Thank you so much to Bamberlee for editing this chapter!
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Neither of us blink.
It's a standoff of sorts when he refuses to look away, and the mild panic to him is expected. From what I understand, attacking someone in Amity isn't just frowned upon, it is strictly forbidden. Disagreements are entirely acceptable; it's the way they are handled that keeps the peace and shoving my head back into a tractor is presumably not acceptable.
"What do you want?"
I stare him down, unblinking, and he's on my territory now. I may not own this house, but I live here, and upstairs is Everly, sound asleep in the bed we share. These small advantages are huge, especially given he's grown up here and I have not.
"I came to apologize." Landon stares back, moving his shoulders in a half shrug. His hair is wet from the rain, and it snarls together when he rakes his fingers through it. "I'm not sorry we got into an argument. I'm sorry about the way I handled myself. I shouldn't have resorted to fighting."
I make him wait.
The seconds tick by, and I let them.
He grows not impatient, but aware that I'm not about to just accept his apology and wave him away.
"Look, I know, it was shitty of me. I'm sorry about the stitches and…I'm sorry you had to go to Erudite. I was pissed off about a lot of things." Landon exhales. "Obviously, here, we don't settle things by fighting. The factionless are a sore subject for me. I know a few of them and…I feel like any time someone draws attention to them, it never ends well. I'm sure you understand."
"I'll ask you again. What do you really want?" I tilt my head, trying to figure out if he'd been kicked out or not. His clothes aren't anything unusual, and his general state of disarray isn't telling. The only indication I have is his sudden appearance and the lingering look of frustration. "How are you still here? Shouldn't they have kicked you out?"
This time, his eyes meet mine. I try to imagine him looking at Everly, or being close to her, and it makes me annoyed all over again in an entirely different way.
"Johanna is willing to let me stay, but it depends on you and what you say."
"On what I say?" I raise my eyebrow, and Landon swallows every last ounce of pride he has.
This time, his shrug is in total defeat. "If you forgive me or not. If you don't, or you don't think you can, then I'm out. There isn't any second chance since I tried to hurt you."
His words spark a thrill of power through me, hot and burning, and almost all consuming.
For a split second, I'm shown what my life in Dauntless would have been: my decisions affecting a faction on every level. Guts. Glory. Blood spilled on my behalf, sometimes mine, sometimes someone else's.
I revel in this, trying it out and seeing how it feels, before I politely give Landon my answer with a slow smile.
This time, the storm is welcome.
I sit on the balcony with Everly, watching the downpour while we drink coffee. She'd awakened minutes after Landon left, and I decided to keep his visit to myself. The decision to forgive him or not was an easy one. If I didn't forgive him –which I didn't want to –I would be outing myself as someone who didn't belong here. Even though he'd attacked me, I had to be the bigger person.
I struggled with this for various reasons. What he deserved was to be kicked out. Odds are, he'd be fine. He already knew the factionless and they would welcome him with open arms. Hell, if he hung around long enough, Johanna might not even notice if he simply slipped right back in with those who came to help. Ultimately, I knew I had the upper hand, and I would use it to my advantage.
I flashed him a blinding grin, told him of course I forgave him, and he could make it up to me in a few days.
His lips pressed together in displeasure. He left looking pissed off and I knew I made the right decision.
Had I told him no, he could have happily skipped to Johanna and ratted me out for not being willing to keep the peace. I might have been making my way through initiation and living with Everly, but all that would be shattered if I wasn't truly interested in living in harmony and it was made clear I couldn't forgive anyone.
Even if they'd tried to kill me.
"Was there someone here? I swore I heard you talking to someone when I woke up?"
Everly leans back against my chest, and I silently thank whoever put this furniture out here. The table where we'd sat and eaten lunch is over by the railing, drenched in the downpour. But we're under the covered part of the balcony, lounging on an outdoor sofa with dark blue cushions. My feet are propped up on the small end table, and she's sitting as close to me as she can.
The air up here is crisp. There's a cold breeze every so often, and the turn of seasons is striking. I find some appreciation in this –the force of nature and the way Amity welcomes its violent arrival –as well as Everly being cold.
She moves closer, sipping her coffee slowly, and I wonder if she owns anything warmer to wear.
"Nah, it was…no one."
I move my arm behind her, and my fingers lazily move up and down the bare skin beneath her sleeve. She glances up out of the corner of her eye, and she tries not to smile when the thunder cracks.
"I'm pretty sure I saw Landon walking way. I was betting someone made him come and apologize." Everly leans away to set her coffee down, and when she leans back, she glances up at me. "Would you forgive him? If he asked you?"
I hold her stare, and I wonder what answer she expects from me.
"Would you?"
"I have. Multiple times," she answers softly, returning to lounging against me. "But if he cracked my head open? No, I wouldn't. I'd tell him to go live in the woods or something."
"Who does he know out there?" I pull her closer, and I close my eyes, realizing if I were in Erudite, initiation would not be canceled. I'd be stuck inside, watching the rain from the windows of the lab, skirting Ashley's lingering stares and her pleas to find some alone time.
Here, initiation is put on hold.
The only one who wants my attention is Everly, and she's the only one who deserves it.
I open my eyes when Everly answers, and I try to decide if it's better or worse than not knowing.
On a dreary Tuesday, the rain stops.
It leaves behind a chill in the air, darkening leaves, and damp, muddy pathways. I suddenly find myself reaching for heavier shirts that are too hot by lunch time, but necessary by dinner. My boots are caked with mud, my hair curls in a horrifying manner, and Everly adjusts to the season by throwing on a sweater.
One that doesn't button or close, haphazardly thrown over her sundress.
She's neither warm enough nor fooling anyone, because by the time we go to bed, she's right against my side, reaching for me until she's no longer cold.
Along with appreciating the change in the air, I do things I never thought I would. I spend a few days learning how to milk a cow. How to feed and care for horses. How to inventory the feed needed for the animals, and schedule members to ride them. I watch as Jerry names a dozen pigs, all squealing and oinking, and he shows me which ones are mean and which ones won't bite. I see an actual raccoon in Jerry's front yard, perhaps Landon's, and I spend two hours dodging Carole's requests to help organize her chickens.
The slow pace of Amity picks up slightly, but nothing compared to what I imagine Jason and Rylan are doing. Rylan's text messages have slowed considerably; the few I've gotten ask how I am, how Everly is, and when he can come back. If May is dead and has Carole won the dance off. The most recent ones hint he's being groomed to be a leader, and Harrison seems to loathe the idea. So does everyone else. Amar is still not back, and their training hasn't lessened in any way.
Today's message arrived bright and early: Four has gone through his final fear landscape and hasn't talked to anyone since but Rylan is enjoying the silence.
"So, my sister. She's doing okay?"
Forrest stares at me from across the table, and his bar is unusually crowded for lunch. Since he started serving food, the place has been packed.
Or at least that's what he claims.
"Hello? Earth to Eric? Did you hear me?"
I blink, having been distracted by Jake and Ryan wandering in. They are dressed in dark clothes, and they glance around suspiciously before taking a seat at the opposite end of the bar. The lone bartender immediately heads in their direction, and he greets them with a lazy but thrilled smile at having new customers.
"Yeah, sorry. She's good. She's…uh, she worked in the daycare and hated it." I shrug, trying to think of something I can tell him. Everly is working in the daycare again today, and other than that, things were quiet. Telling him she'd decided to stick her hand down my boxers and jerk me off and I was wondering if she'd do it again probably isn't what he wants to hear, nor is it something I want to share with him. "She said the kids are clingy."
"They are. Most of them are so used to being around their families, they don't see any difference when they're with someone else." Forrest grins, and he leans in closer. "I'm glad you came by. I wanted to talk to you and I haven't had a chance."
"About what?" I eye him warily, trying to think ahead to what he could want to ask me. He'd already offered up his sister as my wife, he'd taken me cliff jumping, and he'd shown up in Erudite to bring me back to Amity by claiming we were family. "You okay?"
"I'm awesome! I'm getting married right after the Fall Festival. I just wanted to see if you'd stand with me."
"Stand where?" I take a sip of the beer, strong and with a hint of something more than bitter, and he grins even wider. My lunch was dictated by May today, and she told me I had a generous two hours to eat lunch and return to the barn. "What am I agreeing to?"
"So, Willow has no friends here. She's new, not exactly settled in yet, but she and Everly are good friends. Best friends. She asked Everly if she would be part of the wedding party, and Everly said yes. But she'll need someone to walk down the aisle with. It's you or Landon. The only reason Landon will even be there is because Jerry will be there, but it'll be uneven if Everly doesn't have a date. And uh, I mean, you two do live together so… logically…you know."
"Right. Logically, I would be her date to your wedding, and I would be part of the party," I pause, looking up when someone drops off my lunch. I thank them, then return to Forrest. "Sure. I'll help. I already told her I'd go. She asked a while ago."
"Really?" Forrest is pleased with this news. His face lights up, and his smile is wide and genuine. "Good. So that's just coming along then. You'll have to meet everyone to make sure you have the right shirt, and I'll make sure you get an invite to the bachelor party."
"Bachelor party?" I pick up the sandwich, taking my chances that it doesn't have peace serum in it. "What do you have planned?"
"Oh you know, bonfires, hiking, hunting, beers, bears, cow tipping." Forrest winks, then he turns serious. "Hey, what's new with the army? Any word? May said we're having a meeting soon."
"You're in it, too?" I swallow down a single bite, and I relax when it tastes normal.
"Hell yeah! Harrison told me he'd help out and train us if need be. He said he's busy with the initiation class in Dauntless. He was saying some of them are terrible." Forrest pauses, then grins. "And your friend Rylan?" He said he's a riot but it makes it hard to train the class. Yesterday, he fell off the wall they were climbing and refused all medical attention unless it was in Amity. Couldn't remember his own name. He's fine now, I think."
"Rylan," I groan. "Shit. That sounds exactly like him. No doubt he's on Harrison's last nerve."
"Harrison was saying he was upset about his name being spelled wrong on the board." Forrest looks up as a wave of people come in, and I recognize almost everyone. Trent and Trevor, Lacey, Daryl, Charlie, Matt, Tony, and Echo all take seats at one of the larger tables. "Darn it. I gotta go help. You promise me you'll be in the wedding? Everly wasn't very happy Landon tried to kill you, so I don't think she'll want him anywhere near her. I heard you forgave him. That was smart but also stupid."
"Yeah, I agree. I really didn't have a choice in forgiving him. And yes, I promise. I don't want Everly to be mad if I decline." I wave him off, and I return to my lunch. I pull out my phone, in my pocket out of pure habit, and I type in Rylan's name. Once I press send, it rings a few times, and eventually goes to voicemail. I quietly tell him to call me when he can, and when I hang up, I nearly drop the phone.
Courtney stands to the side of the table, staring at me with wide eyes.
She reminds me of Everly in a few ways. They're both short enough that they'll never be able to reach the top shelf of anything, and she shares the same slight frame and big eyes. Unlike Everly, she's not quite as brave. She stands frozen in place, and her mouth opens to ask me something. Then it closes. When she works up the nerve to speak, it feels like she's been standing there for ten minutes.
"What?" I bark at her, watching her startle. "Are you wondering if I was calling Rylan?"
Her gaze moves to the phone in my hand, and her nod is immediate.
"Is he coming back?" She moves slowly, carefully climbing up onto the empty barstool and balancing so she doesn't fall. "Everly said she hasn't seen him call in a while."
I stare at her and I try to figure out if I'm in over my head here. Rylan's whirlwind courtship with her isn't exactly my responsibility, nor is me informing her if he's even alive. They'd met for one day. Maybe thirty minutes. It certainly wasn't an ideal romance, but she's clearly interested, and she reminds me a lot of Everly. Hopeful and naively sweet, eager to have someone care about her and bravely taking the seat across from me.
So I give in.
I exhale sharply, and I shake my head in surrender. "He's in training. I tried to call him, but he didn't answer. I did leave a message. I'm sure he's fine, but your guess is as good as mine when he'll be back. He's on track to become a leader there."
"Why?" Her disappointment is instantaneous: her face falls, and so does her gaze.
"Because. It's better than being a soldier there," I point out, and she eyes my sandwich. "What? Did you eat?"
"No," Courtney shrugs. "I'm waiting for Everly. She got stuck taking care of some of the newborns. May is helping her get out of there. The moms are running late."
"Is that normal?" I contemplate offering her my sandwich, but she perks up when Forrest runs by, dropping off a salad for her. "Did you order that?"
"No," she laughs, and she beams when he tells her to enjoy it. "But Everly getting stuck? Yeah. I think some of them are helping out in the fields today, and they lost track of time. It happens. There's full time help, though. They probably stepped out and forgot Everly had lunch."
"Does she know you're here?"
"Yeah," Courtney returns to looking at my phone, and she chews her lip. "Eric?"
"You want to call him, don't you?" I stare at her, and I look away when I see Everly arrive. She looks annoyed until she sees us sitting there, and then she smiles. I have to admit she looks pretty, even all frazzled. Her hair is half out of the braid she had it in, and her dress is too short for the cool weather.
She looks at me, pink cheeks and a pleased grin, and she heads right over to the table.
"Can I?"
"Here. He probably won't answer. You can leave a message and if he calls back, I'll…I'll try to have Everly go get you. Don't call anyone else, and don't answer if anyone calls. Got it?" I pull up Rylan's name so all she has to do is tap it, then I hold the phone out slowly, wondering if this is a good idea. "Do you promise me? If anyone else calls, even if there's a name, don't answer it."
"I promise!" She practically falls off the barstool as she takes the phone from me, and she hops down. "I'll be right back. Hi Everly!"
"What is she doing?" Everly watches her rush by. She stops next to me, and I reach for her before I can stop myself. I pull her closer, and she rises up on her toes, throwing her arms around my neck. "Who is she calling?"
"Rylan," I try to keep a straight face, because Everly is excited at this news. "He might not answer," I warn her. "I just called and it went to voicemail. She wanted to try."
"She's hoping he moves here," Everly informs me, pulling my head down to hers. I smirk at how cold her hands are, and her sweater slips. "I told her maybe he'll just fail their initiation and come live here. He could. No one would mind."
"Let's not tell him that just yet," I mutter, and my lips touch her cheek. I leave them there, letting myself enjoy how good she smells and how soft her skin is, and then I shut my eyes. "If he moves here, there will be no more quiet evenings. He'll never, ever leave. He'll move in next door."
"That's okay. I like him. He's entertaining," she laughs, fingers creeping into my hair, and it's a strange feeling to be so openly affectionate with her. I still couldn't even explain what our relationship is. The thought of calling her my girlfriend makes me feel stupid, like the act is juvenile. Our closeness feels deeper than that, but calling her my fiancée, without ever having proposed isn't right. It doesn't even feel right to say she's my friend, because I have the sudden, overpowering feeling that I would drown without her.
I give up trying to figure it out. She pulls back to kiss my cheek, and her dark eyes tell me she feels the same.
We spend the rest of my long lunch break sitting close together, snickering when Ryan and Jake spill their beers all over the place. We watch them play darts, nearly taking an eye out from an old man wandering over to watch and clapping when Lacey is the only one to hit the bullseye.
I enjoy my time so much, that I completely forget I've given Courtney my phone.
"You're married?! Are you fucking serious?!"
The voice is shrill in my ear, and so loud I nearly throw the phone. Everly looks up in confusion, and I shake my head at her, silently hinting this isn't a conversation I want to be having. "Who is this? Where are you calling from?"
"I'm calling from the lab. It's Ashley, you fucking moron! How could you do this? Blythe promised you'd be back! She said you were just acting out and some girl just said never to call back because you'd gotten married! Eric! Tell me that bitch is lying!"
Ashley's voice reaches a volume I've never heard before. She was often volatile and having grown up with two parents who didn't like each other, her actions were so familiar I never thought twice about telling her to fuck off. I was used to the mood swings, the manipulation, the rage she was capable of, and I often shrugged off her behavior.
But now, it's like a wailing banshee shrieking in my ear, and I can't believe I ever found her attractive.
"What are you talking about? Who did you talk to?" I hate that I'm even entertaining her for a few scant seconds, but the number on my phone called six times. I picked it up on the seventh, thinking maybe it was Rylan and he was calling from someone else's phone, and I was horribly wrong. "Why are you calling me?"
"I was calling to say I could come visit. Blythe told me…" Ashley pauses, collecting herself and lowering her voice. "She told me I should see if I could get you to come back. They can take you to Dauntless. Jeanine has agreed to wipe your record in Amity clean. They're sending the papers to Johanna today. I thought we could spend a few days together before you join their initiation."
"Are you serious?" I hiss, and I've never longed for Everly more than right now. Just the idea of her –cold until she curled herself up on my chest, long dark hair, green eyes, and quiet voice and even quieter fingers slipping over my skin –is overwhelming. I reach for Everly's hand, roughly yanking it into mine. I thread my fingers through hers, and I tighten my grip out of pure irritation over Ashley's call. "I'm not leaving. Don't ever call me again. I don't want anything to do with you or Blythe."
"What did they do to you? Are they drugging you?" Ashley's tone turns dark, and the faint noises of Erudite slip into the background. The intelligent murmurs of theories and science projects, the clinking of test tubes, and the very careful dissections of someone's presentation –just a hint too brash for what they're looking for. "Do they know who you are? Who your parents are? You're going to live on some farm like…like…What's her name, Eric? Blythe said it's all because of some girl."
"Don't call me again. Tell Blythe to go back to destroying someone else's life." I snarl, and I press end on the call. The moment of silence is a relief, and I decide to block her number. Everyone's number except for Rylan.
"Who was that?" Everly looks up, and she puts her other hand on mine, and she pulls me to a stop. "Who wants you to go back –"
"Ashley." I answer flatly, watching as the screen goes to the call list and I realize Ashley called earlier. In fact, she called a half hour ago, and it shows someone answered that call.
Courtney.
"I think your friend had a few choice words for her." I shove the phone into my pocket, and I look right at Everly. "Ashley wanted to know if I was married. She was planning on coming here, and I'm guessing when she called earlier, Courtney answered and told her not to bother."
Everly smiles.
It's bright, and very, very, very smug.
"Oh, so you think Courtney told her? Well that's okay." She looks up at me, seconds away from batting her eyes in my direction, and I narrow my eyes at her. "What? I didn't talk to Ashley. I don't even know anything about your ex-girlfriend. Other than she's very upset you're married."
"Cute." I glare at her, but it's hardly mean. "You two are going to send her over the edge. She'll probably show up here for sure, and when she does, she'll come looking for you."
"I'm not afraid of her," Everly scowls, and I like how she looks when she's annoyed.
So long as it isn't at me.
"Besides, she can come here and say hello. Because at the end of the day, you share a bed with me. Not her." Everly smiles again, and she stands up straighter. "Maybe we should invite her over for dinner. That would be polite."
"Fuck no." I smirk when she laughs, and I know she's kidding. "You really want to see someone lose their shit?"
Everly laughs, and she adjusts her fingers through mine. I lessen the grip slightly, but I don't want to let go of her. I've never felt desperate in my life, but I feel desperate now.
"Come on. I gotta go…label some chickens or something."
I shake my head, letting Everly pull me along with her, and I ignore the lingering thought that Ashley very well might show up here. I wouldn't put it past her to be so pyscho, but if she did, I'd have no patience for it.
My life here is nothing like Erudite and nothing like Dauntless, and at this point, I'm willing to go with it.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Eric, you have to. It's…it's part of the rules. Plus, Zander is really hoping you'll dress up with him."
Everly blinks at me from the bed, lounging on her side and flipping through a book someone had brought her. Moments ago, she'd asked me what I was planning on dressing up as for the Fall Festival. I had no clue what this festival was, or why I'd need to dress up. She went on to explain it was an Amity tradition and she wasn't asking about formal wear, but a costume.
Once fall hit, Amity held a spookily themed festival for their members. There were hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a treat-walk through the forest for anyone who wanted candy, bonfires, a hay bale maze, and worst of all, mandatory attendance. I suppose I could beg off, claiming a headache or an intense aversion to such a childish activity, but Everly was insistent we go together.
With her family.
In Erudite, there was no such thing as the Fall Festival. I couldn't imagine anyone knocking on Blythe's door and asking for candy or dressing up like a gremlin to scare Daniel. The most they did to acknowledge it wasn't hot out anymore was throw up a few fall decorations and the coffee shop offered Pumpkin Spice everything.
"He said he's going as Harrison. Or a pirate. He'd love to see you."
"I'm sure he'll live if I don't dress up as anything other than myself." I grit out, not at all enthused by any of this. "Actually, I'll go as someone from Amity. Everyone here dresses like they're in costume, anyway."
Everly looks up from the book to throw me a dark stare, and her nightgown slips. This particular one is not at all childish. There's nothing juvenile about the pale fabric or the way it's fitted, and I swallow thickly when her eyes meet mine.
Contrary to anything I'd ever thought about her before, it was becoming hard not to see her any other way than as someone I wanted to shove back into the mattress. And not just any someone – but as Everly. I want her, and the sensation had started to creep up my neck almost every hour of the day. I'd caught more glimpses of bare skin, bare legs, bare shoulders, and the curve of her waist. I was very aware of her legs tangling with mine, the curve of her breasts against my chest, and the feeling of her spine beneath my fingers. There is no reason for things not to progress, other than the thought that once anything happens, I will be responsible for the outcome.
Life in Amity felt slightly daunting once I considered this.
"You could go as a pirate. Just don't wear a shirt," Everly looks up innocently, and her eyes lock on mine. "I bet Noelle would be thrilled."
My snort is drowned out by her giggling.
"Yeah, maybe I will." I roll my eyes, and I reach for the collar of my t-shirt. "What are you going as?"
"I don't know yet," Everly closes the book, and she sits up to put it on the nightstand. "Maybe Carole. You could go as Howard."
I yank the shirt over my head, and I toss it onto the dresser. I undo the belt, strip off my pants, and I kick everything aside. "I didn't know role playing was your thing. I never would have guessed."
Her eyes widen as her cheeks turn pink, and she yelps my name when I flop down on the bed, nearly crushing her.
"That's not what I meant!"
Her shriek makes me laugh, and I throw my arm over my eyes, groaning at how nice it feels to be in bed. I'd spent my morning moving goats. It was as thrilling as it sounds and it was harder than I ever would have imagined. They were total assholes; most refused to move from their pen, and it took Jerry and Hank helping by bribing them to come along with us to the new pen he wanted them in.
"That's exactly what you meant. You don't have to pretend just for my sake." I snicker, and I move my arm when I feel her scoot closer. She wiggles her way against my side, so her head can find my chest. "I mean, I'm not opposed to it…"
"I'm never talking to you again," Everly mumbles, and I smirk when she turns and slickly announces it's supposed to rain.
It's not.
She ignores my logic of how it was sunny all day, and it's not even cloudy out now. When she's sure I won't move her, Everly throws her arm over my chest and slides her legs between mine.
The position isn't unusual for her now. She's figured out I won't push her away, and other than waking up with a raging hard on and the agony of not being able to do anything about it, it isn't a terrible way to fall asleep.
It is tonight.
Her fingers dip and trace over every muscle, and her breathing is slow and soft. I lie there in utter despair when she trails them down my side, then moves them away from my boxers at the last second.
I lowly agree to attend the Fall Festival with her when they return to my shoulders, and her sigh of relief doesn't go unnoticed.
Daniel calls.
I answer it as I catch the arm of a small toddler I don't know before he dashes headfirst into the lake, but also while avoiding the nefarious gaze of Noelle. She's supposed to be watching the small boy, but she ignores him completely in favor of fixing her hair and ogling me.
"Are you watching him or what?" I hiss, and I accidentally hit accept.
"Eric?"
Daniel's voice echoes in my ear, slick and professional, and only mildly surprised. To his credit, he'd been calling every so often. He hadn't texted me since my birthday, but he had called numerous times. I never answered. I was usually in initiation, knee deep in mud or fending off wild animals doing their best to escape Carole, and I never called him back. Once I was home, my time was spent with Everly, and the last thing I wanted was to think of Daniel while slipping into bed with her.
"What?" I bark, and I try to corral the feral kid away from the water. "Noelle, come get your kid."
"I have no clue who he is," Noelle insists, and her eyes widen. "I'm watching Leon. He's over there, petting a turtle."
She points a few feet away from her, and sure enough, a slightly taller and less dirty little boy is gently telling a turtle how much he loves him. He picks the turtle up, much to the turtle's surprise, and it's clear the love is not reciprocated.
"Whose kid is this?" I glare at her, and she shrugs. We both glance around, but there's no one out here. Even the playground is deserted since everyone went to lunch, and since Jerry and I snuck out early, I was using this time to take a walk. Everly was helping her father today, and I figured I'd take a stroll and get away for a few minutes.
"Eric, what are you doing?" Daniel's voice is small now, and he sounds far away. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," I snap, and the kid looks up at me. He's filthy; his hair is a matted mess, his face is covered in dirt, and his clothes don't fit. I blink when it hits me his parents must be factionless, and there's a chance they're looking for him. "I'll call you back. I have to help…someone."
"Yes, please. I just wanted to call and see how you're doing. I was going to reach out to Everly, but she doesn't appear to have a phone."
"No, she doesn't," I pull the kid back again, and this time, even Noelle pauses to see if his parents are nearby. "Ten minutes. I'll call you."
I hang up before he can get a word in, and I crouch down by the kid. I'd never once stopped to acknowledge the existence of any kids in Erudite, but there's something disheartening about the way he's looking up at me.
"Where are your parents? Are they getting lunch?"
He stares without blinking, then points at the sky and babbles something. It makes zero sense, and my frustration is quick.
"Mom? Dad? Do you have parents? What's your name?"
"I don't think he can talk. Or maybe no one taught him how," Noelle suggests, and she tells Leon to put the turtle down and come with her. "Okay, I'll be honest. I saw someone walking with him a few minutes ago. I assumed it was his mom, but she ditched him the minute he ran toward the lake. I think… I think she's leaving him here."
"They just left him? Where'd she go?" I look up at her, and she looks uncomfortable. "Noelle?"
"Back into the woods, I guess? I don't know! Leon and I were picking up pinecones. Just…go take him to Everly. She can watch him." Noelle answers dismissively, and I glare at her. "What? I heard she's great with kids. Does the princess of Amity not like children? How are you gonna marry her? Her family is huge. How many kids will you wind up stuck with before she splits? Ten? Twelve? You gonna start your own army of family members?"
"Noelle…" I say her name slowly, and her lips turn up.
"Yes?"
"Go fuck yourself." I stand up, and against my better judgement, I pick the toddler up. He's light, probably lighter than he should be, and his eyes are glued to me. He doesn't protest, and that tells me something is wrong. "Twice. If we decided to have twenty kids and hired you to watch them all, it still wouldn't be any of your business."
Noelle's jaw goes slack.
It's not so much the insult that she'd work for us, but that I'm openly stating I've considered the idea that a future with Everly involves children.
Though, if she were working in the daycare, perhaps she wouldn't want them right away.
"You really want kids with her? She's –"
I pay no attention to her.
I take off, in the direction of the only person who I know can help me.
"Eric, did you steal a child?"
Everly blinks up at me, and her eyes are as wide as the little boy's. He hadn't said a word on our trek over here; he clung to me, dirty fingers digging into my shirt, and every so often, he'd sigh. The panic of finding him by himself was ramping back up. I know nothing about children and I know even less about returning a factionless child to his mother.
I kept waiting for someone to return. I expected someone from his family to rush out of the woods asking where I was taking him, but nothing happened. Not a single person appeared my entire walk, and only the few chosen to work with Hank looked my way when I walked into the greenhouse. I found Everly standing with her father, deep in conversation.
Until she realized I was here.
"I found him by the lake. He was about to wander in." I set him down on the counter Everly is leaning against, and she and Hank both look at him. "Noelle said whoever he was with, maybe his mom, walked him into Amity and just left him."
I wait for them to say something, but they're both quiet.
They glance at each other, and Everly forces a tight smile after what seems like an hour of silence.
"Yeah…she probably left him hoping someone would take him in."
"What?!" I stare at her in horror, and her shrug is slight. It's not like Noelle's dismissive shrug, but more like this isn't something she wants to admit. "She just…left him. She doesn't want him?"
"The factionless have it very rough," Hank interjects, and his voice is soft. "It's not uncommon for them to do this. Every so often, a mother gives up her child knowing they'll have a better life here. Anyone is welcome here, without question. Odds are, whoever brought him can't provide for him. The hard part is, if she were to talk to Johanna, they'd find space for the family to stay here. So…she must not…. want him."
For once, I don't know what to say.
I feel strange, sort of sick and uneasy, and Everly notices right away.
"Hey, he's lucky you got him before he went in the water. He's really little." She takes hold of my wrist, and steps closer. "Eric, are you okay? I know it seems strange, but…it happens in other factions, too. Not just here."
"Yeah, fine." I steel myself, trying to shake this off. I don't know why it even bothered me that someone left him here. The abandonment isn't personal, but it feels that way. Blythe had never dropped me off in the woods and walked away, but when I look at the boy, I'm uncomfortable.
Even though the mother's actions could be considered admirable, she could have at least told someone.
"Hey, uh, you know we can't…. we can't keep him. Right?" Everly whispers, and I stare down at her in horror.
Not that she's unwilling to take in such a small child, or that she'd ever think that was my plan, but because I have the strange feeling she's going to tell me he has to go back to the factionless and I can't bring myself to do that. I look over at the kid, sitting quietly and reaching out to touch the plants with one finger, and my stomach hurts.
"I mean, if you want, we can try. But we don't have any extra room…yet, or any clothes for him. I don't even know how we'd make it work during initiation." She pauses, and her hand is warm on mine. "We could see if maybe Willow and Forrest can watch him. Or maybe…maybe May can help. There are always families in Amity who want more children…"
Everly trails off, and behind her, Hank throws me a tense smile. He reaches over to pat my arm, and the action is full of compassion.
"I know. You're wondering how on Earth she just left him. Sometimes…they're not in the right mindset. Or they're very young. She probably assumed he'd be fine and couldn't bear to watch him walk away. This isn't an uncommon occurrence here, but it's a reality none of us truly want to admit. Once you're a parent you'll understand a little better. If you can't take care of your child, you'll do anything to find a way." Hank pauses, and the air grows chilly when the misters turn on. "Why don't we bring him to Eden? We'll get him cleaned up and ask around if anyone can take him in. If no one is willing, he can stay with us. Zander's been looking a little bored lately."
"Okay," Everly nods, but I shake my head.
Not at the thought of how poorly Zander would handle a younger sibling, but because it dawns on me I know who might be willing to help.
"Wait, I think I know someone who can take him for a few days."
"Who?" Everly stares in total confusion, and even Hank looks nervous. I push down the rush of insult, because they're both right in wondering who I could possibly know here. "Please tell me you aren't giving him to Rylan."
The little boy looks at me, tilting his head and he looks a little lost. A lot lost, actually. I feel for him, because I felt the same way when I came here, and even now, I've never felt more out of place amongst the plants and trees.
"Eric?"
I turn to face Everly, and she braces herself for whatever I'm about to say.
A minute later, her face lights up in total approval.
"He was down at the lake by himself? Did he get in the water?"
Elisa glances at me out of the corner of her eye, but her focus is on the little boy. She's filled her kitchen sink with warm water and some bubbles, and very carefully coaxed the shirt over his head. He willingly let her undress him, and she frowned at the state of disarray he was in. He went to her without any question, and now the two of them watch each other carefully, silently sizing one another up.
Everly had walked here with me, but she got stopped at the end of the driveway. One of the neighbors came out to ask her something about Hank, and Everly waved me on to go knock on the door. I hesitated only for a moment, thinking perhaps this was a misstep, but it was too late. Elisa opened the door, her lips parted, and she hurried us inside.
My plan was simple: see if she and Ian could watch him.
Or maybe keep him forever.
I still wasn't sure how I felt about all this. I didn't like it, and I wanted some answers –like how many factionless kids were dropped off on a regular basis –along with how it worked. What happened if the parents came back? What happened if no one came back? What if something happened to the boy, or he'd gotten hurt since he was alone?
He was too little to wander around Amity by himself, and it was clear he could get into trouble. I'd taken him to Everly, thinking she'd have an answer, and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. We both knew this was beyond what we could handle, but I struggled with just handing him over to whoever agreed to take him in.
"Yeah, I was going for a walk and he ran right past me. I thought Noelle was watching him. She said someone walked him into the faction and left." I watch her show him the water. He watches intently, then splashes her. He immediately looks up, and when she smiles, he does it again. They repeat this for a few minutes, until he's more comfortable in the deep sink.
"They just let him walk in by himself? He could have gone right into the lake." Elisa frowns, but her attention is back on him, smiling as she reaches for a cup. He doesn't move his stare from her, and he looks confused when she pours the water over his hair, then wipes his face clean.
"I brought him to Everly first, but I thought maybe…maybe he could stay here for a while. Hank said they'd ask around if anyone wanted to watch him. I don't even know how old he is."
"Maybe two? Not even two?" Elisa examines his face, and his eyes are blue. His brown hair is dark now that it's wet, and his scrawny arms reach for her. "He's little. Those clothes don't even fit him."
She smooths his hair back, and I notice she's very gentle with him. She reminds me of Eden when she reaches for some shampoo, and she works it through his hair. He stays perfectly still, only making the tiniest noise of protest when she rinses his hair. His large eyes blink away the water, but he smiles when she scrubs his hands. He keeps leaning toward her, wanting her to come back, and there's some mild panic when he thinks she's leaving.
"Everly said it was too much to have him stay with us, so I thought maybe…" I fumble over how to explain that I thought Elisa might be willing to help.
Over the worst dinner of my life, I'd picked up on the vaguest hint that Elisa couldn't have children. Ian's disdain over the insistence that each home be built specifically for a large family, and his mention of some surgery Elisa had gone through made me think they'd come to accept their family was just the two of them. I didn't know any specifics, nor was I close enough to ask Ian, but I went with this assumption.
Coming here was a long shot.
They could have been just fine with the way their life was. I only knew them on a superficial level. Ian had apologized for asking me to pretend he didn't exist, and I understood why he'd want to keep his distance. He'd been working to build a relationship with me, and as a result of what had happened, my eyes had been opened. My past from Erudite ran deep. It affected both of us, and we'd each taken solace in a place that would eventually fix that.
He has Elisa, and it is clear he'd do anything for her.
I have Everly, and while there is no definite to what our relationship is, I'd do anything for her. Including attending some stupid festival with her little brother and standing up in her other brother's wedding.
The world of Amity was pulling me right down into its folds, and I had stopped resisting. In fact, standing in Elisa's kitchen, I realize I wouldn't mind living here. Or at least in this area. I like how open and clean their house is, and I like how it's a blend of their respective factions.
I could almost see myself being happy here, having my own family –even if that family was just Everly and me, Everly's family, and my uncle.
"What were you thinking?" Elisa looks at me, but she's right in front of the child. She is careful as she washes him off, and he looks completely different not covered in dirt. "Eric?"
I exhale heavily.
After I explain why I came here, Elisa might tell me they didn't actually want any kids. Their house is most definitely not set up for any children, and even a quick peek into the living room proves this. Their bedroom is off to the side, and the door is open. There are plenty of steps and sharp corners, and a large bed with a dark comforter and a dozen pillows perfectly arranged. Maybe they are fine with it just being them, and this was presumptuous on my part.
At the end of the day, I barely know them.
I start to tell her this, but I'm interrupted by a door slamming and the sound of footsteps on pristine tile.
"Elisa, I'm home! I stopped and got something for dinner. I know you don't love what they serve in the Dome, but I thought it would be nice not to cook." I hear Ian yelling from the front door, and there's a thud as he sets something down. "I got us some chicken and then CeCe gave me some salad and she made you…fruit salad and oh…Eric? What are you doing here?"
He crashes around the corner and comes to a dead halt when he sees me standing there. His arms are full of bags and boxes, and he fumbles with them for a second. His eyes move from me to Elisa to the child in his kitchen sink, then back to me. Then back to Elisa. He tilts his head in total confusion, and his mouth falls open the same way mine did when I woke up to Carole's chickens in our kitchen sink.
"Elisa, is that…whose child is that?"
Elisa turns to look at him, and the look she throws him reminds me so much of Everly it almost makes me laugh. It's one very sweet, persuasive smile, the exact kind Everly grinned when she wanted me to go to the lake with her, and she gestures for him to come closer.
"The factionless left him here. Eric found him by the water." Elisa keeps her tone even, but there's a very mild defense hidden in it. She pulls her shoulders back, and Ian's eyes widen when she squeezes out some conditioner for his hair.
"Is that my shampoo?" Ian steps forward, and my stomach sinks.
I definitely overstepped my boundaries by coming here to meet him, and I most definitely overstepped by bringing them a factionless child who was left here to fend for himself. Ian would have quite the story to tell, when this was all said and done: Daniel's son showed up on his doorstep, had dinner, had a minor disagreement when he realized they weren't going to be friends, made up, bonded over Daniel sucking as a parent, then one day showed up with a factionless child and assumed Ian would want to watch him.
"Does he like it? I got it at the market. The girl swore it was organic. I thought it smelled nice. Hey little guy! What's your name?" Ian waves his fingers at him, but the little boy doesn't answer.
He does look at Ian, and his eyes are large as Ian leans in and reaches out to touch his hair.
"Does he talk?"
"I think he's too little," Elisa explains, and she steps aside to let Ian move closer. "You said Hank needs someone to take care of him? Have they asked anyone yet?"
"Hank said he would ask around. I just left there," I shrug, and I wonder if Everly is still outside. This would be a million times easier if she were here, but she'd thrown me a frustrated look as she got stuck answering questions about whether or not Hank was willing to help with some project.
"This is the second time this year one of them has left a child behind. It happens in Abnegation as well. They know they'll take care of them," Ian comments, and he holds his hands up like claws. "I wonder if he likes dinosaurs. Do you know what a dinosaur is? Can you make a dinosaur noise? Rawr? T-Rex? Brachiosaurus? Raptor? No?"
"Ian, I don't think he has any clue what a dinosaur is," Elisa shakes her head, but she's smiling. She tenses slightly, then reaches out to touch his hands, both held up to mimic Ian's. "Ian, I was thinking…"
She pauses, and Ian glances at me, then her.
"What? Too much with the dinosaurs? What's another animal? I can't imitate a squirrel. I don't even have any nuts."
"No, I was thinking he could stay with us. Eric said he and Everly can't have him stay with them." Elisa lets out a heavy exhale, and I can see her mind whirling. "We have room. Even if he just stays for a few days. I'm off work and I have some vacation time…"
He looks at her, and I wait for him to tell her no. I wait for him to point out that's not a very smart idea, that his house is full of breakable electronics and glass screens, and not to mention both of them hold high, prestigious jobs that aren't suitable for bringing a child to, even if Elisa could take time off.
He shrugs and steps closer to his wife.
"Of course, he can stay! I just hope he likes chicken. Unless we should make something else. What are you going to dress him in?" Ian shoves his glasses up, and the little boy watches him intently. He smiles when Ian paces back and forth, and it's clear he finds him fascinating. "Wait, I'll be back. Betty has a grandson his age. She probably has some clothes. I'll just…run over there. Eric, is Everly here? I thought I saw her outside."
"She is. She was coming with me, but she ran into someone who wanted to ask her about Hank." I feel relieved at him agreeing to keep the little boy, and even better when he nods.
"Can you come with me? We'll see if they have any toys he can play with. Elisa, you're okay if we go next door?"
Their relationship is interesting to watch. Elisa, busy with the little boy, glances over at Ian and nods. Her smile is bright, wide and happy, and she puts some bubbles on his head. He laughs, throwing his arms up and giggling when she does it again. Ian watches her with a strange look on his face, and he pushes his glasses up with a grin.
"We'll be fine. Tell Betty hello for me."
Elisa's voice is far away, distracted as she rinses his hair again. He likes it this time, and he grins when she does it once more.
"Okay, well, Eric and I will be back. Hey, you and Everly want to stay for dinner? I could go get more chicken." Ian turns on his heel, and he gestures for me to follow him. "Or are you busy? Hey, have you proposed yet?"
I shake my head, and despite this sliding right back into will I marry Everly territory, it feels far better than him telling me not to come back.
The feeling stays all night. It stays there while Everly helps Elisa dress the little boy, while we eat dinner with them at an elegant table, watching Ian carefully cut up chicken into bite sized pieces and Elisa freaking out over if he'll even like chicken, and when Everly suggests they'll have to name him.
The feeling changes, morphing from lukewarm acceptance to feeling like I most definitely belong, when Elisa, Ian, and the newly named Atlas hug me goodbye. It's a far cry from the first time I met them. It had gone poorly, so poorly I'd left in a fit of rage, and it had taken me a while to get over it.
But now, when Elisa hugs me for a few seconds longer, then hugs Everly and whispers something to her, and Ian hugs me like I'm the long lost relative he's been looking for, I don't regret coming here.
I don't regret coming here at all, especially when I walk home, and Everly smiles up at me beneath a sky full of twinkling stars.
I regret everything when I have to push her off of me.
"Fuck, Everly, it's too late! It's time for bed."
"No, it's not! I'm not even tired! You promised!"
Her hands push against my shoulders, and she makes the tiniest grunt of protest when I don't move. I stare up at her, her green eyes flashing and her hair a mess, and she moves one hand to shove her hair out of her eyes.
"Harder."
"No." I scowl at her, resting on top of me, and her skirt pushed up around her thighs. There's a squeak of frustration when I don't move past glaring at her, and I reach for her thighs. I yank the skirt back down, and when my hands move to her waist to knock her off, her expression flashes with utter disbelief.
"You want me to stop?"
"Pretending you know how to fight? Yes, I do. Because it's not fighting if you attack me while I'm going to bed," I dryly inform her, wondering if Everly really thought she had a chance at taking me down.
The subject of the army came up again on our walk home. We never did finish talking about it, and it fell to the wayside once Rylan, Jason, and Four were here. She mentioned it while we passed a few dark houses, and with as much politeness as I had, I told her there was not a chance in hell she could take down anyone.
The joke was on me because she decided she would try.
Except I was ready for bed and paying zero attention as she attempted to prove how strong she is. "You're losing. Just admit it."
"Hilarious. Look, if you want me to show you how to fight, I will. Or we'll have Rylan come and demonstrate. I'm sure he'd love that."
"You don't think I can win, do you?" She has a glint in her eye that makes me nervous, so I sit up, and once taller than her, she has to look up at me. It's not as intimidating as I thought, because she smiles, and wiggles closer. "Or are you afraid?"
"That's not fair," I swallow thickly, and her smile is triumphant when I struggle to talk evenly. "You're playing dirty, Amity."
"I'm not afraid of you," she reaches for my face, and her hands press on each cheek. "And besides, I think you like it."
I jut my chin out because she's not wrong.
"I understand if you're tired…" she trails off, tilting her head up as I bend mine down. I brush my lips against hers, but I break away after a few seconds.
"This ends after initiation. We find a house, sign whatever is required to live there, and I'll really take you down. Got it?"
Everly's lips part, but her nod is immediate. "Do you promise? That's not that far away."
I press my lips to hers once more, slow and patient, and I can feel her smile. "Oh, I promise."
She slips off my lap quickly, and for the first time since I got here, she doesn't fall asleep immediately.
Daniel calls again.
In the morning, I groan when the phone rings, and I nearly throw it out the window when I see his name across the screen. We've never had any real, open communication, and I see no reason to start. He was probably drowning under the guilt of seeing my head split open, and the family who followed to make sure I was alright.
It was a funny word, and an even funnier scenario to think that a bunch of strangers from Amity were more concerned with me than he was. In the furthest corner of my mind, I go back and forth between admitting it was nice to have them show up –the first people to ever be worried I was hurt –and horrified.
An army of Amity members had to have caused a few laughs.
But when I push my head back into the pillow, having already declined Daniel's call and turned the phone off, and I side with Amity.
I wait for the wave of regret or embarrassment at wanting to stay here, but it doesn't come. Only warm, contentment when Everly shifts closer, and her fingers curl into my chest as though she feels my thoughts while she sleeps.
"You look so tall and so handsome."
Everly tries not to laugh.
I throw her one tight, unimpressed glare, and she loses out on her quest not to giggle.
"I'm not going." I snap, and she nearly falls off the bed. She manages to regain her composure, a tough feat given how delighted she is at seeing me, and she loses it a second later. "I'll stay here and hand out candy."
"No!" She sits up, looking horrified. "You said we'd go to the festival. I don't even really want to go, but I want to go with you."
In a moment of clarity, I fully understand this.
The past week had slipped by before I could figure out what day it was. Since dropping off the child I found by the lake with Ian, we'd gone over to eat dinner with them three times. It was a drastic change from only seeing them sporadically, and it was oddly pleasant. Ian and Elisa were incredibly happy to have Atlas, and despite my original bargain of watching him for a few days, it was clear they had no intention of returning him to anyone.
He now had a bedroom, fully decorated and turned into a room for a small child. They'd had Eden give him a physical, and other than needing a few meals and some attention, he was pronounced healthy as ever. He now had clothes, neatly hung up in varying shades of blues and darker blues, but also plenty of the same warm shirts the little kids here wore, and a few plaid button-down shirts that matched Ian's. His room was painted a soft blue color and there were all kinds of toys. Some looked more suited for a child in Erudite, and some looked like something Zander would play with.
Despite all this –a mountain of stuffed animals, for educational purposes, dozens of blocks, cars, action figures, and even a tiny toy kitchen, Atlas only wanted Elisa and Ian. He sat on their laps while he ate, and he clung to them. He didn't even prefer one over the other. He wanted them as close together as possible, and the last night we were over, he fell asleep on Ian, his little hands clinging to Ian's arm.
For some reason, it still bothered me. He was no longer abandoned, discarded with the thought that someone else would find him and take care of him, but I couldn't help but worry someone would return for him. Ian and Elisa adored him, and when she picked Atlas up out of Ian's arms and carried him to bed, I grew nervous in thinking she'd be crushed if someone did show up and ask for him back.
Hank was the one who reassured me it wouldn't happen.
On the lone night Everly and I ate dinner at home, he came by with a plant for Everly and a drink for me and asked how Ian was doing. I told him fine, but I knew my expression was apprehensive. When Everly sat down, Hank glanced at her, and informed us that after careful consideration, including my telling Hank how I found the boy, Ian and Elisa had been granted full custody. Even if the factionless returned or demanded he go back to them, Atlas was now a member of the Amity faction. The circumstances in which he'd been left here were enough to show he'd been endangered. He would stay here, as their son, until he could choose his own faction.
I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was a strange feeling, good and downright wholesome, and I didn't even care that Hank stayed so long that Everly fell asleep on the couch and he only left because Leif came looking for him.
The rest of the week was quick, too: Thursday was spent in the kitchens again, this time without Landon, and Friday was spent with Jerry.
Today, a cold and sharp Saturday, I'd all but forgotten I agreed to go to the Fall Festival. It was hard to miss that it was going on. The faction was practically built for such a holiday. Each home had been decorated, almost every yard had a bonfire going, and the members had worked to prepare for the party. While I helped Howard inventory the remaining crops, I watched farmers tie up hay bales for the maze. I spied May creating a giant spider web for the treat trail. I saw Carole setting up a station for kids to stop and get drinks.
I even saw Landon, looking subdued and downtrodden, as he helped load up hay on the back of a trailer for a hayride.
I didn't give it much thought, until now.
I'm not even dressed up. I'm not dressed at all, actually. I'd taken a shower, combed my hair, and wandered out in boxers, fully prepared to collapse onto the bed and convince Everly to watch a movie. I'd even toyed with the idea of letting her pick one.
Unfortunately, I find her sitting on the bed, waiting for me to get dressed.
"You promised Zander. He'll be crushed."
"No, your brat of a little brother will not. I'm sure he'll have enough sugar to forget I even exist," I answer crankily, wanting nothing more than to go to bed. Not particularly to fall asleep, but to just lie beside Everly and enjoy a few quiet hours. "Why don't we stay here? You can wear…. that…and we'll watch something. I heard there's a sequel to that terrible vampire movie."
"If you thought it was so terrible, why'd you watch the whole thing?" Everly throws back innocently, and she sits up straighter when I near the bed. "How about just for an hour? We'll go, walk around, say hi to everyone and leave. Plus, Ian said they're bringing Atlas. I heard Ian say he's dressing him up as a dinosaur trainer."
"Or what if we stay here, and I let you lay next to me," I bargain, and I scowl when she shakes her head. "On me? Beneath me?"
Her smile is slow and inviting and there's no sense in pretending at some point, it won't happen.
"You don't have to dress up. Or if you do dress up, I'd be willing to help you take the costume off," she rises up on her knees, and her hands reach for me. She balances carefully, looping them behind my neck and pulling me toward her, and her lips touch mine.
For a fraction of a second.
"You could take my costume off, too. It's really pretty, though."
I lose out. Both my balance and my sanity slip, and I knock her back onto the bed. She laughs when I land on top of her, and the low, easy seduction she has planned is incredibly amusing. Every day, I got to see that Everly is very confident in her attraction to me. It's not a secret, nor is she pretending it's something else. There's something admirable about the way she openly went after what she wanted, and enviable about how easy it is for her to show affection.
Even now, her hands touch everywhere they can. They tangle in my hair, her legs rise up to frame mine, and she's warm and small, but everywhere.
"I thought you were going as Carole," I mutter, and thoughts of the Fall Festival become a faint memory when her nails scrape down my back. The sensation evokes a physical reaction. I arch my back in response, and she isn't even arrogant in knowing she's winning here.
She presses her mouth to my cheek, then my lips.
"I mean, whatever works for you."
Her snicker makes me grin, and I focus less on the fact that Carole should be a popular costume here, and more on how it feels to be over Everly. I have the urge to shove my hips against hers, to pin her hands above her head, and to bite at her skin until it's pink with the reminder that she belongs with me.
"What's the shortest amount of time we can stay? Half an hour?" I negotiate, and my mouth finds the spot on her neck that makes her eyes close. I sink my teeth into her skin, wondering how it is possible she always smells sweet and pretty, and she groans my name. Her hips press upward, and the skirt of her dress is frustrating as it tangles between us. "Twenty minutes?"
"I told them we'd go for an hour," Everly mumbles.
Her head falls back, exposing her throat and the line of her neck and shoulder, and I move up higher to kiss along her jaw. The gesture is bizarre. I'd rarely kissed Ashley. I found affection boring, an unnecessary step on the road to fucking her, and completely useless.
But not with Everly.
I feel her chest rise, her breath hitch, and her palms press me closer. There's nothing useless about the way her skin flushes, pink taking over her cheeks and her neck, or the way she wiggles to get closer. There is something useless about the Fall Festival because it's about to ruin my plans for the evening.
"It's gonna be a long sixty minutes," I point out, dragging my lips back to hers.
She looks up at me, surrounded by strewn pillows and messed up sheets, and she's so lovely looking it's impossible to move. The only desire I have is to rip the dress off her, and my boxers right along with it.
"Okay, fifty minutes, no hayride, and we leave once we see Ian and Elisa and Atlas and say hi to my parents." Everly counters, and her fingers slip into my hair. "But you owe me. Because I always go to this, and unless you have something better planned, I'll be mad. May even dresses up her ducks. Last year, one was a wizard."
I stare down at her, her lips parted and wet, her eyes as dark as her hair, and her skin as pale as the sheets, and I smirk.
I have a lot of things planned, and I'm very sure she'll enjoy every single one.
Of course, I find myself slowly being sucked under by the Amity faction the second we arrive.
It's a sensory overload of everything that makes this place run: a vibrant community, more decorations than I can count, plenty of spooky sounds and roaring theming, and children everywhere. It's not the fear landscape Rylan talked about, but it could be. It's fully immersive; the air smells like crackling fire and roasted marshmallows, the rare breeze is cold on my exposed skin, and the feeling of raw, frantic, sugary energy buzzes around us.
A dozen kids run past, no older than five or six, all dressed like witches, wizards, and a few monsters. One is dressed like a Dauntless soldier and he runs the fastest. He stops when the smallest of the girls stumbles. She's dressed like a princess, in a pink poufy ensemble with a crown on her head, and she trips over her skirt. To my surprise, he stops to make sure she's okay. Once she reassures him she's fine, adjusting her crown back into place while he watches, he waits patiently for her. They take off together, shrieking about which house has the best candy, and racing to get there first. Everly watches with a smile, and I roll my eyes.
I hate it.
"Okay, just smile for a few minutes. You can at least pretend you're thrilled to be here," she half whispers, catching on pretty quick that this is my nightmare. "Here, we'll go say hi to my parents, see Zander, and walk the trail."
"Alright," I agree, not entirely halfheartedly, and not entirely being truthful to myself.
I don't totally hate it.
I like that it's dark. I like the excitement in the air, the barest hint of careful, not at all dangerous danger lurking in the shadows, and the way everyone willingly accepts this is happening. Almost every porch is lit up, there are pumpkins carved with funny faces, and people are everywhere. It's another glimpse into life in Amity, and just how many people live here.
Everly and I walk along slowly, taking it all in, and I must admit she looks pretty.
Her costume isn't anything I was expecting. It's a pink dress, with straps tied over each shoulder, and a black hoodie. She sticks close to me, attempting to stay warm since she refused to dress for the weather, and every so often, I catch her trying not to grin.
I'd worn all dark clothing.
I would never in a million years dress up as anything, but I figured I could blend in. I wore a black shirt, black pants, and in another odd moment of deja vu, I feel like I am someone else.
The identity crisis of Amity rages on.
So does the party. We walk past twenty kids roasting marshmallows over a bonfire larger than I've ever seen and supervised only by Jerry. He waves enthusiastically, dressed up as a farmer, and I try not to laugh at how utterly ridiculous it is he wore his own clothes. We keep going, down a winding path beneath dark, crawling branches, until we pass Carole's house. She and Howard are outside, passing out chicken shaped cookies, and inviting people to walk through her Not So Scary Haunted House of Chicken Horrors.
I lowly tell Everly hell no before she even asks.
"Are you sure? You know we'll be missing out if we don't go?" Everly tries to bargain, but her laugh tells me she doesn't want to go, either.
We walk farther, until we find her parents standing at the entryway to the treat trail. I was surprised to see it was an actual path to walk, delving deep into the woods. There are few lights over here except for the ones in the trees, but plenty of candy stations lit up. Children of all ages swarm the area as they get ready to walk through; it doesn't seem to matter how old they are, if they want to go get candy, they can.
Up ahead, Everly's brothers and sisters laugh as Zander jumps up and tries to touch a giant spider decoration, and they goad him onward, telling him Johanna is at the end of the trail with the best candy. He doesn't look like he believes them, and his tiny replica of the Dauntless uniform is a little too spot on to be a Halloween costume.
"You want to walk it?" I look down at Everly, but she's distracted.
"Look! There they are!"
When I glance in the direction she's pointing, I see Ian and Elisa, happily walking Atlas toward the pathway. It's hard to miss how excited they are, and it's surprising in its wholesomeness. Ian instructs Elisa to pick up Atlas –looking warm and mildly confused since he's dressed up like a tiny bear –and once she does, Ian pulls out his phone. He takes a few pictures when Atlas looks at him, and judging by Elisa's wide smile, it's clear they're absolutely delighted with this turn of events.
"He's really cute," Everly comments, watching Elisa show Atlas the string of lights. He points to them, and he waits patiently while she tells them what they are. "They look really happy."
"They do," I reach for her hand, sliding my fingers between hers, and I tighten my grip. Her hand is much smaller than mine, and despite her trying to show me she could fight or lying on the bed blinking up at me, this act makes my stomach flip over. It's such a boring gesture, something anyone could do. But when it comes to Everly, it feels way more intense. "Come on. We only have forty-three minutes left."
Everly laughs, but we both know we'll stay longer.
Tonight, there is no rush, despite our plans to head home.
"I think we should take this one home."
Everly stands before a pumpkin that's nearly the same height as her. It's massive, wide and tall with a huge stem, and she laughs at the look on my face.
"You can carry it, right?"
"No." I cock an eyebrow at her, wondering how the hell this monstrosity of a pumpkin was brought here. Or how anyone would attempt to carve it. "What is this place? Did I miss the sign saying we were in Dante's Inferno?"
Everly throws me an unimpressed eye roll, then moves forward to step around the pumpkin. She wanders around to look at a few more, rows and rows of dozens of pumpkins, all free to anyone who wants one. I watch her. Her hair is down and wavy, and her dress is short and pretty. She smiles at the families she knows, which is every single one, and she pauses when someone comes up to her.
"The meeting got pushed back."
I nearly jump out of my skin when May elbows me, and her eyes narrow at Everly. "She knows what you're doing, right?"
I try to hide the scowl on my face when I realize Everly is talking to Landon. It's quick. Their conversation is cut short when Jerry shows up, and he deftly moves in between them with a look of extreme panic. He has nothing to worry about, because Landon steps back, holding up both his hands.
I still couldn't figure out his motives. Part of me thinks he still wants to marry Everly. While his dad talks, Landon's eyes trail over Everly's face, down her dress, then back up again. The other part of me thinks he's plotting something and would have no issue destroying her life to get back at her.
"Yeah, she wants to join. And I figured it got pushed back. I didn't even know where it was being held."
"Oh, you'll know," May answers, and I'm in no mood for her vaguely wise foreshadowing.
"What exactly do you think I'll do with an army? You know I came here, right? Not Dauntless. I haven't gone through their initiation." I cross my arms, feeling a hint of defensiveness rising up. "I don't know anything about having an army or running one."
"Everyone starts somewhere, Eric." May slaps my arm, but she doesn't let go. "Listen, Johanna knows Jeanine wanted you to lead Dauntless so to make it fair, she's going to offer you a job with her. Obviously, we know you're young and your view of Amity is skewed to see only your future wife and how many sheep you can fit inside a barn. But it'll change. She needs someone with enough backbone to stand up when we need it, and we think you're the guy."
"Is someone bothering her?" I hate how little I know about the politics of Amity. I had been learning how it worked on a basic level, but I have a feeling there's far more to the faction than I understand. "She has alliances, right? Every leader has them. Jeanine has one with Dauntless. Doesn't...who does Amity have one with?"
May stares at me out of the corner of her eye, and her exhale is exasperated. "Abnegation. We side with them because of the whole…do no harm mindset. They aren't the strongest, and they rely on our kindness, oh and Marcus Eaton is a piece of trash, but hey, they like us."
"What about Candor?" I try to think of who oversees Candor, and my memory of Jack is fuzzy. I'd met him exactly once, when he came to Erudite to talk with Blythe and my general impression was he thought very highly of himself. "Does Jack come here often?"
"Please. His expensive shoes might get dirty. Besides, he's so obsessed with speaking the truth to others it would be hard for him to accept his own faction couldn't survive on their own. But that's the point of the factions. Each one works together and things are good." May sounds like she's thinking very carefully about all this, because she stops abruptly. "Tomorrow, you and Forrest are going hunting. He's going to invite you, you're going to accept. If Everly asks, you tell her that and that alone. Harrison was very clear that she not be as involved as she wants to be. He thinks it's a risk."
"Why? Where am I really going?" I watch as Everly steps away from Landon, and her stare frantically searches the pumpkin patch. It finally lands on me, and her relief is evident. "Is someone planning on going after Everly?
"May?"
"Target practice. Ten am. Don't be late."