I spend the next few days under the Tobias' watchful eye. It makes me feel better; safer, knowing that he's looking out for me. And even though it still scares the shit out of me, I love the way it feels. It's a different, overwhelming feeling. The way my body reacts to his, is something I've never experienced before. I've barely been able to focus on training ever since our kiss. That's due more to the fact that he hasn't touched me since. And I don't have the courage to ask him why.

"Okay, you all did great today. I'm letting you all go early today," Tobias says.

I look at him, as does the entire group. I raise a brow. He never let us go early when I was an initiate. Or maybe he did and I just don't remember. But he doesn't say anything more, just nodding as the group stares at him dumbfounded.

"Do you guys think I'm kidding or something?"

"You're letting us go?" One of the boys asks, sounding dubious.

"Just for the day. I have plans tonight," Tobias grins. "Now get out of here."

Plans? I wonder what he's doing. And why he hasn't thought to include me on this plan of setting them free early today. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be partners in this type of thing. As the initiates leave, I glance in his direction.

"So you have plans?" I try to sound nonchalant but I'm pretty sure I have failed that test.

Tobias grins at me. "Yup. They're pretty good plans too."

"Oh."

And still he doesn't spill. That doesn't mean he should rub it in my face. But maybe it's really none of my business and maybe he has grown tired of waiting for me to be the girl he fell in love with. My heart aches just thinking about that and I hope with every fiber of my being that I'm wrong.

"Just for future reference, you should probably check with me to make sure I didn't have anything I wanted them to do for training." I'm unable to keep the hurt and annoyance out of my voice as I pack up the knives.

I can feel him staring at me but I will myself to focus on the task at hand. I don't want him to know that his excluding me has hurt me as much as it has. I wish I didn't even know.

"Tris."

He just has to say it once. His voice speaks to some part of me. Somewhere deep within me, something stirs. My hands pause in the middle of their task and my head turns of its own accord to find the eyes that have taken over my dreams.

"My plans are with you, in case you didn't put that together on your own." He's trying to suppress a smile and I know that should make me mad, but it's just not in me.

"Don't you think you should have asked my opinion first?"

He grins. "That would have kind of ruined my surprise."

"What if I don't want to be surprised?" I'm trying to assert my will, to show him that I can make my own choices and decisions, but I'm having a hard time keeping the stupid smile off of my face.

He takes a step toward me and takes my hand, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb. "Don't you?"

I swallow. My heart has started to beat more rapidly and I'm having a hard time breathing like a normal person. He hasn't touched me since I asked him to kiss me. Just in that short time my body has missed the way his skin feels against my own. He must sense the tension emanating from my pores. He looks like he wants to say something but instead he tugs on my hand, pulling me from the Pit. I follow him stupidly, not having a clue where we're going. I'm even more surprised when we leave the compound.

"Am I going to need to change first?"

"No I quite like you the way you are," Tobias winks at me.

I roll my eyes at him. "I meant my clothes. And I think I may need a shower."

"Like I said, I like you the way you are."

He releases my hand and I'm about to protest, but I see the train car heading our way. My instincts take over and I'm running after the train. This is natural. This is normal. I don't have to think when I'm running. I'm used to this. Once I grab the handle and pull myself up, my nerves hit me full force again. Tobias is right behind me and in this train car there is no escaping his intense blue eyes.

I lean against one wall while Tobias stands against the other. We're silent for a few moments. My half is because I'm trying to figure out what to say. Everything would be easier if I didn't feel so nervous around him. But I know how he feels about me and that makes everything complicated.

"I've been going crazy these past few days," he says, letting out a breath.

I gaze at him curiously, glad he's broken the silence. "For what reason?"

"What other reason is there but you?"

I'm not following. "What are you talking about?"

He looks like he wants to move closer to me but he stops himself and I really wish he didn't.

He swallows. He's nervous! So it's not just me! "Two days ago you asked me to kiss to you."

My heart falls. He didn't want to kiss me. He was just being polite. I am completely mortified.

His eyes widen at my expression and he's crossing the space between us without hesitation this time. "No, please don't think I mean that badly," he says, taking my hands again. "Tris, try not to interrupt me out or let your imagination run rampant while I'm talking, okay?"

I chew on my lower lip and nod, trying to follow his instructions, but I can barely get my mind to cooperate most of the time as it is. Just because he's asking politely doesn't mean it'll actually listen to him.

"Two days ago you asked me to kiss you and since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

I'm stunned. He's been like me? "Then why-?"

He narrows his eyes at me, so I bite down on my lip. I send him a telepathic apology.

"I don't want to push you. With anything. You're much too important to me to rush anything. I kissed you because you asked me to and I've been going crazy out of my mind waiting for you to ask me again."

My mouth falls open in what I'm assuming shock. I don't even know what I'm feeling because I'm convinced that I've gone mad and hallucinated his entire spiel.

"I'm done…you can speak now," be chuckles nervously.

I lick my lips. What do I say? What can I say? How do I say it? There are so many things running through my head and trying to string together words that make sense is next to impossible. His face falls and he drops my hands, taking a step back.

My mind jumps into hyper-drive when I lose contact with his skin. " No!" I say, my voice full with passion. I reach out and take his hand. I shake my head. He looks confused. Well good, now it's not just me. "No. I thought…I thought you regretted it."

His eyebrows come together on his forehead and he opens his mouth to say something, so I press my index finger against his lips to stop him.

"Uh-uh," I say quickly. "My turn."

Under my finger, his lips curve up in a smile. I can't bring myself to move my hand.

"You have to realize how this looks to me. One day you're telling me that you're never going to leave me and giving me a heart-stopping kiss and then nothing. For two days." He looks like he wants to say something but he's restrained himself. "So to me, it was unsettling. I thought…that maybe you grew tired of me not being the girl you were in love with."

He kisses the bed of my finger. "May I?"

I nod, moving my finger and resting my hand on his cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tris. You can count on that. As for you thinking you're not the girl I'm in love with? You've got that so wrong. I'm always going to be in love with you no matter what you do or don't remember." He lifts our still connected hands and presses his lips to my knuckles. "Understood?"

I nod sheepishly. "However there's still the matter of, um, the kissing."

Tobias grins. "As far as the kissing goes, I'm going to let you call the shots. I stand by my word of not wanting to push you. So I won't."

I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. " Oh. So you're not going to kiss me?"

"Not until you say the word."

I nod. "Ever?"

He grins at me. "You call the shots, baby," he says. He looks out the window and hits the button to open the doors. "But out there? That's my turf. I'm calling the shots tonight."

I turn and look at our rapidly approaching destination. The sun is already starting to set and is casting a shadow across the land.

But in the distance I see a Ferris wheel.