Tris's POV:
The dirt path winds to a stop as we get closer and closer to the city. I squeeze Tobias's hand with more force, never wanting to get separated from him again.
"I'm going to hide somewhere outside the city, then try to sneak in tonight," Amar explains. "The rest of you just meet each other at Tobias's house in the Abnegation sector. But, go in different directions, so no one notices you as much." We all bob our heads in unison at every detail of the simple plan.
As if on cue, we all split in separate directions; Amar to the left, Caleb and Cara to the right, and Christians, Tobias, and I straight. We come closer to the gates, and Christiana separates from us, and we keep walking, trying not to attract attention.
Tobias leans toward me and whispers, "Are you alright?"
"Actually, yes, I am, because I'm with you," I reply, resisting the urge to kiss him. If other citizens took notice of our being here, we would get ourselves into one hot of a mess. The shadow of the Hub keeps becoming clearer and clearer as we approach it. I take notice of the same turnoff that I had the encountering with the factionless man who gladly accepted my dried apples, and reminded me just how important the choosing ceremony was. A shudder rolls down my spine at recalling his bony hand grabbing the package from mine.
Gripping Tobias's hand with even more force, the distant outline of the Hub morphs into a detailed view of it, signaling that we are nearing the Abnegation sector. Tobias looks at me, his gray eyes insistent, beautiful. I quickly whip my head into focus, and walk faster, my thighs tightening and releasing with more muscle revealed.
Once we enter the Abnegation sector, tears blur my vision, reminding me all of what happened here. I force them away, and willingly accept Tobias's gesture of helping me through his front door. His house is so similar to mine, but his is filled with different energies, mostly negative. Tobias peers around the room, making sure that no one else has arrived quite yet.
"Since we are alone," he begins. Tobias smiles, and pulls his lips near mine, guiding his hand around my waist.
He urges me to the couch, and once we reach the edge, Christina barges in and cries, "Oh my God, is that all you two do?"
Tobias tugs away, and lets out a small laugh. "Not really."
"Well, it sure seems like it." All three of us start laughing, and soon enough, Caleb and Cara join us. "What should we do?" Christiana asks.
Cara suggests, "Well, we can eat, then sit around and wait for Amar, I suppose."
Christiana rolls her eyes. "Is that all you Erudite think we'll do? C'mon, let's have some fun!" Tobias glances at me, and starts to inch closer. She cries, "Not like that!"
Caleb and Cara leave to search the city for any spare food, while Christiana, Tobias, and I ransack Tobias's apartment for any scraps we can locate.
Christiana pulls me over to her and whispers, "Are you alright? You know, being shot in two different places, then having to flee the city almost immediately."
I pause for a brief moment before replying, "I guess I never really realized the circumstances I was in."
She tries to stifle a laugh before answering, "So is that a yes?"
"Yes. I am alright because I have my family with me."
Her brow furrows. "Caleb?"
"No. You and Tobias. You're my family now." Christiana's mouth curves into a smile as she pulls me in for an embrace.
"I love you, Tris."
"Love you, too, Christiana." Even if I haven't known her for the longest amount of time, I feel like she's lived my whole life with me. The thing is, she has. Well, at least the most eventful elements of it.
We separate, and I creep up the stairs, peering around every corner for whatever spare food there could be. The door to Tobias's room creaks open, and I step in. The blue vase that hid under his bed, then climbed it's way to his night table has vanished. Who took it? Marcus? I stand there for a minute, and think of a perfectly logical answer. Evelyn. Pushing away the thought, I take a seat on his bed, the covers wrinkling underneath me. I slowly lay the rest of my body down across his bed, taking in the scent of him spread across his pillow. The scent signals safety, passion. I bury my face deeper in his pillow, never wanting the scent to leave the tip of my nose.
I lay there, staring at his ceiling, taking in every detail of his simple room. Tears sting my eyes as I remember my room, all the memories there; my mom and dad tucking me in when I was young, Caleb and I playing Candor, laughing at our responses. The thought of Caleb pains me. The fact that he hid almost everything from us, the way he pretended to be Abnegation, it just makes me sick. I feel like I am protected, safe from harm here. I always was; Abnegation was my safe house. But now, it's not. And I will never be again.
It seems like hours I lay there, thinking, breathing in Tobias's scent. After quite some time, I realize that I have to keep searching for scraps, or else the six of us will starve. I rise up out of his bed, and smooth down my disheveled hair. Spotting Tobias furiously climbing the stairs, I meet him in the middle.
He greets me with a warm, safe hug, and with, "Where have you been?"
I feel my cheeks flush with heat from embarrassment. "Looking. Nothing's up here." I plant a small his on the side of his cheek, and walk back down the stairs. Caleb and Cara have returned, each bearing a couple handfuls of food.
"It'll have to do for tonight. We'll be fine," Cara remarks. I nod in agreement.
I think to myself, Everything will turn out just alright.
