask, how did you escape?" I frown. This doesn't sound like Tobias. This sounds like we're verging on the edge of a disastrous argument.
"I shouted fire," I say. "But how did you find out?"
"Marcus. He taunted me with the information that you were almost killed. He works for the government, and they found out pretty quickly. But don't you think it's a little odd?" His tone wavers, "That I found out from my abusive father that you were almost killed, and not you?" There it is. That's what he was thinking about. I understand where he's coming from, but honestly, I didn't really have the chance.
"What?" I say, sitting up. "I didn't exactly have the chance. If you hadn't noticed, I was sort of recovering from almost being killed. I came to you as soon as I could."
"Maybe so, but you could have told me sometime earlier. Texted me, or gotten your parents to tell me." He says, the irritation evident in his voice.
"Oh, that would have made an interesting text!" I say, my voice raising, "Hi Tobias, I was just almost killed. But see you at school!"
"Why aren't you taking this seriously? You went to see David, unarmed, fully aware that he was a criminal! Why were you so reckless with your life?!" I stand up, and so does he. He towers over me, but he doesn't use it against me.
"Tobias, you don't get it!" I say harshly. I'm not in the mood to explain things to him if he doesn't get them himself.
"Then forgive me, because I must be really stupid for not understanding!" He shouts. "You abandoned me, on what I previously thought was the best night of my life, to risk your life in meeting a criminal! Are you suicidal?! What else haven't you told me?"
Anger boils inside me. This is not what I need. I was almost killed, and all he can do is shout at me for being in danger? I get it that he was worried about me but he's blowing this way out of proportion.
"Oh, don't you dare ask me what I haven't told you, Eaton," I threaten, "I'm not the one that didn't tell you that my supposedly dead mother was actually alive! Or was that not you? Was that someone else because that happens a lot!" I shout back.
"Don't blame this all on me." He hisses, "Just because I had some secrets that I hadn't told you yet doesn't mean I wasn't going to! I had to find out from Marcus that you had almost been killed by a man you willingly met up with!"
I take a threatening step towards him and narrow my eyes.
"So you can take your time to tell me stuff but I can't? That's pathetic, Four."
"Don't use my nickname against me. And it wouldn't be such a 'pathetic' suggestion if you had planned on actually telling me, which clearly you didn't!" He doesn't sound like Tobias anymore. He sounds like Four, the guy who once picked on me and humiliated me on front of the school. This is not my caring boyfriend, and I no longer want to be in the same room as him.
"Well I'm sorry that's how you see it. But I'm not discussing this anymore. I'm not dealing with you on top of everything else right now." His face hardens when he realises what I am saying. "I was just almost killed and yet you still feel the need to bully me about it."
I know the word 'bully' will hurt him most, which is what I am going for currently. Given our previous relationship, it is the best word to use.
"You lied to me and accused me wrongly. Forgive me if I am wrong, but in my book that calls for a cliché ending to a relationship. I can't cope with this right now." My voice falls into a hushed whisper and I realise that this is the ultimate way of putting him through pain. But putting him through this is putting myself through this – and I'm not sure I could be happy properly without him by my side. I would live – I'm not so weak that I rely on a man. But I need him as part of my life.
But there's no going back now.
"I think… I think we need to take a break. These arguments are too much." His face grows pained, and so does my heart. I don't want to do this. I don't want to take a break from Tobias. I want him to say no, tell me that he won't let me go because he loves me. But being Tobias, or should I say Four, he doesn't. He doesn't want to seem weak. He hates being weak.
"Bye, Four," I choke out, tears starting to form in my eyes. I have that feeling in my stomach, the one you get when you're nervous – like butterflies are flying around inside you. But it's slightly different. Now it feels as if all the butterflies suddenly died.