A/N: Here is the long awaited next chapter! Thank you all so much for your patience. Things have been hectic but you guys are amazing. I hope you like this one as much as I do. Thank you all for your reviews, favourites and follows! Can you believe we're almost at 100 reviews? (I've never broken 100 before. I think this chapter will change that with your help, so please review. I'm so excited!) Thank you also to my beta Sarah who takes time out of her crazy busy schedule to help me. She's the best. That's all, thanks again and let me know what you think ;) Enjoy!


Chapter Sixteen

I have never considered myself a coward, after all how could I with what I was and my position, but I don't want to go back to Dauntless. The truck careens forward at what seems like an accelerated rate.

The driver glances at me out of the corner of his eye but doesn't say anything. It's the first time I'll be back at Dauntless since Eric put on a show for the technicians and there's an air of anticipation with those who are coming with me. They're expecting something, whereas I am dreading it.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about the comparison I made between Riley and Eric's kisses. The fact that it was done almost subconsciously alarms me. 'Something to think about when you face your fiance.' I don't want to think about Eric.

We arrive at Dauntless and I can see Eric standing in his usual spot, waiting. It feels like my insides tense. He is an unpredictable variable and I don't like it. I can't let him think that he's won. I can't let him see that he's starting to affect me. I take a deep breath and step out of the vehicle once it stops, before he can reach for me. I've anticipated his movements and wore flats for the excursion. He just smirks.

"Amelia," he says.

"Eric," I reply. I sound far more pleasant than I feel. I motion to the two trucks behind me. "As promised, we've brought more materials."

He motions people forward and I notice that of the three extra hands, only Hatch is familiar to me. He gives me a grin when he sees me looking and I nod back.

"Please be careful," I say, moving away from Eric and closer to the trucks. One of the men form Erudite climbs into the back of one of the trucks to help unpack. I can feel the others' eyes on me.

"Sure," Hatch says as he's handed a box by the Erudite. It slips from his hand and my heart leaps into my throat as he catches it. He winks at me. "Sorry."

"Don't do it again," I snap. My voice is harsh enough to take him by surprise but I can't be lenient. I need them to take me seriously. I don't want to have to come back with replacements. The men look at each other in surprise but most of them nod. The Erudite men wouldn't dare to pretend to drop anything. They want to seem as useful as possible to me so that I can send back a good report to Jeanine about them. I can't say the same about the Dauntless.


Eric hasn't said or done anything. We arrive at the control room without an issue. The Erudite men follow behind the two of us and I can feel their eyes on me, waiting for a sign of facts to match the rumours. I feel like exploding. Tension envelopes me as I wait for something to crack it. Eric doesn't move though.

The control room looks the same as I left it. The air hums with the sound of the computers running.

"It's all as you left it," Eric says.

"I can see that." I motion for the men to start setting up the equipment. They move past me to the supplies and I wait. While I want to leave them here, Jeanine has demanded my presence every step of the way.

Eric stands close enough that I can almost feel the heat of his body. He doesn't touch me but it's enough to send my senses into hyperawareness. I take a deep breath, trying to control the part of me that wants to flee. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. My mind drifts to that night with Riley of it's own accord. How on earth did I compare them? Why? The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. I can't stand that they are occupying my thoughts. I have more important things to worry about.

It feels like eons before the technicians are finished setting up the lab equipment; a large part of it being safe storage for coming serums. Despite being grateful that Eric didn't try to engage me in conversation, I'm wary. He doesn't seem the type to suddenly stop considering his previous actions.

Nothing happens as we leave. He doesn't hold me back or touch me or push me against a wall and kiss me. It's almost as if I'm simply an inconvenience to him. Something settles in my stomach that I can't place. It doesn't feel right.

He follows us all the way to the truck and offers his hand as leverage for me to get into my seat. I don't need it, but something prompts me to accept it. Perhaps it's a gesture of peace between us. An acknowledgement of a silent accord where we treat each other as colleagues.

His hand is warm, despite the slight chill the wind brings. I climb up, giving a nod in thanks as I pull my hand away. It feels like his hand lingers. He pulls away gently, drawing his fingers against my palm before finally releasing me. I look up at him, frowning slightly. He looks unperturbed.

"I'll be sure to inform you when we're ready to move forward," I say.

He smirks. "Always a pleasure, Amelia." He slams the door to the truck and steps back. I can see the driver shake his head slightly, as if he's disturbed by the idea. I settle back in my seat as the truck lurches forward. I want to be relieved that nothing happened, that it seems like it's over...but I'm not sure it is. My palm still tingles where he touched it.


It's a rare moment of peace in my apartment. There is nothing that needs my immediate attention and I am able to relax as I delve into one of the sociology texts that fill my bookcase. My focus breaks from the article on group conformity as I hear a sharp knock on my door. I pause.

It's late. Jeanine would contact me through the tablet that still lay on the small kitchen table. Riley...he knew what building I was in and it would not be hard for him to discover my apartment number since our engagement. Could I pretend I wasn't home?

The knock sounds again.

I mark my page with a sigh before getting up and heading towards the door. I pray it's not Riley. That would ruin the sanctuary of my apartment. As I open the door, curious to see who is disrupting me at this hour, I realize one thing. It's not Riley. It's much worse.

Eric stands in the hallway smirking at me. He's in more black than usual, his arms covered with sleeves. I try to close the door on sight but his hand shoots out and stops me.

"What are you doing here?" I demand.

"I was in the neighbourhood," he says lightly. He forces the door open and I stumble back at the strength of it. My heart pounds as he walks into my apartment and closes the door behind him. Oh god. I'm alone with him and there's no chance of anyone passing by. Not unless I scream and even then I would have to hope that the curiosity of my neighbours is stronger than their fear of him.

I watch him carefully. He moves away from the door, confident that I'm not going to run. How could I? He is faster and stronger than me by a long shot. I don't move. I am still fairly close to the door and there is enough space around me that he cannot trap me as he has before.

I scowl as he looks around my apartment. This is my home and it is personal. I read once that you can learn more from about a person from how they style their home then you can through talking with them. I don't want him to know more. I don't want Eric to learn me.

"Interesting collection," he says, looking over the bookshelf closest to the door.

"What do you want?" I ask, hoping to get him out of here faster. He has tainted my apartment already.

He turns towards me. "What do you think?" He strides towards me with a focus I wasn't expecting. I step back quickly and he chuckles. It's low and deep and it causes my stomach to tighten. "Scared?" he asks.

I don't answer. "You need to leave." My heart is pounding as he steps forward, slower this time like I'm an animal he's trying not to spook.

"We're not done," he says. He moves quicker than I expect, grabbing me before I can dodge out of the way. I struggle, trying to push him away as his arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me into his chest. "I told you, Amelia," he says softly. His head is bent and I can feel his lips move across my neck. I freeze. "I get what I want."

"Eric," my voice is softer than I intended. I know he's smirking before he pulls his head back and looks at me. "I'm engaged."

The look in his eyes darkens. I inwardly berate myself for provoking him. Before I can say anything else his hand is on the back of my neck and his mouth is on mine. The kiss is hard and demanding. His teeth hit mine and he pulls back slightly but doesn't retreat. I respond before I can stop myself. This is nothing like Riley's kiss. I find myself almost needing it, desiring to erase Riley from my mouth. I should want to erase Eric but instead, my hands that were pushing him away grip his shirt, trying to get closer. One of my arms wraps around his neck as I push up on my toes to get closer. His grip tightens around my waist.

I pull away first, nearly gasping for air. He takes the opportunity and moves his mouth towards my neck. I can barely think but the oxygen helps clear my head just enough. "Eric," I say but his teeth scrape on part of my collarbone and my whole body shudders. "Eric, stop." I push him back but he doesn't move. His body is like stone, hard and unyielding.

He pulls away from my neck and looks at me. For a second I think he's going to refuse and force me further.

I want to tell him to get out, that he can't do this but his hand that was buried in my hair moves away from the back of my skull to the side of my neck. The thought that he could easily snap it comes to me suddenly and I try to pull away. He tightens his grip. I freeze, praying he doesn't leave a mark. How would I explain that, especially to Riley?

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"Because I want to be," he says.

"That's not good enough," I say. "Why aren't you at Dauntless?"

His lips quirk up slightly and something sparks in his eye that leaves me cold. I've seen that look before. "I brought Jeanine a present."

"What was it?"

"You'll see." He removes his hands from me and steps back. For a second I miss the warmth of his body but I push the thought away. He watches me for a second, heat in his gaze before he smirks and heads towards the door.

"Next time, Amelia," he says and walks out, slamming the door behind him. He doesn't clarify what he means by that, and my mind whirls through a thousand possibilities. None of them are good. I shouldn't have have reacted like that. I should not have opened that door without knowing who was on the other side first. I should have called out and asked before I opened it.

Before I can delve deeper into my regret, my tablet chirps at me. I walk over to it, trembling slightly as I read the message from Jeanine. We have a new test subject. Come immediately.

[tbc]