Surprise, surprise! This chapter is in Tobias's POV. Hope you all enjoy, sadly it is the only chapter I have planned from his POV as his view doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story. Nevertheless it was fun to write from his perspective. Streamed the album "Lover" by Taylor Swift while writing this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent

June 29th (Tobias POV)

There's one thing I've known for several years now. And that is that Tris Prior will definitely be the death of me. Either she's unaware of that fact, or she just doesn't care. It's hard not to be drawn to her, her bright and vivid eyes, her curious nature, the determined set of her jaw. She's magnetic. She always has been. Not a lot of people draw me to them like Tris does, which is why it's so easy for her to get under my skin.

I've said and done a lot of things I regret. There are times when I've truly believed that my life would be better without her in it, maybe it would be easier, but it wouldn't feel like there was anything I was living for. But I've fucked up. And she's still giving me another shot, even though I don't deserve it.

What happened at the beach with Nita was… intense. I didn't want to lose my job over a maybe chance with Tris… even though she deserves that and so much more. I thought that by walking away I'd let Nita do the hard part for me. I underestimated how manipulative she can be. The truth is that I never really saw a bright future with Nita. One day she had come into the office, she was pretty, flirtatious, and had money. A perfect distraction to my parents' divorce and the pain of missing Tris.

Next thing I know her father was inviting me into bigger meetings, talking about a future I had with the company. It didn't take a genius to realize why. Nita and I did all the glamorous things. 5 star restaurants, weekend getaways, flying first class together… Funny how during all those occasions I would just reminisce on the times that Tris and I had in her mom's beat up car with no functioning heater in the dead of Chicago winter. It really doesn't matter where you go if you don't have the right company.

Nita and I never got to a deep level that I had with Tris. With Tris, it was so easy to tell her everything the more I started to trust her. We always had similar souls; the same stubborn nature, the same passion for our interests, and the same desire to get out of our little town. I always thought we would do that together and I was evidently wrong… but now, here we are in the same place once more. I'm not letting her get away again without trying. That's why everything has to go right today.

I approach her tiny beach house, trekking through the sand and moving deftly across the porch. I knock on the white door twice, some of the paint chipping on it falls off when I do. It swings open almost instantly, and there is Christina. "Well, hello, Eaton," she chirps.

Christina and I have never gotten along great. Whenever Tris and I would fight in high school she always took it upon herself to get involved, taking Tris's side and making me out to be an ass. To be fair, I was an ass, but that wasn't really for her to decide. Still, I know how loyal she is to Tris, she's had her back since childhood, and stayed with her after we broke up. She also urged her to give me another chance, so I guess I have her to thank for that as well.

"Christina," I say as pleasantly as I can muster.

"Come on in," she steps aside and ushers me through the doorway. I'd been by a few times after Tris ran away from me that day to try and see her, but the last time I was actually inside of this house was when I forced myself through the doorway and found Tris tangled up in bed with another guy. I instantly regretted coming. Then, when she came to see me and we slept together, I didn't regret it so much anymore. I'm still trying to comprehend how she made me lose so much sense of myself that I slept with her so soon after she had another guy in her bed. It felt right at the time, I felt… love. I believe her when she says that he doesn't mean anything and she went to him in a moment of hurt… but the thought of her with anyone else makes me sick. That may just be the territorial side of me.

"How's your summer been?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Well… I've gone between partying hard and having to pick up my best friend from a broken heart every other day… nothing I can't handle though."

When I don't respond her tone softens, "Look. I know how you two are. You both care about each other a lot and you always will… but please for the love of God… don't hurt her. She deserves the best love story possible and I think you know that or you wouldn't have come dashing into the restaurant like that a few days ago. Whatever happens between you two after this, treat her well."

"I fully intend to," I tell Christina. My personal feelings aside, Tris truly is lucky to have her.

"Tobias! Looking sharp!" Uriah comments, entering the small kitchen area and clapping me on the shoulder.

I nod my head in acknowledgement to him as he heads over to the freezer. Christina skips over to the couch and picks up a magazine lying on the coffee table, flipping through it idly.

"So… where's Tris?" I ask awkwardly after a few seconds.

"Getting ready. Was totally freaking out this morning," Christina mutters. "Tris! Eaton is here!" Christina shouts, not taking her eyes off of the glossy pages of the magazine.

"Fuck! I'm coming!" Tris shouts back. I hold back a snort at those words, which I also happened to hear from her last week when I had her in bed.

"That's what sheeee said," Uriah comments to us through a mouthful of ice cream. I don't respond even though I was thinking the exact same thing.

"I just realized how that sounded!" Tris calls out from her room again.

"Just realized, huh?!" Christina shouts back, still glancing through the magazine.

"What's going on? Is Tris having sex again?" Marlene asks as she skips through the kitchen.

"No, more like having a crisis," Uriah responds, holding out a spoon of his ice cream for Marlene, which she instantly eats off of.

"Gross! Can you guys not eat straight from the tub? That is a communal ice cream tub! It is one gallon! You guys are acting like we're rich!" Christina exclaims, finally looking up from her magazine.

Fuck, Tris. Can you hurry up?

"Chill, Chris," Marlene and Uriah both mumble in response, before continuing to eat out of the tub.

I'm about to go to Tris's room myself to see what the hold up is, when finally she emerges from the corridor, and I just about lose my breath. Her blonde hair is let loose in it's natural waves, and she wears a flowy lilac dress with spaghetti straps that hugs her in all the right places. I can tell she's wearing no bra too, and I swallow down my unholy thoughts. Her mischievous eyes are lined with something dark that makes them stand out. She's… striking.

Uriah lets out a low whistle and I shoot a glare at him before turning back to Tris. It's hard not to notice how wild and frizzy her hair has gotten in the LA heat, her toned tan legs, or her exposed and inviting neck. I noticed those things when I first ran into her at that houseparty, and I probably won't stop noticing them for the rest of the summer here on this beach. I truly am a goner.

She walks up to me and laces her hand through mine, "You ready?"

"Yep!" I say in an all too high pitched manner, which causes her to give me an odd look. I hear Uriah snort from his side in the kitchen and I shoot him another glare.

"Have her home by 11!" Marlene calls out jokingly.

Tris laughs and bids her roommates goodbye, before heading out the door with me.

"You know," I say, once we're outside, my hand still latched to hers, "You could always come stay at my condo now. You don't need to be in that crowded house anymore."

"What happened to taking it slow?" Tris asks teasingly.

"Oh, Tris… I'm just thinking of you. That tiny bed must not be very comfortable. Lucky for you, I have a queen. Lot's of space for the both of us. And three roommates? Zeke's the only other person in my condo and half the time he's over at Shauna's place. So you'll have your privacy."

"Mmm… so your motives for asking me to move in with you are purely selfless?"

"Completely."

She giggles at this, and I just love hearing her laugh so much, knowing that I made it happen. I pull her closer to me with the hand I was already grabbing and wrap my arms around her, halting our walk. "Actually, they're pretty selfish motives," I whisper in her ear, relishing the shiver that she emits when I do so. "Very unholy. Especially after seeing you in that dress."

I place a gentle kiss right below her jaw, and then breathe her scent in. She smells like lavender and something sensual and musky… You are in bad territory Tobias.

After talking about some serious things over dinner the other day, we agreed that we wanted to take it slow and just hangout and get to know each other again. We didn't strictly say "no sex", but it was sort of implied, and when I dropped her back home I just gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, feeling good about our decision.

Now, after going a few days without seeing her, and my sexual drive increasing, I'd be ready to take her right up against the outside wall of this house. I won't, but I'd be ready to. God, I can be such a dick sometimes. It's hard to look back on the last time we slept together with fondness, considering the events that followed afterwards, but I do find myself craving that closeness with her again. I just need to be patient… it'll pay off, I know it will.

"Fuck, Tobias," she whispers, snaking her hands under my shirt and splaying them across my abdomen. She is going to be the death of me.

"Mmm… going slow, remember?" I murmur, though I make no effort to take her hands off of me or move away.

"Yeah, I'm starting to rethink that whole ordeal," she whispers, kissing up my neck and sucking gently at the most sensitive parts on it.

I push myself away from her gently, and painfully, and place my hands on her shoulders. I'm definitely completely hard right now which I try to ignore. "You shouldn't rethink it… we said that for a reason."

"Yeah, I'm starting to forget why… especially because you look…" she looks me up and down and swallows. I look down at myself and shrug. I'm wearing a grey t-shirt and some black board shorts… typical dude beach attire. On the other hand, she looks…

"Tris, as much as I would love to push you right against that wall and do very sinful things with you… we need to resist our urges. And we also have a date to get to so let's go," I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close to me, trying to ignore any and all thoughts I have about doing anything more. I only have one more shot and I need to be smart about it.

"Very sinful, huh?" She asks as we walk up the sandy hill towards the road.

"I think we should be done talking about this," I tell her, because I really want my shorts to start fitting properly again.

She laughs, "You're a good guy, Tobias."

"Mmm… not really, no. But for you? I'm trying to be."

This gets a large smile from her.

As we approach the road, her mouth falls open in shock and I wear a very proud smirk on my face. I knew I had to pull out all the big guns for this date, so I reached out to some of my connections. "Say hello to our ride," I tell her.

"Tobias!" She exclaims, slapping my chest gently, "How did you get this?"

"I have my ways."

She just responds with a flat look, so I decide to elaborate further. "You know the supermarket on Oxford?"

"Yeah."

"I'm tight with the owner, Adan. Before you got here this summer I sort of… saved his life. He said he owed me big time so when I told him I was taking a beautiful girl out on a date he said I could have his car for the day."

"Wait, wait. You saved his life?"

"Yeah… I came by late at night when the place was deserted… looking for some fresh fruit. There was no one around to ring me up, and then I heard some commotion in the back room. Adan was locked back there and the room was on fire. I got him out," I explain, not trying to sound like I'm bragging. I'm honestly just glad I was in the right place at the right time, because Adan didn't deserve to die, and not like that especially.

"What happened after that?" Tris asks, her eyes wide.

"Well, he was half conscious when I pulled him out. But he mumbled the phone number for his wife to me so I called her… then the fire department. Luckily the fire was contained to only that back room but it had destroyed a lot."

"How did it start?"

"The lights in the back room went out, so he wanted to light candles back there so he could see."

"Oh, damn… He's okay now, though?"

"Yes. His wife got there and rode to the hospital with him, and meanwhile his sons came by and handled everything with the fire department. They all kept thanking me over and over again."

"Well, duh. You saved his life."

"I just think about… what would have happened if I just left? Or didn't go to investigate? He'd be dead." Adan has become a good friend on this beach now. I try to visit the market once a week, and after the fire I helped him and his family with repairs. In return he listens to my life problems… I've sort of chatted his ear off about Tris. He told me I could really impress her by taking his car, and clearly I have.

It's a gorgeous, vintage car. A deep red 1967 Mercury Cougar. Adan calls it his baby, he frequently redoes the paint job and always makes sure it's in tip top shape, which is why it is still in such good standing today. This car was his fathers, and once Adan passes it'll go to his eldest son, and so forth. That's why I absolutely cannot get a scratch on this vehicle.

"Thank God you were there," Tris says.

"I agree. Come on," I approach the vehicle and gently open the passenger door for Tris.

"So chivalrous," she muses, sliding in gracefully. I have to pull my eyes away from her toned and tan legs that are oh so very distracting. Once I'm shaken out of my Tris trance, I make my way over to my side of the car and hop in. There is a center console in this car, but it's small, so I pull Tris closer to my side so I can still have my hands on her while I drive.

I rest my arm gently next to hers on the center console, and place my hand over hers. I'm a good enough driver, I can drive this thing one handed. Right? Fuck, sorry Adan.

After I've started the car, and am heading out of there, I look over to Tris's side. Her hair blows gently in the sea breeze as she watches the picturesque beach view pass us by. This sight is probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, so I continue staring at her (and the coastline) instead of keeping my eyes on the road, trying to remember every single detail of this moment.

When she looks back to me, I divert my eyes to what they should have been focusing on this entire time.

"So, where are we headed?" She asks.

"That's on a need to know basis. And as the driver, I'm the only one who needs to know right now."

"You could just say it's a surprise instead of being a dick."

"Fine. It's a surprise."

"Too late."

"Okay… well, how's the graphic design course coming along?"

"Oh, thank God I'm so close to finishing. I've been working on it these past few days. It's a little tough, navigating the technology too, but it's going to be so worth it when I can finally get the credits. Then… just one more year till I get my degree!"

"Exciting," I say, smiling at her eagerness. When I first met Tris, she reminded me of a child in the ways that she was naturally curious, innocent (which I may have corrupted), and her wide imagination. She always had her nose stuck in a book about some fantastical world or the other, and always dreamed about pursuing her passion for art. As we grew up together in high school, I watched her mature and become more of a realist. But still, she never stopped working hard and striving for her dreams. She goes to one of the toughest schools in the country, and she's still kicking ass.

I wanna know everything about what she did while we were apart, but it's gonna take time for us to reconnect completely. Against my better efforts, I used to check up on her social media every once in a while to see what she was up to, but she doesn't update them very frequently. Nor do I, for that matter. The only thing either of us did put on our socials were photos with each other, and after our breakup those were subsequently deleted. It took a lot of effort on my part to stop looking at those pictures after we broke up, though I never did have the heart to delete them from my phone completely.

Now, sitting next to me, there is a mature young woman. I can tell she's been hurt, broken down, and empty. I know I'm partially responsible for those things as well. But I still see that determined glint in her eye, eager to live life to the fullest. I'm glad it hasn't completely faded.

"Well, what about you?" She asks gently, "Everything… losing your job… and…" She trails off awkwardly.

I bite the inside of my cheek. I'm still an undergrad student, so the loss of this job isn't as bad as it could be. There is a part of me that is grateful to be cut loose from the tight leash around my neck held by Nita and her father. And of course, that I get to freely try with Tris. But I prided myself on being able to sustain my own apartment rent and college tuition without either of my parents' help.

Now, I would never ask Marcus for a penny. And while my relationship with my mother is doing alright, I know how little she got in the divorce. There's no way she could assist me. I have some saved, but only enough to get me through the next few months. I suspect I'll need to find a new job. Fast. And to do that I'll have to head back to Virginia early. God, I'm not sure how to bring that up to Tris. But I need to be honest with her.

"I'll probably need to find a new job soon. You know with renting my apartment and college tuition and surviving."

"Marcus can't help you out?"

"Nope," I say, keeping my eyes on the road. There's silence from Tris and when I glance back over she's raising her eyebrows at me.

"We… are not on speaking terms anymore. Especially after the divorce."

"I'm really sorry about the divorce," Tris says softly.

"Don't be. It was a good thing. It was hard… but it was a good thing," I tell her firmly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, though. You told me that you told me you wanted to call me when it was all happening, I wish I had been there for you."

"Tris… it's in the past, now. Fresh start, remember?"

"Yeah," she says, though she still looks as if she feels guilty. And she shouldn't. It's true that when my parents split up it was full of a lot of mixed emotions for me. Tris was the one person I wanted to call about it because she was the one person who knew about my fucked up relationship with both of my parents.

Evidently, it's something she never really had. Both of her parents are amazing and supportive people who work hard to put her and her brother, Caleb, up. Compared to my parents, they're literal saints. My dad was emotionally absent from the get go. It was always work, work, work for him. When he was around, I was always getting lectured. My room was too messy, my hair was untidy, I was an idiot, a failure, I would never get anywhere in life because I was weak and spineless. I remember the first time he hit me. It was a firm slap across the face because I had grabbed a cupcake that was supposed to be for his work associates without asking. I was seven.

He never got insane with his corporal punishment. A swift kick, a slap, a hair pull or a shove whenever I got out of line. He said it was to restore order. As I got older and stronger, it stopped, but the memories never truly faded.

As far as I know, he treated my mother with the same malevolence. He never hit her in front of me, but I have my suspicions from what I overheard. She's never spoken about it to me, either. After the divorce she simply said that we were to never bring him up again. Our relationship is a bit different than mine and my father's.

I stopped seeking approval from my father early on, knowing I was never likely to get it. The one thing I always wanted most in the world was for my mother to show some sign of caring. Because Marcus was emotionally absent, verbally and physically abusive towards her as well, it's not a surprise she started having affairs. Weekends would go by where she would leave town with her boyfriend of the month, leaving me alone with the monster. How Marcus never found out, I'm not sure. He probably never thought her capable of doing anything besides cowering. I know I didn't. The one thing that mattered to him was maintaining his perfect image. Having the polite wife and son to bring to each work gala or dinner party.

Marcus wasn't shy about hitting me in front of my mom, and when he did, she always turned away, pretended to busy herself in the kitchen. When I would come crying to her she would just insist that I was fine. She was afraid of him. But all the times that she ran off on a weekend getaway, did she never think to take me with her, and we could run away for good?

I started saving up for college early on, and got a big scholarship for Virginia. My dad had different ambitions for me, he wanted me to get my MBA instead of becoming an engineering major. He tried to hold me under his thumb by paying for the tuition I couldn't afford. But after my freshman year, I had worked enough jobs on campus and took out enough loans to where I wouldn't be dependent on him anymore. The divorce with my mom was just beginning at that time as well, so I officially cut him off. I wrote him a letter saying that I wasn't his son and I didn't want his money anymore.

When I got the job with Nita's father, though, it really was the jackpot. The pay was great and it could have led to an amazing future. Could have.

I squeeze Tris's hand with my free one, "It's a lot better now. I swear."

"That's good, then. How is Evelyn holding up?"

"She's good. Like I said, she moved to Virginia to be closer to me, we're trying to get past things… but it's hard. She asks about you, sometimes."

"Really? What does she say?"

"Just that you were the only girlfriend of mine that she actually liked… and she misses having you around. You know, she despised Nita."

I see Tris smirk from the corner of my eye and I shake my head to myself. "So… you're working through everything?" She asks.

"Yeah. In college I was getting ready to cut her and Marcus off for good… realizing that she could be just as bad as him. She called me… she apologized for everything she put me through and we had sort of a long talk. She told me she was at a motel, and she was leaving Marcus. I started to trust her more, I guess, but it still took some time. And it's still nowhere near perfect… but at least it's something. If I can't make the next payments on my apartment, I may move in with her," I admit.

"Well… I'm really happy for you, then. You deserve a parent who cares. And so much more than that, T."

I smile to myself, "Even the days before… when she was a shit mother and Marcus was never around, you were my family. You got me through all of that."

"Like I said… it's what you deserve. I'm just glad I could help, even if I played a small role in it all."

I look at her seriously, "Your role in my life will never be considered small, Tris."

She looks back at me just as seriously, "Neither will yours, Tobias."

We spent the rest of the car ride chatting idly, she talked about her parents a bit and how they're getting ready for their retirement soon, and told me about how Caleb is doing at the University of Chicago under his scholarship.

We both then shared a bit about our college experiences, her talking about how Reed is super hard, but she wouldn't trade the learning experience for anything else even if it makes her want to die sometimes. I told her about my time as an engineering major and how it's been really great. She rolled her eyes and called me a nerd… please, if anyone's the nerd it is her. She not so humbly let me know that she still reads quite frequently, has taken art history courses for fun, and is currently minoring in film and media studies.

As we pull up to our destination I announce that we've arrived, and Tris's face falls open when she sees where we are. "Tobias!" She exclaims.

In a rush I've jumped out of my seat and gone to her side to open the door for her. She laughs at my behavior and slides out of the vehicle, gazing at our date spot with a wide smile on her face. I watch her for a moment, feeling incredibly lucky to be here with her right now.

"This is… amazing," she murmurs, pulling me into her for a close hug. She kisses my cheek gently and stays with her arms wrapped around me for a few seconds, neither of us wanting to let go.

"I thought you would like it."

"Well, you thought correct," she pokes me in the side.

The other day, when Tris was telling me about how she and Robert had a lot in common, I realized a place I had fucked up. During our relationship, she would listen to me go on and on about computers and robotics and networking, and helped me with some of my engineering projects as well. She would also attend all of my football games, even when we were fighting. The immature teenage boy that I was didn't really pay her the same respect. I thought I was above reading her favorite novels, watching her favorite films, or divulging in her love for art and design. Sure, I'd humor her, but we had very different interests and we bonded over other things.

Now, it's time that I grow up. I brought her here, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I've heard her talk about how this is one of her top museums she'd like to visit in her lifetime during high school, and what do you know? We just happened to be a 30 minute drive away this summer. "You ready?" I ask her, slinging my arm around her waist and approaching the building with her.

"Of course I am. The real question is… are you? Get ready for me to chat your ear off about the broader aspects of visual culture, including the various visual and conceptual outcomes related to an ever-evolving definition of art, and the subjectiveness of beauty as a cultural construct that varies across time and space."

"Oh, I may be more prepared than you think," I challenge.

Tris Prior is the most divine woman I will ever meet. Maybe I shouldn't make definitive statements like that… but spending 2 hours with her in her element taught me just that, and made me feel like such a fool for not paying closer attention to the things she loved back in high school. Watching her explain the relationship between globalism and the development of art, as well as discuss the effects naturalism, realism, abstraction, and atmospheric perspective on modern art… I started to remember why I fell in love with her in the first place. And I started to feel myself go back to that place too. She was ardent and overzealous in the best way possible. Her eyes were crazed and they lit up at each new piece and exhibit we visited, her gorgeous mouth was ready to explain every nuance and aspect of the artwork she saw, and my ears were ready to listen.

I kept up better than she expected. These past few days I had been doing my own research on design and art history as well. The girl I'm pursuing is an art major after all, going for a career in graphic design. I should know a thing or two, and I did. She was impressed with me.

Tris also started taking photos at the museum. Of me, of the artwork, of us. It's nice to have these moments documented now, if things don't work out at least I'll remember this amazing summer with her. I remember how overwhelmed I felt when I had first seen her at that houseparty, I was angry with the world, I thought I was finally getting past Tris Prior and moving on to a better life, and there she was, strutting back in. Still, the first thing I wanted to do when I saw her gorgeous blue eyes was apologize for everything I said that night 3 years ago and hold her in my arms. I forgot about Nita and the tight leash she was keeping on me for a second, and all I wanted was Tris.

I'm glad we eventually got to talk about our break up, though. It gave me a different type of closure that I never realized I needed. I realized how both of us were so scared of losing the other, that it in turn led to us self-destructing. But after separating and growing up individually, we're better than that. We still have our issues… but at least I'll know that my efforts with her were valiant and meant something, no matter what happens once I have to go back to Virginia.

Now we're eating lunch. I chose a nice, quaint brunch place right up the street from the Museum. We got balcony seats, and we're the only people up here… I subtly admire Tris as she eats her meal, scrolling through her phone and showing me some of the photos she took. "I think… this was the best date I've ever had," she tells me earnestly.

"Really? Better than our awkward first date? The one where I took you roller skating?" I fondly remember that evening, and the song 'Dancing in the Moonlight'. Oh, that song. I think the moment that Tris and I danced to it at Zeke's 23rd was the moment I knew I was falling back in love with her… I just decided to ignore it.

"Mmm… maybe, just maybe. There also was the bowling date where I kicked your ass, though. That was topical."

"Shut up," I grumble, my ego still bruised from that night.

"I think I still have pictures from that day," I add, and pull out my phone. After scrolling back a long while, I find them, and marvel at how much we've changed. Physically, yes, but also our emotional growth is obvious looking at the pictures versus now.

Tris grabs my phone from me before I can object and begins scrolling through all of my photos. Most of the pictures on my cloud from that time period are of her anyway, and we spend the next half an hour of lunch strolling down memory lane.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot about this day!" Tris exclaims.

"That was when that older kid, Edward, sold us pot for the first time and we thought we were so cool for smoking it," I laugh, looking at the selfie of Tris and I lying in bed together with bright red eyes.

"And it was shitty pot, too!"

We scroll through more selfies of us; at her house, or mine when Marcus wasn't home. More formal date pictures; school dances and dinners and that sort of thing, photos of us at the cold Illinois beaches, selfies taken at school, Tris at my football games wearing my jersey. It's funny how much these pictures show. At the time, things felt rough a lot. Tris and I would collide often, we were upset with each other every other second over things that feel so meaningless now, but it's obvious looking through all these pictures how in love and naive we both were. I feel like a loser, being nostalgic for my high school days from my small town when I could have a brighter future ahead of me… but how can I not be nostalgic when I was dating a girl like Tris Prior back then?

"Oh, that's my favorite one," I announce.

"It's just me… at McDonald's," she says, gesturing to the off guard photo I took of her drinking her shake. "We went there like every other day."

"I know… that's what I love about it. It just… reminds me of the really good times, the things I took for granted back then."

She stares at me for a few moments, and it's hard to gauge her reaction. Then, she sets my phone down, and leans in, forcefully pressing my lips to hers. I kiss back, and it feels oh so good. Our lips move against one anothers, and I try to memorize everything about this moment again. The way the breeze is grazing my skin lightly, her hand resting gently on my chest, her musky lavender scent and the way her mouth feels against mine. It feels like absolute heaven, by the way.

She pulls back, smiling, and I return the gesture. The words are on my lips, I wanted to say them that night that we danced, during our walk on the beach, when we slept together, when I met her at the restaurant again, and during this entire date. I love you.

I refrain, because telling her that could be dangerous. This is fun. We're having fun together, and the weight of the future hasn't really hit yet. I don't have to worry about saying that for a while. Instead, I just try to convey it with my eyes, and maybe my own gaze is deceiving me, but it seems as if she's conveying the same sentiment back. I love you.

Wooo! That was long! Since it's my only Tobias POV chapter, I wanted to include a lot about his background and everything that happened with Tris from his POV. Sorry if it made it seem like I was cramming stuff in. I just felt it imperative that the readers know he's not a complete ass with no regard for Tris's feelings, they've both just made their fair share of fuck ups.

Thanks so much for reading, please let me know what you think! Happy December!

-Kiki