The Encounter

by ClubLulu333

Weeks into her initiation, Everly is struggling with her decision to stay in Amity. Pressured to stay by her family and friends, things become even more complicated when her chance encounter with a certain Dauntless leader puts her right on his radar. Will he be the one to change her life, or is she just another trophy on his hunt? This is an Eric meets Everly in Amity story!

18. Chapter 18

Thanks to Bamberlee for editing!

And thank you so much to those reviewing. Have a really good week everyone!

---

May's house is darker than I realized.

I've been inside a few times, but only as far as her living room. I never paid much attention to it; I'd run over to borrow some sugar or drop off dinner, and I didn't look too hard at anything. The outside was a generic, wooden Amity house and the inside was similar to ours. It had been built forever ago, just like all the others in our faction, and it was large.

Most of the assigned homes were designated for families. Not everyone loved communal living, and anyone willing to take care of the property could have one. They were built frequently, often with help from family and friends, and there was no rhyme or reason to how they were designed or set up. Ours was large enough to house all of us and then some, May's was just as big.

It was probably too spacious for her. The upstairs hinted there were plenty of rooms for anyone who wanted to stay and the downstairs went farther than I could see. There were rooms down here, presumably for guests, including my brothers and sisters.

I was a little surprised they'd chosen to stay with her, foregoing their own home in favor of staying here, but I could see why. May is closer to my mother's age, though she has no children of her own –only ducks – and works out in the fields part time. She's tough for living in Amity. She takes no shit from the younger farmers who prefer to screw around, and she oversees one of the more prosperous fields.

In the winters, she sometimes helps in the kitchens, but more often than not, spends her free time visiting some of the older members and making sure they are alright. She brings them whatever they need, does their shopping, cooks meals, and even helps them clean up. She is well liked, well respected, and unbeknownst to me, the only person Landon is afraid of.

I see the look in her eyes when she hands me Zander's clothes, a dark shirt and dark pants that he asked to be made darker, and her stare skips over me and out her large front window. Her curtains are black, heavy but pulled open so she can see the faction, and the chairs are dark, too.

Even her couch is black.

"Have you seen him? I swore I saw Landon by the lake, but I'm hoping I'm wrong."

"No, I haven't," I shake my head, wanting to ask her how on Earth she'd hit him in the head. She hadn't even flinched when she came for him, and had it not been for her, he might have succeeded. "Johanna said she made him factionless, but I wouldn't be surprised if he came back looking for me. He definitely has a reason to be mad now."

"Oh, he will." May squints, then shrugs. "Is Eric watching him?"

"Do you know Eric?" I ask curiously, and I try to solve the millionth puzzle I've been handed this month. "You came after Landon like…like you weren't afraid at all."

"I'm not. Why would I be afraid of some punk kid? I told you, I don't take kindly to anyone hurting people around here. Especially when they hold themselves in such high regard. I saw what he was doing. I heard his little stories. He wanted to destroy you so you had no choice but to accept his help." May pauses, and behind her, there's a large bookshelf against her wall.

It's not an unusual choice for her, but all her books have dark spines.

"Unfortunately for him, I have no patience for that shit. I learned how to defend myself a long time ago. I know you've tried, and I know Eric showed you, but sometimes, your opponent has the upper hand. And Landon is great at making sure he has the upper hand."

"Are you from Dauntless?" I narrow my eyes at her, and she winks.

"Back to Eric, yes, I know him. Cocky little fucker until it comes to you."

May moves past me, ignoring my surprised stare.

"What else do you know?" I clutch Zander's clothes tighter, and I follow her into her kitchen. She was making lunch when I showed up, and she'd stopped when I told her my family could come home. She swore they were no bother, and in fact, were keeping her busy, then asked if I could possibly wash Zander's favorite outfit and attempt to dye it black. "May, are you from there? Do you know Harrison, too?"

I wait for her to answer, vowing not to move until she does, and for once, someone in my life is straightforward.

"I am. I still have family Dauntless. I've learned a lot from them, including how to take care of myself. Every so often, I go visit. I've run into Eric there, and he's quite the interesting character. But I give the man credit, he goes after what he wants."

"So I've been told."

May throws me a knowing smile, and she resumes violently chopping up the vegetables for lunch. "You should ask him if he still believes in the testing. He was a big supporter of testing for divergence. I want to say he lost interest in it, though the rumor is they're harder to find these days. He goes back and forth between Erudite to see his aunt and she's desperate to test them. I do know Harrison, and he says she's not very happy he's been showing up empty handed."

"His aunt? He didn't tell me he has an aunt there." I wonder if I should ask him, but he'd left after announcing there is a chance Evelyn would try to erase my memory, and the look on his face told me he was oddly concerned about this scenario. It was rare he was bothered by anything, but this news clearly affected him.

If Evelyn did get to me, it was unlikely he'd find me in time.

I make a mental note that she knows Harrison, too.

"Jeanine. I'm not sure how many know she's his aunt. I don't think it's something he announces. The ties to Erudite go way back. It's a way to make sure Jeanine has the protection she wants, and a way to make sure Eric has the intel he wants. The last I heard, he was getting sloppy. He isn't answering to her as quickly as she'd like, and it's all because he has something else he's working on."

"Are you going to say that's me?" My stare meets hers, and she smiles widely. "He said he's coming back in a few weeks, but I don't know what he's going to do. I can't just go to Dauntless. Not to mention my mom and dad aren't back and…"

"I'll see if I can find out how they're doing. If anything, Eden should be back soon. If that man shows up to take you away from all this, you go with him. Run, if you have to. He's determined to keep you safe, and at the rate things are happening around here, it's what you need. I heard about the army Landon is helping to build. He's a moron, but sometimes the most dangerous ones have nothing to lose."

"You're not wrong. An army of factionless is terrifying. But I'd be leaving everyone and…"

"Everly," May interrupts, and she stops only to place the vegetables in a pan on the stove. "Take the risk. Trust me on this one. You don't want to be stuck here, married to someone who wants you to change to fit who they want. There's a reason Eric likes you, and if I were you, I'd find out what that reason is."

She waits until I nod, but her words make me nervous.

After what Landon had said about how terrible a wife I'd be, I can't help but wonder if the reason Eric is interested isn't because I'm amazingly hilarious or he likes how brave I am.

I have the faintest, dizzying feeling there is a chance he likes me because he had seen my test results, and they are just what he's looking for.

---

An hour later, I swear at the sink full of black dye.

I swirl Zander's clothes around once more, then leave them to soak. I'd thrown in a few extras, hoping he appreciated his new Dauntless inspired wardrobe, and I hope they turn out. I glance around the kitchen impatiently, and my stare lands on the phone. It sits there silently, but when I pick it up, his message is right there.

I stand next to the island with a dumb smile on my face, because in this moment, there's no way Eric is only concerned because of some measly percentage.

He asks me how I am, then very bluntly tells me he's been thinking about me, followed by a demand that I stay inside and absolutely do not answer the door for anyone but him.

---

"Do you really believe in haunted dolls?"

This time, Rylan is joined by Jason. The three of us sit on the wooden fence that runs along Jerry's property, watching him and Zander feed the chickens. Zander yells in pure delight every time a chicken wanders close, and he very carefully tries to touch one. Jerry warns him a few are temperamental, but Zander doesn't listen.

He stalks one, getting closer and closer, then yelping when it turns to squawk at him.

"You don't?" Jason eyes me like I'm insane. He takes a sip of his coffee, brought from Erudite in a black cup with a black straw, and he shrugs. "You should. You probably have one in your house."

"Oh, there's definitely some haunted objects in there," Rylan agrees, but he lapses into silence, drinking his own coffee.

I wasn't at all mad when they showed up a few days after Eric left.

After Eric announced Evelyn had yet another case of serums, including the memory loss one which he pointed out there was no way to undo, I fell into a downward spiral of panic.

It was understandable. At best, I was limited in how I could handle things. I could take a cue from May and go buy a few shovels, or I could choose to barricade myself in the house. I could ask Forrest to move back in. I could call Harrison and demand he bring my mother home and stay with the family until Evelyn was arrested, but I couldn't quite bring myself to go through with any of those plans.

I tried to remember what Eric had shown me in regard to punching someone, and I tried to figure out a way to take someone down who was larger than me. I came up with minimal ways for this to work, and all of them required me to be the attacker.

Right after I watched Eric and Rylan head out, I spent my entire day agonizing over going to initiation, wincing every step of the way, and frantic that someone was going to jump out of the trees. I finally had enough of being afraid by dinner time, but it didn't improve my mood. Eric didn't answer my phone call, but he did call back right as I was about to fall asleep, and he quickly informed me that he was sending some soldiers to be in Amity for the next few days. I was hoping he meant himself, but instead, Jason and Rylan knocked on the door around eight in the morning, and brightly told me they were assigned to stay with me.

They were reasonably thrilled with their assignment, and the promise being in Amity brought, but unfortunately for them, my day was far from interesting.

They went with me to initiation. They hung around the greenhouse for a bit. Jason examined a few of the plants intently, and Rylan accidentally locked everyone in the greenhouse for a good ten minutes. They liked Jerry, but they made him nervous. Jerry kept mixing up their names, and he cheerfully called Rylan Scott twice. Determined to get it right, Jerry then called him Ryan, and Rylan left in a huff, claiming he was going to see how Carole was.

He returned ten minutes later, saying Carole threatened to shoot him if he stepped foot on her property.

Andy was noticeably absent.

I drowned in the wave of guilt at him being attacked, but I clawed my way back up when Jerry dismissed us for lunch and told me Andy was doing just fine. He'd taken the day off to rest, and he'd been taken to Erudite, too. He was back and should return tomorrow.

My day didn't get any more exciting. Jason and Rylan ate lunch with me. Jason was polite, even going as far as to say he liked the vegan options, and he didn't mind the almost meat sandwich someone had served him. Rylan didn't enjoy much of it, but someone finally made him a plate of scrambled eggs, and he happily ate breakfast instead. He even drank their coffee, but an hour later, someone named Paul showed up to drop off three coffees from Dauntless.

We were sitting with Jerry when Paul strolled right down the middle of Amity, and he stopped when Jason called his name. The guy stared at me, then very slowly handed me a drink, too.

Jason informed me he'd ordered them not too long ago, and Paul was grateful for the chance to deliver them. He waited patiently to see if I liked my drink, though I wondered if he'd go back and make another if I said I didn't, so I took a sip and nodded.

It was sweet.

It tasted like chocolate milk and coffee mixed together, and I really liked it. Jason pointed out he mostly liked the aesthetic of how dark it all looked, and Rylan snapped a picture of him, casually chilling on the fence with his fancy coffee, then one of all three of us.

As the day wound down, I struggled with them realizing I had nothing else planned for the day. At some point, I wanted to wrangle Zander home and make sure he wasn't driving anyone insane. I could make us dinner, and I'd decided tonight was the night I was going to call Harrison. Despite my talk with May, my mother still hadn't returned, and I still hadn't heard anything. Johanna had waved in my general direction, throwing me a look full of sympathy, but she made no move to come by me. I kept thinking of how Four said she was involved, and I figured I was safer away from her.

Or at Jerry's.

"What sort of things would be haunted? The plants?" I try to think of what Rylan had spotted that could potentially be harboring a ghost, but I can't think of much. "The pillows?"

"Well," Rylan starts, balancing haphazardly while Jerry yells for him to be careful. "Eric didn't tell us anything about your room. Not that we asked. But anything can be haunted. Even a spoon."

"You both believe this?" I stare at them, in matching uniforms and matching messed up hair, and they nod. "Do you have haunted spoons in Dauntless?"

"Oh, all of Dauntless is haunted," Jason answers seriously. He looks at me with a very intense expression, like I should have known this. "Plenty of people meet their fate every day. The lower levels are a cluster fuck of paranormal activity. Shrieking. Screaming. Things floating. It wouldn't be farfetched to think there's a ghost roaming the hallways."

For a moment, I think he's joking.

But he's not.

"Does Eric think it's haunted?" I sip the drink again, and I have a feeling this answer is no. "Is his apartment haunted?"

"Only with the souls of the girls he's rejected," Rylan laughs so hard he nearly falls over, but he catches himself. His hand touches something on the fence, and he shakes it off with a look of disgust. "Nah, he doesn't believe in ghosts. Eric's beliefs are very black and white. Science based. You're alive or you're not. You can float or you can't. You're a zombie or not a zombie."

"None of those things are science based except for being alive," I point out, and he flashes me a blinding grin.

"Okay, true. Eric's brain is like that though, and trust me, I grew up with him, so I know Eric better than anyone. He only believes in things that can be proven. So, can you prove a ghost is here? No. Can you prove that two numbers added together equal another number? Yes. If he works out enough, can he kill someone with his bare hands? Also yes."

"He also doesn't believe in things like feelings. One time someone cried in front of him in hopes that he'd comfort them, and he just stared," Jason adds. "It's how he was brought up. If you had scientists for parents, you'd be more inclined to believe that plants grow because you water them, not because you tell them good morning. Eric likes facts. We tried to explain that sometimes people have feelings, but he doesn't care."

I think about this for a second, and I have to admit it would explain his inability to say much.

"So there you go. He doesn't believe in ghosts. But there has to be at least one that's crossed his path." Rylan insists. "Daniel also doesn't believe in ghosts. I asked him once and I got a lecture on paranormal influence in old media. Eric would never admit it, but they both share some really boring convictions."

"What is Eric doing?" I swing my feet, watching Zander catch a chicken. He looks surprised at himself, then terrified as he launches the chicken toward Jerry. "Why didn't he come by?"

"He's in a meeting with Max. They're doing damage control for the missing serums. Jeanine demanded it, but Eric pointed out they don't let us in their faction. They want minimal security, minimal cameras, and even less of our involvement. If you ask me, Eric's getting really sick of working for Jeanine." Rylan stops talking, and his eyes are wide. "Shit. I think I've said too much."

"It's okay! Christina told me," I answer quickly, and his eyes widen even more. "She told me all about him. How she had him for her initiation and he tried to kill her. How it took a long time for her to be around him."

Jason laughs so hard he chokes. "Yeah, it always makes it a little awkward when she shows up."

"To be fair, she's very dramatic," Rylan's slow snicker makes me laugh even harder. "They both claim the other got mouthy, and then someone threw someone over the railing and it's all a blur. I'm sure they've moved past it, but please feel free to share what else she said."

"She just said he's very, very closed off. That he demands a lot of respect and doesn't talk to many of the members. That he wasn't nice when she first met him and he's still not nice," I pause while Rylan nods in agreement, and he's still grinning. "She said she never sees him with anyone unless it's you guys or other leaders, and she was shocked he was interested in anyone from Amity. I guess he comes off a little too violent for most."

I pause, because they're both looking at me, and neither are disagreeing.

"Is he…"

"Cluelessly head over heels for you? If Eric believed in feelings, yes." Rylan interjects. "I told you, you have to be patient. He wouldn't know what it's like to care about someone if it slapped him in the face. This is unchartered territory for a man who gets his thrills from slamming people into walls."

"That's true. He's not good with communicating. Four was lucky you were there when you were. If you hadn't been, Eric probably would have murdered him before anyone showed up." Jason looks thoughtful, and I have the feeling they've talked about this before. "Which is cute when you consider he probably didn't want you to see him kill anyone. Yet. That'll come later."

I stare at him, and once again, Dauntless seems like a world that can't possibly exist.

But it does.

"It's all good. While he won't tell anyone, we know he really likes you. It's not like we don't think he should like you. He's just quiet about it. He keeps sending everyone here and demanding more security and better cameras and he even blew off Jeanine to come see if you were okay. He hasn't outright said any of this is because of you, but then he turns around and practically murders Four for you getting attacked. He shows affection in strange ways."

Jason finishes his thoughts with a shrug.

"He does. He might not tell you he likes you, but he'll move half the Dauntless army over here for you," Rylan watches as Jerry and Zander introduce a new chicken, and he tilts his head. "I asked him if he could ever move here, and he laughed so hard he spilled his coffee. But, since we're being honest, I think Eric would be an excellent chicken wrangler."

We all watch as Zander trips over a chicken, and his scream when he bonks his head on the chicken coop is enough to startle everyone. Furious over hurting himself, he yells at everyone: Jerry, Travis the chicken, me, Rylan and Jason, and then the ground, and he shoves himself up and glares at all of us.

"Or maybe he wouldn't last five minutes here." Rylan laughs again, hopping off the fence and going over to Zander. He picks him up without any warning, and Zander's scream turns to happy shrieking as Rylan helps him chase the chicken he tripped over, vowing to avenge Zander's pride.

"Eric is a good guy. Sometimes. I hope you know that," Jason hops off the fence, and he helps me down. "A lot of people don't. He's made some mistakes but…he's better. He's been really good these last few months because he has a reason to."

"Really?" I stare up at Jason, and a second too late, I realize he's talking about me. "I wish he was here today."

"Yeah, I know. He does, too. Trust me."

Jason and I watch Rylan and Zander finish their chicken hunt, and he misses Carole scowling at him, arms crossed and eyes trained on him, while all her chickens slowly stroll around her.

---

At eleven thirty, I sit on my bed, and I try to decide if it's too late to call Harrison.

I had meant to call earlier. Jason and Rylan had stayed for dinner, claiming it was part of their job, but eventually admitting they could have gone home hours ago. They stayed until Zander was asleep, until Wesley had wordlessly walked past them, up to his room, then back downstairs to see if they were still here, then upstairs again. They left once they were sure I was staying home, and they promised they'd be back soon.

By the time I took a shower and brushed my hair, I was shocked to see it was so late.

I still have no other option. I bravely click on Harrison's name, and I feel more nervous than I ever have. I press the button marked call, and the phone begins to ring.

It rings for a while.

It keeps going, an unusually long amount of time, until there is a click, and his voicemail answers. The message is curt: leave my name and number and he'll call me back if he decides the message warrants it, and then nothing. I try to remember all the things I should say; I was going to leave my name and tell him I didn't know the phone number, but Eric had it, and ask if he could please call me back and at least tell me my mother was okay.

Instead, I chicken out entirely, and I press end before I say a single word.

---

This time the market is crowded.

The cold weather should be keeping everyone inside, but it's not. It's brought them here in droves. I wander through the crowd, taking a few seconds to peruse all the items for sale, but nothing really catches my eye. I'd promised Jerry I'd be right back, and he was the only reason I was here. He'd announced he was going in search of a few things for his house and asked if I wanted to tag along.

The gesture was nice.

I still hadn't heard from my mom, and it was going on a week. The days stretched on endlessly, broken only by sunrises and sunsets, and the in between hours shifted from bleak –going through the motions of initiation but failing to identify all the parts of a sunflower, to okay –checking to see if Eric had sent anything, and occasionally smiling at the sharp text announcing whatever he was up to.

His updates were as sparse as my mother's. I'd seen him only a few days ago, and since then, he'd had coffee. He was in a meeting with Max. He was sitting with Lauren, a faceless name I'd heard mentioned, while he refused to take over training the initiates.

I learned from these few lines of blinking text that Four had been demoted. Eric was watching him like a hawk, sending him on whatever errand struck his fancy. Going to find Evelyn had been the first one. Today's errand - sent while I sat in the passenger seat of the truck and Jerry rambled on about the new chicken named Travis that Zander had tripped over -was walking the worst route with the lowest ranking patrol squad. His chances of death were high; the squad was made up of dedicated but low ranking soldiers, and almost none met Eric's approval. I could feel his glee through the screen, and he announced they were being sent further into the woods in hopes of finding Evelyn.

I was certain he would not find her.

At least not yet.

Evelyn is too smart.

Her trickery came when I least expected it. It was likely she'd figured out that since Colton had a tracker, Dauntless was coming for her. Four's weird and skittish behavior wouldn't help. His fight with Colton was no better than his fight with Eric, and for the second time, he paid for his betrayal with his own blood.

Even that didn't seem to do much.

He took it in stride, and was now trudging along through the woods, in hopes of proving whose side he was really on.

He would prove it, I'm sure, but Evelyn was making it even harder. The locations where she had been now showed no activity, and while he sat on a fence with me, Jason let it slip that Evelyn was able to let her army do all the dirty work. They might find Colton, or they might find a slew of factionless milling around feigning innocence, but they wouldn't find her.

"Boots! Get your boots here! Twenty points for one pair, thirty points for two!"

The noise of the market rises up as someone does his best to sell the heavy, knock off version of the boots the Dauntless soldiers wear. For half a second, I contemplate grabbing a pair. These aren't like the work boots in Amity, but more military. They are thick and sturdy, with shiny laces and heavy soles, and would look absolutely ridiculous with anything I own.

I dash the thought that I could wear them with anything, since Rylan had deemed my entire wardrobe that of something a deceased child bride would wear, and I turn the corner.

I come to a halt, nearly taking out a man from Candor with a heavy coat and a woman glaring at me, because there, two rows down and a table away, is Eric's father.

I recognize him immediately.

Though my investigation skills were limited, and so were my resources, there's a fleeting moment of triumph that I've just spotted him in real life, and I know enough to figure out it's him.

Immediately, my mind races through the facts I know: his name is Daniel, because Eric had said it a few times, though always in great disgust. His last name is Coulter, and I know he's a brain surgeon who works more than he doesn't. I'd even seen his picture, the one with Eric storming at the camera while Daniel stood beside him grinning.

From what I could put together, he seems nice enough, maybe even nicer than in the photos.

Even the woman he's with seems nice. She's the same one from the café that Eric had taken me to in Erudite, and I would bet anything she'd said something to Daniel.

I watch them intently, wondering what they were here for. The two of them are impressive, and not just to me. They're currently discussing the weather and how it was giving the woman a headache, and Daniel suggests she get some coffee. They are completely caught up in their conversation, so much that they miss the people turning to look at them. They garner a lot of attention because they don't look like anyone else here, and because of their posture.

It's easy.

Elegant.

Sort of regal as they stroll past trinkets and oversized carpets without ever looking anywhere but at each other.

The man shopping next to them takes in Daniel's structured jacket and glasses with a look of approval, and he nods at the heavy watch on Daniel's wrist. It's obvious their clothes are a much nicer quality than what's sold here, and even the woman's dress is well tailored. Her dress isn't long, but she has on a heavy coat and mittens, and she walks a step behind, carefully touching a few of the books in front of her, unbothered by the cold.

"LIZARDS! GET YOUR LIZARDS HERE!"

I whirl around, half expecting to see Zander here, trying to sell reptiles, or perhaps Rylan vying to buy one. But I don't see anyone I know. Only a wave of people shopping, grumbling that the snow fall is already heavy and thankful someone is selling hot chocolate.

"Excuse me," I head over toward the rows of books, set up in a different location, further out of the way.

I cut across a group looking at oversized rugs, and I smile politely at the woman selling furniture. This section has taken a sharp turn from novelty to higher end items, and I almost retreat back to where Jerry was inspecting a fountain with two frogs spitting water at each other.

"Do you need help, miss?"

I startle at the noise, but no one is talking to me. I keep going, passing a section of graphic romance novels that looked like the ones May would read on her porch, and a section of science fiction. I pass children's books, a section labeled historical romance, and I turn when a sign reads Reference.

"Camille, do you have this one? This is last year's addition, but it's a fascinating read on memory and perception."

Two feet away from me, Dr. Daniel Coulter browses a table of books like he's casually picking out dinner plates. Judging from his neatly parted hair, and his shiny shoes without a single scuff on them, I assume his dinnerware is just as refined as he is.

"I don't believe I do. I had one, but I lent it to Greg. Let me see if…wait! This is my copy! Greg said he lost it! It has my name written inside!"

Camille looks exasperated, and she's far prettier up close than I would have guessed. I was basing my assumption off Eric's sneer that he didn't like her, but I don't see why. She's nearly as tall as his father, and they stand closely together. But I understand his reluctance toward her when she turns to prove the book for sale is hers, and I realize Eric's father has a wedding ring on, but Camille does not.

Maybe, the king of sneaking between factions and starting this illicit, practically forbidden romance, frowned upon his father being close to another woman.

"How much do you want for this one?" Camille looks back at the book seller, and he refuses to budge on the price, despite it being her own book. "It's last year's version."

"It's highly sought after," the man responds, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What are you willing to pay? Fifty-six? Fifty-five points?"

"For my own book?" Camille frowns, and my fingers touch whatever is in front of me. I keep watching her, noticing that even under pressure she's calm and collected, and I fail to notice Eric's father is right next to me.

When I look up, I nearly knock the books off the table, because he's right there, staring at me. His stare has more than a hint of recognition to it, though he has no reason to know who I am.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's not every day I see someone interested in a book on Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis."

He says the words too easily, like they're second nature.

"Um…it's not…" When I glance down, the book in my hands is terrifying, with an eyeball taking up almost the whole cover. I let go immediately, and he smiles as it hits the table.

"It's a terrifying procedure. Rarely used these days. That book should be over in the horror section." He pauses, and his watch gleams at me as he points to the table. "Are you studying to become a doctor?"

"Me?"

He has to be joking.

Eric's father looks at me, my hair pulled half up and the dress that I think might have been Holly's, and his gaze is sharp. It's not sharp like Eric's, but sharp like he's putting a few things together, or he's cataloging this for later. He waits for me to answer, and I find him slightly intimidating. Not in the physical sense, though he's fit and healthy looking, but because it's clear he's intelligent enough to know what the book is about and I am not.

I've never once felt like I wasn't smart, but I suddenly feel like my life in Amity was nothing but mooing along with the cows.

"Um, no…I was actually looking for…" I glance around, hoping to see something that would be appropriate. All around me are books meant for doctors. One is a heavy tome of disorders and treatments, and the next table boasts articles and journals published by members of Erudite. One has a brain, and the other has some sort of DNA strand and a bunch of medical jargon. "Something for my brother."

"How old is he?" Daniel's eyes meet mine, and his are blue. "Is he your age? Is he interested in the human brain?"

He smiles again, kindly, and I have the urge to bolt.

At some point, I would have to tell Eric I saw his father. Announcing I found him buying books with names I couldn't pronounce as I tried to play it off like I could, probably wouldn't make me look very cool. But I can't run just yet. I've already started talking to him, and if I ever do see him again, I'll look insane.

I probably already do.

He's still observing me, eyeing my dress and my hair, but trying to look like he isn't.

"He's younger. I'm Everly, by the way," I smile up at him, and I extend my hand. From what I know about Erudite, everyone is formal and polite, and it's true.

Daniel immediately shakes my hand, and his smile is pleased as ever. "It's nice to meet you, Everly…"

"Everly Carlen." When I say the last name, his eyes widen. He glances over at Camille, still trying to get the man to sell her the book for less than twenty points. "I know this might sound weird, but I know your son. He was going to ask you about my dad."

"You know my son?" Daniel repeats, but he's already made the connection. He wrinkles his brow together, and his head tilts. "Eric?"

"I don't mean to bother you. I'm here with a friend and I saw you and I thought maybe I could ask you if he's okay…" I stop talking when he exhales, and I realize my mistake immediately.

As a well-respected doctor in Erudite, it was unlikely he wanted to answer questions from a girl in the market, especially about his work. This had to be the ultimate insult. I probably should have tried to make an appointment, or at best asked Eric if he'd take me to visit. I could only imagine the conversation they would have now, when Eric learned I'd run into his father at the market and walked right up to him to pry about my father.

"Yes," Daniel pauses to glance back at Camille, still haggling over the book, and she shakes her head at him. Her eyes widen when they find me, and she does her best to silently communicate that she knows who I am. She looks different than she did at the coffee shop, more relaxed and less stressed, but it's clear she hasn't forgotten me.

When she thinks I'm not looking at her, she points, and lowly informs him I'm the girl she saw.

Daniel looks back at me, and his expression changes to concern over my stare. "Everly, are you okay?"

I startle, because my brilliant plan cracks. I had thought I could ask him about my dad without revealing who I am, but it's obvious they both know. The woman must have called him and told Daniel she saw Eric with someone. I would go as far as to guess she'd seen him kiss me, and the two of us left before she did.

Which is why his stare is focused.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. I just haven't heard anything. My mom hasn't come back and Eric said he'd…"

"Eric," Daniel says the name slowly, and his tone is odd. "Hold on a second," he whirls around quickly and gestures at the woman he's with. "Camille, just buy the book. I'll be right back. Grab me another copy of the last medical journal as well."

"Okay," Camille answers, and her stare tells me something is up. She looks at me a second too long, and I can't read her expression. "Daniel, are you sure you want-"

He shoves a card at her. I didn't even see him reach for his wallet, but he pulls out a heavy looking blue metallic card, and practically slams it into her hand.

"I'll be right back."

He returns to me, and gestures for me to walk away from the table. I follow him back toward the first row of bookshelves, and it's out of the way enough that we're still hidden away from the people shopping.

"You're Everly? You live in Amity, right?" He tries his best not to eye me up and down again, but I know he wants to. I regret not dressing up a little more, but it was cold and snowy, and I'd grabbed the first dress my fingers touched and one of my father's sweaters and ran to meet Jerry. "You're the one Eric said was attacked by the same people who took the serum. More than once."

He waits for an answer.

I look to the side of him, and when the annoyance of Landon's attack fades away, I force a smile, because it's clear this is now my legacy. Despite having gotten closer to Eric than one would ever imagine, it stung to know he'd brought me up only as attack victim number one.

"Yeah, that's me. It hasn't been the greatest few months."

His eyes widen like he's made a mistake.

"No, no please, I think you're misunderstanding me. Eric rarely tells me anything. I caught him in an off moment when he would talk, and he said a girl in Amity had been attacked multiple times. He said he was working to find who did it, and that's more than he's ever told me. Rylan was the one who told me your name. Camille mentioned she saw Eric with someone once, but she didn't know your name."

"You know Rylan?" I have to look up at Daniel, and I try to appear less like someone from Amity, and more like someone who had connections to the Dauntless faction so he'll talk to me. I give up immediately, because his expression brightens at Rylan's name, and he doesn't seem to care that I'm not a brain surgeon.

"I've known Rylan for years. He's a good guy. Hyper, with the possible inability to pay attention for very long, but a great friend to Eric. He calls every so often. He said Eric was personally overseeing your safety," Daniel pauses, and he glances down at my hands. "Do you mind me asking how old you are? Or what you do in Amity?"

Shoot.

I don't know if he's measuring me up to see where I rank in regard to intelligence, but my stomach drops when I tell him I'm eighteen. He looks surprised, but it's better than telling him I was currently sucking at our initiation and it was unlikely I'd secure a position on par with what he did.

Or at all.

Of course, there was the off chance he was hoping for a level of unparalleled brilliance when it came to getting oneself in trouble, and I was excelling in that.

"I'll be nineteen really soon," I ignore the flash of worry on his face, and I hate the thought that he might not like me. "I'm really good at baking, I can sort of cook, and I've been watching my brothers and sisters while my mom is gone. I like to read, too. I usually read to Zander at night but he's been at my older brother's house lately and um, I'm helping Jerry with his chickens. I'm just waiting for my dad to come home…" I trail off when my rambling fails to impress him, but he rocks back on his heels and nods.

"Your father. You were going to ask me about your dad. Hank Carlen," Daniel pushes his glasses up higher, and he looks around like someone could be listening. "I understand. Your mother is still at the hospital. Hank wakes up occasionally, but he's having a hard time remembering things. We think he may be suffering from a serum induced memory loss. The few times he's been coherent, he hasn't recognized your mother, and there's no reason for him not to. The trauma to his head wasn't all that severe."

I feel myself tense up.

I wrap my arms around myself, and I work very hard not to move. "Serum induced memory loss? What do you mean? Does he remember anything?"

"Dr. Coulter! I didn't expect to see you here. What on Earth are you doing?"

Before he can answer me, we're interrupted by someone saying his name, and the voice is unfortunately familiar. It's the same one that announced I was no one to Eric, then asked me where he was.

"It's so good to see you! It's been what, a few days?" Ashley flashes Eric's father a blindingly sweet smile, and she practically prances over to him. Her stare stays on me as she fights away a sneer, and it's not for my sake. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Everly. I didn't expect to see you here. Are you lost? The dog food is a few rows over. We don't have any pets in Erudite, but I know Amity takes in all kinds of strays."

I force myself not to shove her headfirst into the row of wizarding books.

"I was actually talking to…"

"Dr. Coulter has a lot of things going on. I don't think he needs to spend any time speaking with you. I'm sure you're very busy watering plants and tending to the cows and wandering around your dirt roads." Ashley smiles again, perfectly white teeth gleaming in the light, and Daniel looks annoyed.

Maybe that's because she's not entirely wrong.

If this were a competition, in any way, I'm sure Daniel would prefer Eric wind up with someone who was from Erudite.

"Ashley, if you'll excuse me…" he starts, but she shakes her head, and steps directly in front of me. Her gaze is sharp, and she waves me away dismissively.

"Bye Everly."

"It's really good to see you again," I eye her carefully, noticing her perfectly fitted jacket and pants, and my lips turn up when I think of her wobbling to Carole's house. "Um, thank you for your time. I'll let you two talk. The picture books are a few tables over, Ashley. I'm sure they have one you haven't flipped through before." I smile again, doing my best to make it look natural, and I only feel like I might cry because I had just been with Eric, and he'd certainly seemed to like me then.

But Ashley in person is worse than anything, especially knowing she lives in the same faction as Eric's father. It's not necessarily an advantage, but I'm sure Eric had some fond memories of Erudite, including her. "I'm so sorry for bothering you. It was nice to meet you, Dr. Coulter."

"Everly!"

He says my name insistently, but Ashley reaches out to grab his arm as her face turns red with rage.

"Get lost," she hisses through her teeth, then she turns and begins telling him about her father, and how he said he'd been trying to get ahold of Daniel, and he has no choice but to answer her. I pause at the end of the row for just a second, and when I head out, I crash right into Jerry.

"Hey, I got some birdseed. You okay? You look like you're gonna throw up."

"I'm alright. I was just…looking for a book. I'll have a lot of free time once I fail initiation." I remind him, and I reach for one. It has a weird bird on the cover, and glowing reviews from people who don't exist anymore. "I'll just pay for this. Give me a second."

"You won't fail. I changed your scores anyway. Your father was real tough on you. I wasn't sure if someone else had gotten into his scorebook or what. They had you failing everything. Even the one about showing up for class was marked as always absent, and I know you've been there." Jerry talks while I hand the merchant my card, and the guy swipes it without greeting me. "I fixed it all so you'll be fine. I don't think Johanna would want you to fail anyway."

"Do you want a copy of your receipt?" The guy asks, and I shake my head no. "Enjoy your futuristic dystopian fiction. Katniss is a terrible main character. The one you bought is okay. I hated the others in general."

"Oh thanks," I stare at him, wondering why he wouldn't tell me this before I bought it, but it's too late now. "Are there more than one?"

"Three. The first two are good. The third is shit. I have all of them. I'll bring the others next time around if you want."

"Sure, that would be great," I shrug, and Jerry stares. "What?"

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look so happy and that blonde girl over there keeps looking at you. She doesn't look very happy, either."

I don't turn around, because I don't want to give Ashley an ounce of satisfaction. I could throw it in her face that Eric just spent the night, and he'd only left because he had to. But there was a chance he'd left and gone to her, even though I believed him when he said he didn't care for her.

"She doesn't like me. She's…Eric's ex-girlfriend or something. I sent her to Carole's house when she was in Amity," I answer.

Jerry bursts out laughing. "And?"

"Who knows? Carole didn't kill her, so I might have to hire a hitman."

"Eh, talk to Allen. He'll take care of her for almost nothing." Jerry rolls his eyes, and he points to the entryway. "You want to head back? Or keep looking? There's a guy who claims the doll he has for sale tried to kill him. His name's Ed. Nice guy, but I don't want a possessed doll floating around my house. He also has a fountain I was interested in."

"Let me see the doll," I perk up, and I wonder if maybe this is the perfect gift for Rylan. It was unlikely I was attending his anniversary party for…whatever he was celebrating, but I could at least send a gift.

This might be just the one I'm looking for.

It'll also be a good distraction from Daniel and Ashley.

"You lead the way."

---

It's not perfect.

The doll is horrifying.

"You uh, in the market for something like this?"

"God no." I shake my head at Ed, and there's no way I can buy this thing. I wouldn't even take it for free for fear it might come alive and kill us on the drive home. "I'm looking for something for a friend's anniversary party, but I don't think this is it."

"I see." Ed is appropriately bummed, probably hoping I'd take his demon doll and rid him of its curse. Too bad for him, giving Rylan a haunted doll might just be the end of Dauntless.

"Thank you for letting me see…it." I step away, crashing into someone, and I apologize to Jerry without looking. "Sorry, Jerry. Are you ready to go?"

"I was hoping I'd find you!"

I look back in surprise to see Not Jerry standing behind me, and he gently catches my arms. He lets go immediately, smiling, then looking at the doll with all the skepticism in the world. "I wanted to finish talking to you. I'm sorry about the…interruption."

"Ashley?" I look up at Daniel, then around to make sure she's not here. "It's alright. She's just one big interruption in my life these days."

I sound a little annoyed, and I am. Her appearance was never good, and if anything, it would spur her on to call Eric. I'm sure she'd love to tell him she saw me with his dad, making an absolute idiot of myself.

"Can we talk for a minute? I think we got off on the wrong foot and we didn't get a chance to clear things up," Daniel speaks quietly, and he gestures over to where someone is selling cookies. "I'm not…I don't mind that you're from Amity. Actually, it makes sense that Eric would like someone who isn't so violent. I felt awful when you walked away. Camille and I have been trying to unravel this mystery for weeks now."

His words confirm that he does know who I am.

They also confirm he's fine with this.

"She saw us in Erudite. Eric took me there one night," I admit.

Daniel looks downright delighted at this news.

"That's what she said. It's rare Eric comes to Erudite just to hang out. He must have had some reason for bringing you," Daniel looks thoughtful. "Did you like the coffee?"

"I did," I smile at the memory of being there. "He said he had an errand to run but we had a really strange conversation beforehand and I think…I think he felt weird and was trying to make up for it. He said I was too young and he doesn't want to have children. I can only assume his friends were giving him a hard time."

"Oh." His surprise is clear as day, but not in a bad way. "Did he tell you this?"

"No, I overheard it. It was really awkward. I understand that I'm younger than he is, so I just assumed that's why he'd pick Ashley. I've met her a few times and it's never gone well. Today is just another example," I admit, and he gestures for me to follow him.

I do.

We join the line of people waiting before a cart. I hope Jerry stays distracted by looking at a second water fountain, this one with three frogs, long enough that I can talk to Daniel.

"And I'm so sorry. It was wrong of me to assume you'd tell me anything. I just wanted to know if my dad is okay. My mom doesn't have a phone, and no one is telling me what's going on. Maybe it's a good thing she showed up."

"Hardly. You can ask me anything, and I'll tell you what I can. I'm not working today, so I haven't seen your dad, but my assistant is there. I saw Hank yesterday and he wasn't awake. When he is awake, he has moments of acute coherence, but he doesn't recognize your mother. She's been by his side for most of it, and…. she was hesitant to let us do anything at first, but then she realized this isn't someone who hit their head. Someone wanted to make him forget everything and they did. We're trying to reverse it, but after a few recent incidents with the labs, they aren't willing to hand over much of their serum for testing. Even if I order it. The good news is, I think it's temporary."

He pauses and smiles as the guy in front of us steps away and says we can order. I look up in confusion, because I've been too busy listening to Daniel to pick out what kind of cookie I want. I'm a little in shock at the memory loss, and my stomach knots up at the thought that he might never remember any of us.

It had to be the one that went missing, which didn't bode well for me.

"We'll have three cookies. I have to get one for Camille or she'll be mad," Daniel fumbles in his jacket for his card, and he hands it over before I can pay. "No, please, I want to buy this. What I meant earlier was, Eric rarely mentions his work but he mentioned your faction over and over, and he gave more information on it than ever. Since then, I've asked Eric about you a few times. I asked why he was so interested in Amity, a faction that he loathes, and he wouldn't tell me. He said it was his job to make sure people were safe. But Eric doesn't care about anyone's safety. Not really."

I stare up at Daniel as he unknowingly confesses just as much as Eric. He stares back at me, and his smile is genuine.

"He's a little taken with you. He's very private, but he brought up Amity all on his own and he never brings up Amity."

"Can I ask you something else?" I wait for his nod, and I figure it's now or never. Ironically, it's not about my father. Daniel had given me a few answers –ones I didn't want to hear –but I have plenty of other things to ask him about. "Is Ashley his girlfriend?" I take the cookie from the guy, and it's warm and gooey. "I don't know what you would call whatever is going on, but I don't want to be cared about by someone who has a girlfriend."

I try to think of the most diplomatic way to explain that I was sleeping with his son, and if it turned out Eric was still with Ashley, then I was a complete moron and needed to put a halt to that.

His father must be assuming things are a little more serious because he looks taken back. "Is he…is he dating Ashley? Are you asking if they're in a relationship?"

"He told me he's not but…I'm in another faction without the ability to leave. I only know what he tells me," I try to explain my jumble of thoughts, and I hope his father understands. "Eric has helped me a lot. He showed me how to punch someone and he was one of the few people who believed me about Landon."

"Landon," Daniel repeats, taking his card back from the vendor. He then accepts the two remaining cookies, but he doesn't move. "I've heard that name, too. As far as I know, Eric only sees Ashely if it's required for work. She just hinted she can't get ahold of him and asked if I could let him know she's tried. He's not there all that often, at least not to see me. I wouldn't worry about her."

The relief is overwhelming. Ashley seemed desperate to get to Eric, but I didn't want that to be my wishful thinking and not reality.

"Are you and Eric close?" I figure maybe I can get a little more information out of Daniel, but he shakes his head after a second.

His expression tenses, and he and Eric both make the same face when they don't want to answer a question.

"Not…particularly. His mother and I both work a lot and once he picked Dauntless, he didn't come back for a long time. Every so often I catch him in a free moment, so I try to call when I can."

There's a hint of hidden remorse in his tone, but it's fleeting.

"He must be going to see you, though. He said he's been working more than normal. Jeanine stopped by to ask Blythe where he's been and…" he hesitates, and his eyes lock on mine. "It doesn't matter. I just wanted to come talk for a minute. I'm very sorry about Ashley interrupting. It was rather rude of her, but I do work with her father. His floor is below mine." Daniel finishes, and he waits for me to say something, but I can't think of a single nice word to contribute.

He can tell.

He smiles and gestures at the bag in my hands. "Did you buy a good book?"

"Not according to the guy who sold it to me," I half laugh, half shrug, and I hope the book is at least entertaining. "Thanks for coming back and talking to me. I feel a little better now, but um, I hope that I can see you again sometime. Maybe…maybe if Eric ever takes me to Erudite again."

Daniel's eyes light up.

"I would love that! There's a nice restaurant we could go to. I'm sure my…" Daniel pauses, and he gently waves someone around us. "…wife would love to meet you."

"Oh, sure. That would be really nice." I answer immediately, but there's something about the way he hesitated when he said the word wife that makes me think my mother isn't the only one with secrets. Or that Eric's reasoning for not liking Camille wasn't because she answered his phone. "I can ask Eric. I don't really have a way out of Amity, but maybe he can bring me to see my dad and then we could go eat dinner."

You would think I'd offered him the cure for the memory loss serum.

Daniel's smile is so wide it must hurt, and he nods enthusiastically. "Anytime. I can clear my schedule. And I will have Eric call you with any news that I have. I'm thinking we'll have the answer for you in a few days. Greg is determined to try a few things, and if not, I'll push for the serums to be brought to me and I'll personally see what I can do."

"Thank you," I hope I sound gracious, because he's given me a tiny bit of hope. "I really appreciate that. I hope I see you soon."

Daniel doesn't nod right away. He looks at me, his stare memorizing my face, and his smile doesn't budge, not even when Jerry loudly returns to inform me he's purchased two fountains and he needs my help carrying one, but maybe not because it's really heavy and he doesn't want the frog heads to break off.

He finally agrees, and it's like his whole day has been made.

"Me too."

---

"Is his dad hot?"

Sophia sits on the counter eating a spoonful of ice cream. Courtney is beside her, and both are waiting patiently for my answer as though this were the sole reason they came over.

"Do they look alike? Eric could be handsome but he's so stuck up looking," Sophia takes another bite, and she glances at Courtney out of the corner of her eye. "He's hot but kinda like, psycho hot. Like he might bash your head into the wall on purpose."

"He's not a pyscho," I roll my eyes, but I know she's joking. "There was no head bashing, either. Well, at least not mine. But, to answer your question, his dad is really nice. I thought he might not like me since he holds a really high job there, but he bought me a cookie and seemed excited at the thought that we could maybe go to dinner."

"Or…hear me out, maybe he's just excited someone isn't running screaming from his son," Courtney offers, but she's trying not to laugh. "I mean, Eric is hot, but I'd still be a little afraid.

"You would not. Liar! And Everly don't avoid the subject! I asked if his dad was hot. We know you think Eric is hot," Sophia laughs, and the normalcy of them being here is just what I needed.

They'd shown up right after dinner, and I have to admit, I was glad to see them. We had a ton to catch up on, and I hadn't seen either one since the three of us went to Dauntless.

Once they'd gotten back from the dinner, Sophia had gotten sick, and Courtney had been working in the kitchens. Tonight they both showed up, desperate to make sure I was alive and even more desperate to hear what happened once I left with Eric.

But first, we caught up.

While they helped me wash the dishes, Courtney lamented how boring her job is, but admitted at least she got to take plenty of breaks and some of the cooks were hot. But not hot enough to make the job painless. The kitchen staff was a lead by a woman named Kelly, and while almost unbearably nice, she kept them on a strict schedule.

They were required to cook everything; Courtney explained she had to make a kitchen budget, she had to know what crops and vegetables were in season, and worst of all, at least according to her, she had to be able to make a variety of options meant to stretch through the faction. We never knew how many people would show up, but she had to make sure there was enough food for all, and the cooking spanned all day, including setting up boxes for those in need with items which couldn't be kept any longer.

I didn't have much to explain initiation wise, but all they really wanted to know about was Eric. Before I could explain what had happened in Dauntless, it somehow came up that I'd run into his father, and how hot he is or isn't.

Which, given how kind and genuinely nice he was to me, made me think of him like I would my own father.

"I can't answer that. But I do hope I can see him again soon. He's helping my dad," I stop, and they both freeze with the non-haunted spoons halfway to their mouths. "What? Do you know something I don't?"

"Johanna doesn't think your dad's coming back," Courtney answers slowly, and her eyes are as wide as saucers. "I went to drop off her lunch and she was talking to someone over the computer. She tried to make it sound like it was because he couldn't remember a few things, but then she told whoever she was talking to that he's not doing well at all. Something is making him sick."

"Daniel didn't say that!" I nearly drop the plate I'm putting away. "He said he's going to try and figure out what's wrong. Do you know who Johanna was talking to?"

"No clue," Courtney shakes her head. "She hung up as soon as I got close by. I want to say I thought it was someone from Erudite, but I don't know who she'd be talking to. But…enough gloom and doom, what the heck did you do in Dauntless? You never came back from the bathroom, and some guy came over and said they were questioning you and they'd bring you back. Jerry nearly lost his mind because he was thinking they wanted to arrest him for being related to Landon."

"I um…" I pause, and I linger by the kitchen cabinet. I put another plate away, and they both shriek for me to tell them, but my thoughts bounce from my father not getting better, to Eric taking my dress off, then to Johanna talking to someone about my father.

I shake my head, attempting to rid my thoughts of anything but Eric. "I spent the night with him. I went upstairs so he could show me something and I wound up staying."

"Oh, he showed you something, did he?" Sophia gasps. "Oh my gosh, is he…is he…"

"Is he what?" I try not to laugh, because they're both gaping at me. "Tall? Yes, he is."

"That is not what I wanted to know!" Sophia half yells, half laughs. "I wanted to know if he's good in bed. He's intense just standing there, so I would imagine he's intense once his clothes come off."

'Did you guys get totally undressed? Or did he want you to leave the dress on?" Courtney muses, and next to her, Sophia's cheeks turn pink at the very idea. "What? He seems like the kind of guy who might not even take his pants off."

"Everything came off. I left the dress there," I laugh at the both of them, then I close the cabinet. "He came over here, too. He actually spent the night."

"No way." Sophia nearly falls off the counter. "You're telling me that Eric stayed here? With you?! In this house, while no one else was here? You better tell me he at least took his pants off here."

"He took everything off, I promise." I lean against the sink, and the kitchen falls quiet. No one is here. My brothers and sisters have come in and out. Holly and Paisley came to eat dinner, and I couldn't bring myself to inform them our father possibly couldn't remember them. Forrest brought Zander and Leif over to grab some clothes, and Wesley was the only one who stayed. He left a few minutes ago, grumbling that Sophia and Courtney were too loud.

"He said he hung the dress up in his closet," I confess, and for some reason, this is far more telling than anything else he'd said or done.

Eric could call me a million times, check in to see how I was without ever asking how I actually was, and we could sleep together every night from here on out.

But his actions were louder than anything he said.

The slow, careful touches. Him showing up when he had no real reason to. Him grasping my hair, his fingers flying over my skin to make sure Landon's marks weren't permanent. Him announcing he'd not only had the dress washed and dried, but had hung it up in his closet, amongst his clothes, and it had to be a pretty stark reminder of our night together.

The phone, pressed into my hand so we had a way to talk.

The times we did talk, when his silence told me more than his words, and the small noises of his apartment told me I was part of his bedtime routine. I often fell asleep after he said goodnight, and I imagined he'd done the same.

Which meant that while the sex had been good, better than good and better than anything I'd imagined, it was only a small glimmer of how he really felt.

"You lucky jerk!" Sophia stares at me, and her laughter has died down. Her expression changes to lovestruck, drunk off the very idea of such romance. "Is he still coming back for you?"

"Soon." I nod, and my stare finds the calendar pinned to the side of the refrigerator. I hadn't paid too much attention to the date when he'd first told me he'd be back in two weeks, but now, it stands out like someone has circled it.

They might as well have.

There, a single week away from today, is the day Eric promised to return for me.

---

The next day is more of the same.

I go to class, dragging Zander along with me, and I'm relieved to see Andy back. I wave hello when he looks my way, but my stomach sinks when he grimaces, then averts his stare altogether.

I don't blame him.

Since learning he was attacked, I felt a wave of guilt over not doing more about Landon. I was definitely connected to the man who'd attacked him, and worst of all, I'd been open about Landon being violent. Andy had to feel like there was some disconnect going on. Surely, Landon should have been dealt with before he had the chance to attack, or maybe Andy thought I had something to do with it.

Either way, his frown stings. I sink against a row of blossoming flowers, clutching my notebook to my chest and trying to smile. Jerry notices right away. He asks for someone to take Zander to Mable, then practically leaps over a row of vegetables to stop Andy from getting very far. I try to focus on writing down the parts of a violet, and in the vague distance, I distinctly hear Jerry tell Andy to knock it off.

Jerry says other things; he informs him the attack had nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my father, and if Andy can't be polite toward me, then he's going to have to leave. It's a nice gesture, one I'm not sure I entirely deserve, but I know Jerry is pissed that Andy won't go near me.

I can't bear to look up, for I know Andy is probably annoyed or rightfully angry about being attacked, but our faction has zero tolerance for this sort of thing. The attack wasn't my fault, nor should I be treated like it was, but I understood.

Which makes it hard when Andy slides into the space next to me and lowly tells me hello.

"Are you okay?" I have to crane my head up to look at him, too tall, too gangly, and he nods. His hair is messier looking now, less perfect than it was, but still far neater than everyone else's here. "I'm really sorry he attacked you."

"I'm…alright. I feel really stupid that I didn't hear him coming, and I feel even dumber that I was mad at you." Andy looks everywhere but at me, though eventually his stare finds mine. "He knocked me into the doorway over and over. I've never had anyone come at me like that. I…was thinking how he attacked you and you're half my size."

"I'm so sorry, Andy. I tried to tell everyone about him," I hate that he's staring like he feels sorry for me, and even worse that he was feeling bad for me.

I'd done my best to fight off Landon, and I didn't want anyone to think I still wouldn't.

"Does this happen often here?"

"No! Hardly ever. I'm just… I thought this had something to do with me at first," I confess, and he blinks. "Not your attack, though maybe it could. I just meant Landon's shitty attitude in general. He's been acting weird for a while now, and I wonder if all this is happening because I didn't want to marry him."

"I don't think it has anything to do with you. He was rabid. Like a wild animal. He really wanted your father, and he wasn't expecting me to be there," Andy answers, heavy with defeat. "I tried to get between them at one point, but it was like he was possessed."

"I think he's taking something or…he's straight up lost his mind. I can't tell anymore." I sneak a peek at Andy's face, and to my relief, it's not as bad as I was imagining. A few scrapes, a burn on his cheek from wherever his head had hit, and a few bruises. It's not at all good, but it's not life threatening.

"I'm sorry no one believed you," Andy offers, and this time, his smile is more genuine. "Uh, your hair is getting wet. It's stuck in the plants."

"Oh shit!" I hadn't realized I'd backed up into a row currently being irrigated. He's right; the ends of my hair have caught on the leaves of one intense looking plant, and I yank them away with a scowl. "I guess I should start putting it up."

Andy laughs, and I can tell it's more of a relieved laugh, releasing some of the built-up anxiety over getting hurt. He snickers as I examine the ends with pure annoyance and promises it looks fine. I smile back, because this is hardly the same as getting punched in the face or having one's head smacked into the office door, but it's something.

Andy sticks by me for the rest of the day, walking me home once we're done with initiation.

I still feel guilty for him being attacked, but at least he's back, and he waits to make sure I get home without anyone trying to kill me.

I wave goodbye, watching him retreat back down the pathway, and I have the brilliant idea to see if he and Courtney would hit it off.

---

This time, Eric's text is hard to decipher.

It asks how I am, and if I'm alright, and then there's a jumble of words hinting I should skip initiation and stay home. I type back that I'm fine, everything is quiet, and that I can't not go or I'll fail.

His response is curt, but honest: It would be easier if you did.

---

"You look nice."

Four glares at me with all the hatred in the world.

His hair hasn't been cut recently, and his green shirt is a size too big, but it gives him the appearance of being from here. If you looked quick, it was unlikely you'd think he didn't belong. His boots are dirty, his pants are a dark brown, and his expression of forced contentment mirrors my own.

I try not to laugh as he steps in a slick spot of mud and snow and his swear is quick.

"Eric said not to draw attention to myself. I'm supposed to be looking for a contact I have, and both Eric and Max suggested this would be less conspicuous. Which would be fine, except this is the ninth assignment from Eric. I've been working for days straight."

I find myself grinning at his miserable scowl.

I'd run into him while walking down to our general store. Holly and Paisley and Leif and Wesley had been returning home in small increments. I suppose staying with May was more fun, mostly because she was tougher than our mother but also didn't care if they stayed up late. They felt safer with her than me, and I wasn't entirely insulted.

I seemed to attract these small disasters, and the less chance they were involved, the better.

Today, our initiation was a half day. Jerry looked overwhelmed as he collected the packets we'd been working on, and he dismissed us to do some at home research. I chose to go shopping instead, figuring I might find something new at the store, I could purchase some groceries for my breakfast, and it would kill a few hours of sitting there debating texting Eric.

This morning's message was fun: Everly, if you see Four doing anything stupid, let me know.

I had started to grow used to the ones he sent, though his responses were often confusing. Sometimes he'd reply right away, and we'd go back and forth for a few minutes. Sometimes he didn't respond. Sometimes he'd respond hours later, and the texts were short. He seemed busy, and I could feel the stress through what he sent.

Sometimes, they were lighter.

Every so often, he'd send me something from a meeting, and I could tell he wasn't paying attention. I liked these the best, because they told me he was thinking of me, and not his work.

Today's message about Four made me laugh, especially when I saw him walking along, doing his best to appear incognito.

"You should dress like that all the time," I try not to laugh when he sighs, and in this moment, he reminds me of Eric.

Exasperated as can be.

"You know, I'm glad you and Eric are enjoying yourselves. It's truly humbling to watch as he works to find a way to get me out of Dauntless and a way to get you in. The man who keeps insisting what I'm doing breaks all the rules is breaking several hundred in an attempt to bring a girl from another faction to live with him."

"I think it sounds good," I shrug, and he throws me a withering stare. "What? I think it's pretty obvious I'm sucking here. Maybe I should have picked Dauntless. If I had, I would have been in your class. Maybe you'd still be teaching it."

If looks could kill, I'd be dead. He glares out of the corner of his eye, and I can see the agony that my words could possibly be true.

"Or Eric would have waltzed in and decided only he could train you and he would have taken you out of the class." Four sounds petulant, and he side steps a slick area covered with a heavy layer of slush.

"You really think so?" I pull my sweater tighter, and he shakes his head in disbelief that I'm not afraid of this scenario.

"I hope you're realizing what you're getting into. Eric can do almost whatever he wants. His only hold up is trying to figure out what to do with your status. You can't transfer factions after choosing, so he's limited to having you declared dead or just flat out ignoring the rules and just taking you home with him," Four mutters, and I stare curiously. "Before you ask how I know this, I have a few friends who work in administration. Apparently, he's been asking for all kinds of forms. I hope you enjoy being the future Mrs. Coulter. From what I've heard, it's a real honor."

He says the last part darkly, but I can't say I would mind any of the options.

"Is he a good trainer?"

"He is if you like being threatened with your own life," Four mutters. "He doesn't train anyone. He oversaw a few classes when he didn't like the curriculum. It's been changed, and he seems complacent with it. For now. He's too busy wooing a girl from Amity who should be running in the opposite direction."

"He's hardly wooing me," I point out brightly. "He can barely say my name."

"Sounds like an amazing time," Four rolls his eyes, and he shoves his hands in his pockets. "You should run. Just…don't ever call him back. He'll find Evelyn and that'll be it. This will all be over. I'm warning you now."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I start to veer to the right, where the general store sits, and he seems content to walk along with me. "Or a wife?"

"What makes you think you can ask me that?" His gaze whips over to me, razor sharp, and I watch him visibly retreat into his own head. He looks like he did the very first time I met him, and I have the urge to call him Tobias again.

"I just…thought you were really approachable," I smile, and he doesn't like my joke. "I was just wondering. I met Rylan's girlfriend Christina. She seemed really fun. I'm trying to remember everyone and figure out who they are in Dauntless."

"You met Christina?" Four is immediately uneasy. "Why?"

"I met her at the dinner. She was sitting with Rylan and Jeremy and-"

"Tris?" Four says her name quickly, and his eyes narrow. "She was there with Jeremy?"

"I don't know who Tris is. I only met Christina but I really liked her. She told me all kinds of stuff about Eric. She said he was her trainer." I pause at the door of the store, and Four stops in his tracks.

He raises an eyebrow at me and he struggles not to laugh. "He was. He was brutal to her. Her and Tris."

"Do you like Tris? You seem to like saying her name." I notice he blanches, and once more, he looks defeated.

He shakes his head no, and he reaches to open the door for me.

"I don't know her anymore."

---

This time, he is quiet right off the bat.

Eric calls right as I pull the brand new nightgown over my head, and his voice is rough. He grunts my name, then falls silent, and I struggle with the straps on the nightgown until they are where I want them. The quiet is heavy, and it's only broken up by him asking how my day was.

For once, it had been fairly pleasant. Four had walked with me to the general store. I'd thought we'd part ways once we got there, because he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. But he followed me inside, disappearing to examine a row with some weird trinkets someone had made, and I didn't see him again until I went to check out.

The girl working wasn't overly familiar. She rang up my nightgown, the new pajamas for Zander I grabbed, and the few fresh vegetables and fruits that I could have taken from the greenhouse. I handed her my card, and she swiped it cheerfully, then moved on to telling Four he was more than welcome to take a cupcake if he wanted one. She smiled at him, and he missed it completely in favor of staring at the wall.

I was starting to think he was the most awkward human being I'd ever met.

"How's Four?" I climb into bed, and I lie back against all the pillows, and I smile when Eric's sigh of exasperation is louder than normal.

"Seriously, Amity? Out of all the things you could ask me, you want to know how Four is?"

I struggle not to laugh at his dry answer. Talking to Eric over the phone wasn't something I ever imagined I would be doing, but since we were separated by our factions, it had become something I looked forward to. Sure, I might be next on Evelyn's list of people she'd like to kill, or worse, erase my memory, but everything felt better when I talked to him.

I could easily conjure up his bedroom, the dark pillows he'd be slumped against and the dark sheets he'd kick out of his way, and I felt like I was there.

It would be better if I could touch him, but for now, this is the next best thing.

"I saw Four today. He said you're having him work at all hours of the night," I pause while I listen for someone walking down the hallway, but it's just my imagination. I had thought I spotted Landon on my walk back home, but I knew I was being paranoid. When the man turned around, he wasn't Landon, but another farmer walking some sheep. "He looks tired."

"Well, he could look dead," Eric offers humorlessly. "Don't feel bad for him. He made his choices. He regrets them, I won't deny that, but he also had every opportunity in the world not to help Evelyn and he chose otherwise."

"Do you think he's sorry? Really sorry?" I think of Four's glum look while we walked to the store, and I had the feeling his life had been one long string of missteps. "Do you think he'll stay in Dauntless?"

Eric is quiet, hissing something under his breath that I can't make out. "If I have my way, no. If Max thinks he might be able to redeem himself, he might get stuck in some low level job where no one ever sees him. But unless he plans on killing Evelyn before I can get to her, then nothing he can do will change my mind."

"Wouldn't it be weird if the two of you ended up being friends one day?" I smile at my ceiling, and I wait for him to lose it.

I found that I really liked evoking these reactions out of Eric. It was like no one ever said anything that caught him off guard, so when I did, his reactions were painfully human. This Eric would bark a swear word, or hiss my name, or scowl and act like I was asking he adopt Four. He wasn't always so stoic and closed off, especially when I asked him something no one else would dare.

"Goodbye, Amity. This has been fun, but don't bother calling back."

"Does he live by you?" I laugh, noticing he sounds incredibly unamused. "Is he your next-door neighbor?"

"I said goodbye."

"Wait, no! Don't hang up!" I sit up slightly, and I can hear him slam his head onto the pillow. His response is muffled, and I lose the fight against cracking up. "I was just trying to make you laugh."

"Oh, sure. I'm laughing. You should see me. You know not everyone has to be friends, right? This isn't Amity." Eric's voice is strained, but he doesn't hang up. "In fact, I will never, ever be friends with him. There's no reason to. He'll help with this mission and that's it. He'll either be thanked for his help and shown the door, or I'll personally make sure I never see him again."

"You sound tired," I pull my knees up to stare at the nightgown I'd bought. "Are you okay?"

"I am tired," Eric admits. He sounds more exhausted than I've ever heard him, and it's surprising. I picture him as invincible, like not even needing sleep can get to him. "Every time I get close to wrapping things up in Erudite, something else comes up. Four is the least of my concerns, yet everyone keeps bringing him up to me."

"You should go to bed," I suggest, and I smirk at the time. "It's getting late. It's almost eight thirty."

"Who knew you were so funny?" Eric retorts, and I hear him turn over. "I got home an hour ago. I've just been lying here. I haven't even taken my jacket off yet. Rylan and Jason were overseeing the faction today, and I came back to their reports and Max wanting to know how Erudite is. I talked to him the whole drive home and it still wasn't enough. He's calling right now."

"Don't answer it." I silently hope he won't, because if he does, it means it's likely he won't call back.

"I'm not going to," Eric's response is quick, and I know he's really tried. "He can wait until tomorrow to hear my thoughts on Kang's latest email."

"Are you really still wearing your uniform?" I've decided that while I really like him in his uniform, I like him better out of it. "You should take it off."

I'm met with silence.

Total silence, until Eric answers incredulously.

"You want me to take my uniform off?"

"Unless you're going to sleep in it," I wonder if now is the time to tell him I'd seen his father, but I forget about it when I hear him sit up, and there's a shuffling sound as he takes his jacket off. "You should take your shirt off, too. I know you don't sleep in that."

"Uh huh." Eric's voice changes, and he sucks in a slow inhale. "Anything else you want me to take off?"

"Did you really take your shirt off?" I examine the edge of the nightgown, and I remember the girl's smile when she rang me up. The nightgown isn't anything crazy, but a little nicer and more luxurious than the ones I had at home. I hadn't paid attention to the amount of points, because in that moment, the purchase felt good.

Normal.

A little exciting, since it wasn't something I'd normally buy.

"Yes." His voice lowers. It has a hint of stress to it, and I wonder if he was really over working in Erudite.

"I bought a new nightgown. Four walked to the store with me and we went-"

"Please don't talk about Four right now," Eric grunts, and I hear him kick the sheets out of his way. "What are you doing? Are you going to bed?"

"I'm in bed," I answer cheerfully, and I hold the phone up when it vibrates. There's a number flashing across the screen that I don't recognize, and I immediately hit the red decline button. The screen slides elsewhere to reveal me, lying in bed. It's not a terrible picture, and the nightgown does look pretty, but I try to swipe it away. I don't succeed. The screen clicks, then returns to my call with Eric. "I was just about to-"

"Did you just send me a picture of yourself?" Eric interrupts me, and he sounds like he's working very hard to say the words. "What are you doing?"

"I'm lying in bed. I thought you were, too." I try to figure out what he's looking at, and I realize I can swipe up without hanging up on him. "I don't know how to send you a picture. Did you take your pants off?'

"Everly…"

His voice is funny. It sounds like he's really struggling here, and a second later, the phone vibrates again. I ignore it, because Eric exhales heavily.

"You don't sleep in pants. But you could. Your apartment is freezing." I reminisce about the one night I spent in his bed, and how warm he was. I'd woken up to him bringing me coffee, and there's a wave of homesickness for a home that isn't mine.

It's so strong I nearly drop the phone.

Eric's apartment is the furthest thing from a home.

It is cold. Sterile. Devoid of any color except for black and sparks of silver. There is nothing to suggest he did anything more than exist there. Nothing personal, nothing that gave me any hint to his personality other than controlled, and certainly nothing warm or soft.

But it had him.

For those few hours, I existed with him. He wasn't my superior, my trainer, or an officer barking questions about the factionless. He was strong, attentive, and safe.

It wasn't a word I would normally associate with the leader of Dauntless, yet it fit. He'd promised not to hurt me, over and over, until I was convinced of it. Just like now, when I hear him mumble my name, and I can almost picture him lying on his bed, in nothing but the black boxers I'd seen him wear.

I can picture it so well, that when he presses connect on the video feature, I jump when I'm rewarded with his face, his bare chest, and the sight is enough to make me forget about Four's forlorn stare when I asked about his love life.

"Hi."

"Hi."

I say it first, and he answers in the same tone. He stares at me with eyes that are dark, half hooded as they roam over the screen, and they settle back on my face. His lips part and I ache to be able to press mine against his.

"Are you sure you're tired?" I ask, peering up at the phone and smiling. His eyes flick downward every so often, and while not ideal, it's almost easier to look at him like this. He's safe behind his screen, and I'm safe behind mine, but I'm not at all safe when he smiles.

It's dark and slick, and definitely not sleepy.

"Not anymore."

---

Eventually, my eyes start to close.

Once Eric decided he liked the video feature, he didn't have any qualms using it. I got to see him lying back against black sheets, shirtless, smirking at me. To my dismay, he didn't take anything else off that I could see, but he snickered at the thought.

"You should go to bed." Eric announces, his voice rich and warm. I blink my eyes open to him watching with an amused expression on his face. "It's getting late. You should probably take off your nightgown, too."

I laugh right back at him.

While the idea is appealing, it's way later than I planned on staying up. The tiny numbers in the upper corner of the screen read 1:30 am. Our phone call hadn't stretched on the entire time; at one point, Max called so many times Eric had to answer him. He called me back, his grey eyes flashing with annoyance and his lips pressed together, and he snarled that now Four was calling. I couldn't help the giggle when he looked furious, and it was his own fault.

Eric had assigned Four to work in so many areas and on so many projects that his report took him an entire hour to recap.

Eric called back looking murderous, and his expression only softened when I smiled.

I would stay on the phone with him all night, but unfortunately, I had initiation, and Eric had a meeting. Right as I have the brilliant idea to tell him I saw his father, I realize I'm about to fall asleep.

"I'll call you tomorrow night?" I yawn, watching his face while I speak, and I memorize every tiny movement. He presses his lips together, and the piercing in his eyebrow moves as his eyes narrow, but his face changes to a pleased expression once he agrees.

"Goodnight, Amity. Don't forget, stay home tomorrow. Don't go anywhere."

I shake my head, and the pull of sleep is so strong that I can barely inform him I can't.

Tomorrow, I have one of the harder lessons of our initiation.

A meeting with Johanna.

---

Rylan calls while I walk to Johanna's office.

I wave to May, sitting on her porch reading a book while Zander balances on the porch railing, and she waves back. Zander waves, too, then returns to asking how she gets the ducks to line up. He tries to command them into rows, but much to his chagrin, they ignore him.

I answer the phone carefully, having shoved it into my father's sweater pocket, and his voice is loud in my ear.

"Don't tell Eric I'm calling you. I just want to make sure I have your RSVP for my anniversary party. I gave him an invitation to give you, but I just saw it on his office desk and I knew he didn't ask you. It's a very exclusive party and I need to give Quinten a headcount."

"What anniversary are you celebrating?" I walk carefully, stepping over the snowy parts of the pathway. "Eric didn't invite me, but I'm not sure when your party is. Or what it's for."

"It's in two weeks. I told him you'd already be here, so it would be fine. He then gave me a lecture on factional rules and regulations, and sent me to go fetch him an accounting form." Rylan rambles on, and I hear him yell for someone to give him his stapler back. He hisses the name Tori, and they argue back and forth for a minute, until Rylan lets out a huff of annoyance. "I get zero respect around here. She claims she needs the stapler more than I do. It's not fair.

"Did someone take yours?"

I try to figure out how Dauntless worked. I wondered if everyone had an office, or if Rylan just used the entire faction as his office.

"Well, a few days ago, I was using it to staple all four corners of Eric's paperwork together because he was being rude, and Harrison told me to knock it off. He took it from me yesterday, but now I really need it for these forms and no one will let me borrow theirs. Harrison sent out a memo saying if I can't respect the supplies then I can't use them."

"I'm sorry," I struggle not to laugh, and I also struggle to walk. I slip slightly where the pathway slopes, and I nearly stumble when I look up at the person standing there watching me.

He blinks back at me, and his lips turn up ever so slightly.

I fumble with the phone, until I can think of what to say.

"I have to call you back."