Learning To Let Them In

by aubreylovesthegames

Tris is broken. She is alive, but she isn't living. One day took everyone from her. She and her guardian, Tori, decide to move to Chicago for a fresh start. Tris pushes away everyone she meets, not wanting any 'friends', but that becomes a little difficult when the boy next door, Four, slowly starts to break her walls down, piece by piece. What will happen? Will Tris let them in?

32. Chapter 32

Heyyyyyy! I'm back with another chapter! I know, I know, I'm back so quick! Anyways…..LET CHAPTER 32…..BEGIN!

Disclaimer: I mean, I wouldn't mind owning the Divergent series….but as much as I wouldn't mind, it doesn't belong to me. So, unless Veronica Roth wants to sell me all rights, I don't own Divergent or any of its characters.

Tris' POV

When I wake up, Tobias is no longer beside me. I flick my eyes open and rub the sleep out of them. I push myself up into a sitting position and jump when I hear Tobias' voice.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, how are you doing?" He's leaning up against the wall in front of me. The TV is on in the background on a music channel.

"I'm fine," I slowly say. "How long was I out?" I ask as I stretch.

"Oh, only for about 8 hours."

I freeze and stare wide eyed at him. "You're not serious."

He chuckles. "I'm as serious as serious gets."

I'm still staring at him, not quite believing him. I snap out of my trance and crawl to the edge of the bed. I grab my phone from the charger and turn the screen on. It's 3:02 according to my phone. Which, if the time is right, then I would have been sleeping for about 8 hours which means that Tobias is telling the truth. I stare at him again.

He laughs again. "What, didn't believe me?"

"No, not really," I sheepishly say.

He chuckles then comes and sits next to me, slipping an arm around my waist.

"How did I sleep for 8 hours?" I ask, more to myself than Tobias. He answers anyways.

"You were tired."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, yes, but I didn't know I was that tired."

"Well, look at it this way; when was the last time you had a full night's sleep without waking up once?"

I think for a moment. "Okay...I see your point. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Think about what I just said."

I bite my lip. "Okay, that was obvious, sorry."

It's quiet for a minute. "8 hours? Really?" I ask again. He chuckles and kisses my temple.

"Christina, Lynn, Uriah, and Zeke came to check on you today."

I frown. "When?"

"About an hour ago."

"Why?"

"Once again, just think."

"Okay, okay. I know why. What did they say?"

"Said to tell you they were sorry for telling me about Eric."

I purse my lips. "Anything else?"

"Tris, you're not mad at them are you?"

I sigh. "I don't know. Not really, I guess."

His arm tightens around me for a moment before loosening up again. He stands up and grabs something from on top of the TV stand.

"Christina also said to give you this."

He holds a small box. I raise my eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

He shrugs. "Hell if I know. I'm just the messenger."

I sigh and stand up to take the box. I open it and find a small bracelet inside. I take in a sharp breath, surprised that she would get me something this significant. The bracelet is made of braided black leather with 3 small silver circles worked into the braiding. Each circle contains a letter; put together they spell 'BFF'. A bit cheesy, but beautiful and unique all the same. I find a folded up piece of paper at the bottom of the box and take it out. I unfold and read it.

I'm sorry….? I hope you aren't too mad. I know that gifts can only do so much to fix things, but I saw this and thought you might need a reminder of who your best friend is. I got two of them; I have the other one. Wear it if you forgive me, and if you don't, I'll know to give you some space. If you want we can talk later. I just wanted you to know that I only told Four because I was worried about you. I was just trying to help you. That's what best friends are for, right?

Love you,

Christina

I smile and look back down at the bracelet.

Of course I forgive you, Christina. How could I stay mad after this?

I slip it on and find it fits my wrist perfectly.

"So what did it say?" Tobias asks. To be honest, I forgot he was here for a moment.

I hand him the note. "You can read it," I tell him. He takes me up on my offer. While he reads, I turn my wrist and admire the bracelet. A chuckle escapes me as I think about the note.

"What?" Tobias questions.

"The note. When Christina said she was just reminding me who my best friend was."

It takes him a moment but he chuckles as well. "Still a Candor at heart, isn't she?"

I nod and laugh again to myself. "Even when she's apologizing, she just says things as they come to her mind. Luckily she is my best friend and I know what she's like, so I'm not offended."

"So you forgive her?"

"Of course I do. I can't stay mad at my best friend for long. Especially when she does something like this."

"Good," he sighs. I frown.

"What? Why are you so relieved?"

"I didn't want to get in between you and them. I was afraid I did when I made them tell me what happened."

I stand up and press myself against his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. It takes him a moment, but he eventually relaxes and wraps his arms around me, pressing me closer. The music is still on in the background. The song that was playing before ends and a slow paced song replaces it.

"May I have this dance?" He asks with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I suppose I could spare one dance with you," I say with a smile. We start to move back and forth.

"Even if I was still mad, it wouldn't be your fault," I say after a few seconds of silence. "I'm a big girl. I can make my own decisions."

"I know you are, but I'm just glad that you're not mad. I'd feel guilty."

"Well, you don't have to. I'm not angry."

"Which I'm happy about."

"And why's that, huh? If I was mad you could have me all to yourself," I tease.

"Hmmm...in that case, maybe I should cook up a new plan," he, surprisingly, teases back.

"And what would that plan be, Mr. Eaton?" I carry on.

"I'm thinking something along the lines of making you enjoy being with me so much, you don't ever want to leave, Miss Prior," he goes on.

"Actually, with all do respect, you've already accomplished that. But sadly, these friends of ours keep pulling us back to them."

He chuckles. "Then I guess we have to take the time we have together and use it wisely."

"That we do, Mr. Eaton, that we do."

"And how would you suggest we spend this so-called time, Miss Prior?"

I smile lightly at him. "What we're doing right now seems like a good place to start," I say softly and lay my head on his chest.

I close my eyes and focus on his heartbeat. His chin sets on top of my head and he pulls me closer as we continue to move softly to the music. The song ends and we both fall still, but neither of us loosen our grip.

"I have another suggestion," he whispers to me.

"And what would that be?" I ask, pulling my head off his chest to meet his eyes. He stares at me for a few moments, takes one hand off my waist, and places it on the back of my neck. He brings my forehead to rest on his.

"This," he whispers. My eyes fall shut as his lips meet mine. It's a slow paced, gentle, kiss. It feels like the most unrushed, loving, soft, kiss we've had so far, and I find myself loving it more than any others we've had. For some reason, this kiss makes me feel as if we've been doing it for years on end instead of just a month. And it just feels….right.

When he pulls back, he rests his forehead on mine again.

"I have something to tell you," he says.

I open my eyes and pull back a bit to look at him. His fingers deftly brush a piece of hair back behind my ear.

"I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."

"That's sensible of you," I say, smiling too. "We should find some paper so you can make a list or a chart or something."

I feel the breaths of his laughter against my cheek, his nose sliding along my jaw, his lips pressing behind my ear.

"Maybe I'm already sure," he says, "and I just don't want to frighten you."

I laugh a little. "Then you should know better."

"Fine," he says. "Then I love you."

My smile grows bigger, but then my insecurities step into play and I frown a bit.

"Are you sure? I mean...we've only been together for a month," I ask gently.

"I'm sure, Tris. I think I've been sure for a while now."

With that statement, I push the rest of my insecurities away for now, and kiss him again, for much longer this time.

This time, I'm the one to pull back. "You said we were leaving at 5, right?"

He nods and presses his lips against my forehead.

"I need to get ready then," I say, with more disappointment dripping into my voice than I'd like to let on.

He smiles and plants one more kiss on my forehead.

"Promise you won't leave me alone tonight?" I ask, talking about the fair.

"I promise," he says, his blue eyes boring into mine.

His lips meet mine once more before stepping back. "Go get ready," he says, chuckling a bit.

I sigh. "Okay."

I walk over to the suitcase and grab another set of fair clothes and walk into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I strip and take the bracelet that Christina gave me off. I set it next to my necklace and jump into the shower. I make it short and hop out a few minutes later. I get dressed quickly, put my bracelet and necklace back on, and start to dry my hair. I'm about to dye it when there's a knock on the door.

"Hey Tris, there's someone here to see you." Tobias' voice leaks through the door.

"Who?"

"It's me." This time it's Christina's voice. I sigh and smile. I go over to the door and unlock it. I open it and see both of them standing there, Christina looking both anxious and nervous. Tobias smiles at me.

"I'll just be over here," he says and walks off to the other side of the room.

"Hey, Tris," she says, still unlike herself. I laugh at her sudden wariness and throw my arms around her. She sighs and I feel her relax as she wraps her arms around me too. I don't miss the way she purposely hugs my lower back, obviously thinking about my shoulders. I, honestly, forgot about them. But now that I'm reminded of them again, I realize I should probably check them later.

"So you're not mad?" she asks after letting go.

I smile. "I can't stay mad at you for long. I'd miss you too much. Besides, what would I do without my best friend?" I state and raise my wrist so she can see the bracelet. She hugs me again, tighter than before. I return the favor and when she lets go again, she has a mischievous smile on her face. She walks around the corner of the door and comes back with a large makeup bag in her hands. My eyes go wide and I shake my head.

"Absolutely not."

"Absolutely yes," she replies.

"Christina," I groan.

"Tris," she uses in the same tone. "It's happening."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. But on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"Not too much."

"We'll see," she says.

"Christina," I say testingly.

"Fine," she says, complying. "But I get to decide what I put on."

She pushes past me and starts unloading supplies from her bag. I shut the door behind her and watch as she takes out various items and lays them down on the counter.

"Like I could have a say in that anyways," I mumble to myself.

There are some things she pulls outs that I have no idea what they are. She pulls out a curling iron and plugs that in while I wait.

"A curling iron? Really Chris?"

She just smiles and pulls out hairspray next.

"What are you gonna pull out next? A full-sized bed?" I ask jokingly.

"So, I have a question," she says, ignoring my sarcasm.

"Yeah?" I ask, sitting down on the chair in front of the mirror.

"Why is your hair blonde?"

I gasp. "Shoot!" I say to myself and hop up out of the chair. In doing so, I knocked the dye off the counter. Luckily, none of it spilled.

"Wait- Tris! Stop for a second!"

I look at her. "What?!"

"That's your natural hair color, isn't it?!"

"Yes," I mumble. "I was just about ready to dye it again but then you came."

"Why do you dye it?" she asks suspiciously.

"Personal reasons. Also because my blonde hair reminds me of someone I'm not anymore."

"But you look better with blonde hair! You shouldn't dye it! You're just hiding yourself!"

"I need to dye it though before you start curling it, or whatever you plan on doing," I tell her.

I suddenly see something in her eyes appear. I can't quite place what it is, though, so I have no idea what she's about to do.

"Fine, you can. But first can I use your bathroom? I don't want to have to stop in the middle of giving you your makeover," she says, with that same twinkle in her eye.

"Ummm...sure, I guess. I'll just be out...here…" I awkwardly say and walk out the door. Christina closes it behind me and I hear the click of the door locking as I walk to Tobias.

"Where's Christina?" he asks, turning his attention away from the TV as I crawl into the bed next to me. I sit to the side of him with my knees folded underneath me. He sits up as well and wraps his arms around me, very gently pulling me into his lap.

"She's using the bathroom before she starts my 'makeover'," I say, using my fingers as quotations.

"Ah, okay. Your hair is still blonde, by the way."

"Yeah, I noticed. And Christina did too," I mumble, angry with myself for being so careless.

"What'd she say?"

"Well, first she asked why I dye it, then told me I looked better with blonde hair and that I shouldn't dye it. I told her that I needed to before she did whatever she was gonna do with my hair."

"And then?" he asks, planting a kiss on top of my head.

"And then….she said fine, but after she uses the bathroom."

"Do you have the dye with you right now?"

I raise an eyebrow at his question. "No, it's in the bathroom still, but I don't see why that matters."

He starts laughing. Hard.

"What?" I ask, still confused.

"Sorry, Tris. But you may not like her for a little bit."

"I already forgave her for telling you about what happened with Eric?" I state more in a questioning matter, very confused as to why he's laughing so hard.

"You really don't know what she's doing?"

I pull back and frown at him. "What do you mean? She's going to the bathroom!"

He laughs even harder. "Oh, Tris. No she's not. I'm not even her best friend, and I know what she's doing."

Suddenly, that twinkle she had in her eyes clicks and I hurry out of his lap and to the bathroom door. Tobias is still laughing behind me.

"Christina! Christina! Let me in! C'mon!" I say, frantically banging on the door. Tobias laughs even harder at my antics.

"Four, this isn't funny!" I yell at him. "Christina! Open up!"

"Babe, give it up! She's not going to let you in until she's done!" Tobias replies, still laughing at me. I know he's right, but I try one more time.

"Christina! Let me in, or so help me God I will murder your ass!"

Silence. Except for Tobias' laughing, there is no other voice or sound that I hear. I huff and go back over to the bed he's on. I plop myself against his side and cross my arms.

"Maybe I should rethink this whole forgiveness thing," I mumble. He starts to laugh again, and I feel the rumbling against my side.

"Stop laughing," I whine. "This isn't funny."

"It's actually hilarious, in my opinion."

I glare at him. "Now what am I going to do?"

He pecks my cheek, still laughing. "I always told you you looked good as a blonde."

"I'm serious!" I say exasperated.

"I know you are, but there's nothing you can do. Once Christina makes up her mind about something, it's as good as done."

I huff again. "She's a Candor, she's not supposed to lie."

"Technically, Miss Prior, she's Dauntless now, so she's allowed to lie."

"I know," I mumble.

He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I wince a bit. He must remember because a few moments later he moves his arm to my upper back, then pulls me farther into his side.

"Just relax, babe. It's gonna be fine," he chuckles and kisses my forehead. I sigh and let my muscles untense. I lay my head on his shoulder and intertwine our free fingers.

"Guess I'll have to wait until we get back to Chicago to buy any more," I say. He rubs his hand up and down my arm, comforting me a small bit.

"Don't," he says after a few moments of silence, surprising me a little.

"Don't what?"

"Buy any more."

I sigh. "What will everyone say though? I mean, I'll look completely different."

"You're the last person I'd think actually cared about other people's opinions," he says, giving me a look.

"Okay, yeah you're right. But I still want some more."

"Why?"

I think for a moment but can't find a reason why, so I shrug. All I know is I really don't want to go blonde again. Not with everybody noticing what changed.

"Nevermind, I know," he says quietly and squeezes my hand.

I frown, confused as to why he would know when even I don't. "But how would yo-"

"Okay, Tris! I'm ready now!" Christina yells, cutting me off.

I pull back from his side and stare into his eyes, trying to figure out what he knows about me that I don't. He only smiles at me and squeezes my hand.

"Tris! C'mon! It's already 3:45!"

I narrow my eyes and stare at him for another moment.

"Unless you want her to do something worse than what you made her agree to, which I know you did, I'd go now."

"Fine, but we are talki-"

"Tris!"

I sigh. "I'm coming, just a second!"

"Quit snogging your boyfriend and get over here!"

I feel my cheeks redden and Tobias chuckles. "We are not sno-" I start to yell back, but Tobias cuts me off with his lips.

"Not snogging, huh Prior?" Christina says from the bathroom. My cheeks turn an even darker shade of red and I pull back, glaring at Tobias. He chuckles and kisses my cheek.

"I figured we may as well make something she says true," he replies. "Plus, I love making you blush."

This, in return, makes me blush even further. He laughs again. I let go of his hand and get untangled from his grip on me. I put my hands on his side and push as hard as I can. I'm rewarded with the satisfying sound of his body falling off the bed and thumping on the floor. I laugh this time and rush off to the bathroom, closing and locking it behind me before Tobias can do anything. I turn around and see Christina's smirking face.

"Yeah, you totally weren't just snogging," she sarcastically says, looking pointedly at my red cheeks.

"Shut up," I mumble and go over to the sink. I sigh when I see the last remnants of black, blue, and gray running down the drain. I look under the counter at the trash can and see the three tubes of dye in there.

"Now, you're ready for a makeover," she says from behind me.

"Did you really have to dump it all?"

"Yes, otherwise you were just going to dye it anyways."

I sigh again. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

Ah man, again? Maybe I should invest in some pages that don't break so often!

Finally, after half an hour of random brushes touching my face and tugging and pulling on my hair, Christina is done. My hair lies in loose curls, still blonde, and is pinned up with many, many bobby pins. Luckily, no hairspray was used, and at least my hair is out of my eyes. On the other hand, Christina kept her side of the agreement with little makeup. I have a light layer of blush, natural eyeshadow, mascara, and a thin line of eyeliner on my top eyelids. She also put, after an argument on the color, which I won, a clear gloss on my lips.

The thing that surprises me is that I actually don't look half bad.

I turn to Christina. "Thanks, Christina. I actually look…." I turn around and look in the mirror again for a split second, then turn back. "Decent."

She breaks out into a wide smile. "Hun, you've always looked beautiful but you're just too blind to see it. All I did was enhance your features. But, nevertheless, you're welcome."

She hugs me carefully, as to not ruin my hair or bother my shoulders, and I return the gesture.

"Thanks for forgiving me, Tris."

"I know why you did it now, and I would have done the same. Thanks for the bracelet, by the way. I love it," I say, trying to reassure her.

She lets go of me and squeals out of nowhere. I cover my ears and wince. I take my hands down a minute later.

"What was that for?!" I ask.

"You just look really pretty!" she half yells, half squeals. I wince again.

"Okay, okay, but can you keep it down? You know, we are only inches away from each other."

She laughs. "I can't believe you just asked me to be quieter," she laughs in a loud tone.

I roll my eyes. "I should've known," I mumble.

"Of course you should've known! I'm your best friend! You expected me to be quieter?!" she laughs/yells. "C'mon! Just for that, I'm going to show you off!"

I frown. "What do you me-" I start to ask but am cut off by Christina's violent yank on my wrist, forcing me to follow her. "Christina, what are you do-"

"FOUR!" she yells as she unlocks the door. I suddenly know what she's going to do and push my heels into the ground, trying to stop Christina's dragging.

"Christina, stop!" I yell in a hushed whisper. Her grip only tightens and she keeps dragging me out of the door.

"Hey, Four!" She laughs loudly. "Four!"

"What?" I hear his slightly annoyed, slightly curious tone ask.

"Tris here, wants me to show you how how hot she looks right now!"

I can feel my cheeks already turning red. "Christina, stop!" I say again. I hear Tobias' laugh.

"I'm sure she does," he says a bit sarcastically. I'm relieved that he knows me well enough to know I'd never use those choice of words, or want what Christina is doing right now.

We pop out around the corner, me still struggling to get out of her grip. Tobias doesn't seem to know we are actually in the room because his attention is on the TV. Or maybe he does, but just isn't looking right now to annoy Christina and make me feel a slight bit better about this. Whatever the case is, I'm glad he wasn't looking right away.

"Four, turn your attention from the TV for one minute and look at how Goddamn beautiful your girlfriend looks!" Christina nearly shrieks.

"I don't need to look to know, Chris," he says and my cheeks turn red.

"Awww, okay, you get points for that one. But you still need to look to appreciate this bundle of sexiness over here!" Christina gushes. At the word 'sexiness', I feel my cheeks turn even darker. By now I'm pretty sure Christina is just saying these things to make me blush and to get on my nerves.

I finally get my wrist out of her grip, but by the time I try to step back, Tobias has already turned his eyes on me. I see his eyes widen a bit and I blush darker and look down at the ground.

"Aw, let him look at you, Tris! Look up at Four, not the ground!" she insistently coaxes. When I keep my eyes trained down, she huffs. "You are so stubborn."

She walks behind me and I think she might actually be leaving, but then her hands come around the backside of my head and force my eyes to go up and meet Tobias'. His eyes are still a bit wider than usual and I blush even darker. Since I can't seem to get my head out of her grip, I do the next best thing; I close my eyes. I can feel his eyes boring into my head still, but at least I don't have to make eye contact in this embarrassing moment.

After a few more moments, I say, rather annoyed, to Christina, "Don't you have to go get ready too or something, Christina?"

Her hands slip off my face and I hear her gasp. "Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! I've gotta go!" I open my eyes, but make sure not to open them so I'm looking into Tobias'.

I turn around and see her rush into the bathroom, then rush back out with her bag in hand. "I'll see you later, Tris! You too, Four!"

And with that, she rushes out the door, closing it quickly behind her. I breathe a sigh of relief. Arms snake around my waist and I jump. Tobias chuckles behind me.

"You are way too easy to scare. I'll add that to the list of things easy to make you do," he teasingly says.

"And what all does that list entail?" I ask quietly, still blushing from Christina's antics.

"Too easy to make you blush, embarrassed, feel uncomfortable, argue, stubborn, defend yourself, and pissed off," he replies.

I frown at the length. "Wait, you didn't actually make a list, right?"

He laughs and his lips plant a kiss on the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to rise. "Of course not. I just have your little things memorized."

I smile, but don't reply, still too embarrassed by Christina to want to say anything more.

There's a few moments of silence, then, "So what made Christina do that?"

I groan. "She squealed really loudly, so I just told her we were a few inches away from each other and she didn't have to be that loud. Big mistake on my part. She said she was gonna 'show me off' because of that. I didn't actually know what she meant until she yelled your name."

He chuckles. "I was wondering. But she was right, you know."

I frown, confused. "Right about what?"

"How beautiful, hot, and sexy my girlfriend is," he replies, putting emphasis on the word 'sexy', probably only to make me blush. (Which he accomplished, nonetheless.) He chuckles. "I see why Christina had so much fun with this."

"Oh shut up," I mumble. He turns me around to face him, and the next thing I know his lips are on mine. I kiss him back tentatively, cautiously. I know I'm not beautiful, or hot, and I am definitely not sexy. So why did he say that? Is that really what he sees? And if he does, how long will it last until he comes to the same conclusion as me and leaves for someone better?

Suddenly, I realize his lips aren't on mine anymore, and I've just been sitting here in thought for the past minute.

"What's wrong, Tris?" Tobias asks with concern in his tone. I snap back to reality, shake my head, and bite my lip.

"It's nothing," I lie.

"Lip," he says, almost angrily. I let go of my bottom lip.

"I have to get better at that," I think to myself.

"Stop shutting me out, Tris. Stop lying to me all the time. I can obviously see there's something wrong, so don't tell me it's nothing," he says in a very annoyed, angry tone. I grab one of my arms so I can grip onto something and hang my head, guilty. He sighs and his hands cup my face, bringing it back up to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, okay? I know it's second nature to you, to block others out so you can keep your walls built up, but it'd be really nice if you could let them down for me."

I sigh and try to look away again, but his hands force my eyes to meet his again. There is a certain hint of determination in his eyes that I hadn't noticed before. I bite my lip and run it through my teeth repeatedly. Then I sigh again.

"Later, okay?" I say in a small voice that shouldn't belong to me. He frowns at me. "I promise," I add on in the same tone.

He narrows his eyes, studying me. But whatever he is looking for, he must find, because he takes his hands off my cheeks and steps back a few moments later.

"Okay, fine, but you have to tell me, okay?"

I nod. He sighs. "I'm going to run downstairs and grab you something to eat since you haven't eaten anything all day. I'll be right back." I open my mouth, but am interrupted by him. "And yes, you have to eat all of what I bring you."

I groan. "I'm not even hungry, though."

"Well then I guess that's too bad." He smirks at me and walks out the door a minute later, grabbing the keycard right before he leaves. I sigh and go over to the bed, falling face first into it, groaning into the covers. After a few minutes of this, I go over to the edge of the bed and grab my phone. I scroll through my contacts and press call on one of them. It rings a few times before anyone picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Justin, it's Tris."

"Oh, hey Tris! What d'ya need?"

"I don't need anything, I was just wondering if you guys were able to come to the fair tonight."

"Yeah, actually, Taylor and I are, but Makayla can't come."

I frown. "Why not? What happened?"

"She got sick this morning and is running a pretty high fever."

"Oh no, that poor girl! She's always getting sick!"

"She doesn't actually care much about the not going to the fair part. She's been trying to convince me to let her go see you for most of the day."

A rush of guilt fills me as I remember the promise I made to her last night.

"Are you and Taylor driving to the fair?"

"Yeah, we were gonna meet up with you guys and stay for an hour or two before driving back. I was actually just about to call you."

"What would you say if I went back with you guys when you leave, just for a little bit to see Makayla, and then walk back?"

It's silent for a moment, then I hear Justin laughing.

"What?" I ask, questioning his laughter.

"You and your promises." He laughs for a moment longer. "Well, I would say that Makayla would absolutely love that."

I smile. "Great, then it's settled. I leave with you and Taylor, see Makayla, then walk back."

"I can drive you back, it's not a big deal," he insists.

I roll my eyes. "You can stop being a gentleman. I actually think on my way back I might stop and visit some people I should have visited a long time ago."

"Ah, I see. Well, then, take your boyfriend with you."

"I'll be fine on my own," I say a bit irritated.

"I'm not saying you wouldn't be. I'm just saying that I know you'd be much better off with someone to ground you."

"Whatever. I'll think about it. But I am leaving with you guys to see Makayla," I say annoyed. What is it? Is today national Get on Tris' Nerves day?

"Woah there, I never said no. No need to get all feisty with me."

"I'll think about it," is all I say.

"Please take him. It'll make me feel better."

I stay silent for a few moments. This is the reason why Tori suggested I bring friends along, wasn't it? To ground me? And she was also the one who said I should take Tobias with me when I visit my family, and I liked the idea, so why am I being so stubborn?

I finally sigh. "Fine. I'll bring him."

He sighs in relief on the other end of the line. "Thank you, Tris."

"Uh huh. I've gotta go now, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later then?"

"I'll see you later. Bye Justin."

"Bye Tris."

I hang up and toss my phone on the couch to my left. I sigh and fall back on the bed again, thinking about tonight. What will I say to my family? What all will I tell them? I should probably tell them about the move to Chicago. I can tell them about the new friends I've made and about Tobias. And then maybe tell them about Andrea, and how I'm making contact with Justin and Taylor again. Should I even tell them about Andrea? I mean, if there really is an afterlife, then they probably already know.

Oh, Tris, who are you kidding? They're dead, idiot. D-e-a-d. Dead. They won't be able to hear a single thing you're saying. Why are you so nervous about it? They can't say anything back, you dumbass. You might as well not even visit them. You are going to be talking to a couple of stones; not people.

"I know, shut up," I groan, covering my face with my hands.

"Who ya talking to there, babe?"

I quickly sit up and take my hands off my face. Tobias stands there with an eyebrow raised, looking at me a bit suspiciously.

"No one," I say a bit too quickly. His eyebrow raises even more and I sigh. "Nevermind. Don't worry about it."

He still looks suspicious but drops it. "Here, catch."

He throws something to me and I catch it, realizing it's an apple, and I look at him.

"You're lucky it's mid afternoon. They only have snacks out right now," he says, answering my questioning glance. I smirk at him. "Yeah, yeah, but you will eat later," he says coming over to sit by me. "Soooo...what was goin' on when I walked in here?"

I groan. "I thought you were going to drop that."

"Not a chance. So?"

I roll my eyes, take a bite of my apple, and swallow before answering. "I'm going to sound crazy."

"You already do sound crazy, you don't need to worry about that," he says jokingly. I reach my hand up and hit him on the back of his head. He winces and rubs his hand over the spot I hit him. "Sorry, sorry. Go on."

I take another bite. "The voice inside my head."

It's silent for a moment.

"My girlfriend finally went crazy. She finally lost her marbles."

I reach my hand up to hit him again but he wraps his arms around me at last minute, stopping me, and chuckles. "I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding." I smile, roll my eyes, and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Hey Tobias?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

"Hmmm?"

"I need to ask you about something."

He hums again.

"Umm...well, tonight, Justin and Taylor are both coming to the fair, but Makayla can't."

"Okay?" he says confused.

"I'm not done yet," I chuckle. "I promised Makayla last night I'd see her soon, but if I don't see her tonight then I won't be able to keep my promise. So I called Justin and we made a deal. I'll leave with him and Taylor, go to their house and see Makayla, then walk back when I'm ready to go meet up with the gang again."

"You're going alone?" He sounds concerned.

"That's what I wanted to ask you about...on the way back to meet up with the gang I thought I would stop by and visit my family…" I trail off.

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. "You already asked me this before we left for Haviland, Tris. I said yes."

"Well, I figured I'd better ask again just in case you changed your mind, or something," I try to defend myself.

"I didn't change my mind," he says. "So, Justin and Taylor will meet up with us, then we leave with them to go fulfill your promise, and on the way back to meet up with everyone, we stop at the cemetery."

I nod. "Yeah, if that's alright with you."

"I just said I would come with you, Tris. You don't need to keep asking," he chuckles.

"Okay, well, just making sure," I stumble.

"Why can't Makayla go?" he asks after a few more moments of silence.

"She's sick. I feel bad for the poor girl; she is always getting sick."

He nods, then let's go of me. "Well, I'm going to go take a shower real quick, then when I'm out we can leave," he says, kissing me on the forehead and going into the bathroom. I smile and start to eat my apple again.

THE PAGE BROKE AGAIN

The car ride here flew by, and we are currently walking around the fairgrounds, doing random activities. We found Justin and Taylor waiting for us. I had already told everyone they would be joining us tonight, and they all seemed enthused that they would have new people to hang out with.

I got more than just a few questioning looks from a everybody, including Justin and Taylor. I know they are all wondering about my sudden change of hair color, but they haven't exactly had the chance to say anything about it yet. If one of them looks like they're getting close to pointing it out, all it takes is one look from Christina and they shut up. I'm grateful for that, but at the same time, she's the reason I'm getting the looks in the first place. Eventually, everybody must decide that they aren't going to get anything out of me, especially with Christina there, and they stop giving me those looks.

Tobias has had a strong grip on my hand all night, something I'm grateful for. He's keeping his promise of not leaving me alone, which has helped calm my nerves. Honestly, with the thoughts of what I'm going to do later tonight and what happened last night here, the night has been a bit of a blur. I'm brought back to reality when I hear squealing coming from the girls.

"It's Ferris Wheel time!" yells Christina and drags Will towards the line. The other couples follow in suit, along with Justin and Taylor. I smile. The Ferris Wheel has been the only thing I've looked forward to. The height exhilarates me, plus, I love the view.

As we wait in the line, I can feel Tobias getting a bit tense. Confused, I look up at him. He definitely seems off.

"Hey, you okay?" I quietly ask him. He gives me a smile that looks more like grimace, but nods. I frown and shrug it off. Maybe it's just my brain playing tricks on me.

The group of people on the last ride finally get off, and we get our seats. Tobias and I both sit down on opposite sides and I get as close as I can to the edge to watch as we go higher. I smile blissfully as I feel the breeze blowing past me.

"God Tris, doesn't that scare you?" Tobias' voice breaks through my bliss. I turn to look at him and see he's a bit paler than normal. His fists are clenched and he looks like a deer caught in the headlights, and then it suddenly clicks. His tense posture, his grimace, his quietness; it all makes sense now.

"You're afraid of heights," I say, eyes wide, matter-of-factly. He grimaces again. Guilt fills my veins. How did I not figure this out before?

"Oh my God, Tobias! Why didn't you tell me?! We didn't have to do this!"

"You looked excited to go. I didn't want to spoil your mood."

I look at him, exasperated, and back away from the edge, hopefully calming his nerves a bit. "You still should've told me! You didn't have to go, you know!" He shrugs. I run my fingers through my hair, feeling guiltier by the minute. "No wonder you were all tense and quiet! Next you're gonna tell me that you're, like, I don't know, claustrophobic, or something!" I say exasperatingly.

It's silent for a few moments. "Well…." I hear Tobias say as I'm desperately trying to find a way to make this better. My head snaps up at him. "Are you serious?!" He smiles sheepishly at me. "God, Tobias! You're a prick, you know that!?"

After a few more moments of my panicking, I let out a long breath and go sit next to him. He stares at his fiddling hands, and I'm not sure if he even knows I'm next to him or not. He probably does; he seems like someone who would be very aware of his surroundings.

"Hey, look at me," I say and take his face in my hands. "Just me. Nothing else." I gently turn his face to look at me, and his deep ocean blue eyes meet mine. I bite my lip as I see the scared look in his eyes and feel more guilt creeping into me. "Hey, it'll be alright, okay? I'm here. Just focus on me, and everything will be alright." The intense staring and closeness causes my heart to pick up the pace a bit.

His breathing pattern is very erratic, and I can tell he's still scared. After I'm sure he won't be looking anywhere else but at me, I take my hands off the sides of his face. Still staring into his eyes, I grab one of his shaking hands and place it right over where my heart would be. I blush, trying not to think about how close his hand is to another, more intimate part, and force myself to continue on.

"Feel my heartbeat. Can you feel it?"

"Yes."

"Feel how steady it is?"

"It's fast."

"Yes, well, that has nothing to do with claustrophobia." I wince as soon as I'm done speaking. I just admitted to something. Hopefully he doesn't realize that. "Every time you feel me breathe, you breathe. Focus on that."

"Okay."

I breathe deeply, and his chest rises and falls with mine. After a few seconds of this, I say calmly, "Why don't you tell me where this fear comes from. Maybe talking about it will help you… somehow." I don't know how, but it sounds right.

"Um… okay." He breathes with me again. "This one is from my fantastic childhood. Childhood punishments. A tiny closet upstairs."

I press my lips together. I remember being punished—sent to my room without dinner, deprived of this or that, firm scoldings. I was never shut in a closet. The cruelty smarts; my chest aches for him. My blood boils at the thought of what else Marcus could have done to him other than shut him in a closet and beat him with his belt.

I don't know what to say, so I try to keep it casual. "My mother kept our coats in our closet."

"I don't…" He gasps. "I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

My heart clenches with my guilt. I've never heard or seen him like this before. His arms suddenly wrap around me and he buries his face in my neck, his hand still over my chest.

"Okay," I say eventually. "Then… I can talk. Ask me something."

"Okay." He laughs shakily in my ear. "Why is your heart racing, Tris?"

"Well," I stammer. "I- ummm…" I rack my brain for an excuse. There's no way I'm telling him that my heart is racing from the intense stare we had; that it's racing because he's letting me into the most vulnerable parts of himself. That it's racing because I've never been this close to someone, emotionally or physically. That it's racing because he scares me; the intenseness I feel with him scares me.

"Are you scared of me, Tris?" he whispers in my ear. Goosebumps raise across my skin.

"I already t-told you I'm n-not," I weakly stammer. I mentally slap myself. Why am I stammering over my words all of a sudden? I clench my jaw and tell myself to get a grip.

I feel him smile into my neck and I'm relieved to find that he seems to be doing a bit better than before. My heart beat starts to slow down.

"So, any other random fears that would be revealed while on a Ferris Wheel you wanna sh-share with me?" I shakily ask, still shocked that I was so intensely affected by him. I hear him chuckle. "Like, oh, I d-don't know..are you deathly afraid of metal seats or s-something?" I slowly continue, still stumbling a bit. He fully laughs this time, and pulls back. He meets my eyes again and I can feel my heart rate going back up. I would try to do something about it, as his hand is still on my chest, feeling my heartbeat, but I can't look away.

"Are you sure you're not scared of me, Tris?" he asks again in a low, husky tone that cuts right through me, all the way to my core.

"Y-yes," I stammer. His eyes grow a bit darker blue, and I find myself entranced by the change.

Right when my heart feels like it's about to race right out of my chest, our car stops and opens. I was so caught up in his intense stare that I didn't realize that people had started getting off. I clear my throat and look away from Tobias quickly, stepping out of the car. I can feel my face burning as I hurriedly walk to the exit.

What had happened back there? What happened to me? Why did my body seem to push adrenaline throughout the entirety of my veins? Why was I frozen to the spot, not able to look away until the ride ended? I'm not scared of Tobias, but why did my body react to him as if I was? Why was my heart racing, and why did my tongue suddenly start to stumble over my words?

There's so many questions I ask myself, but I can't answer even one of them.

"You alright there, Tris?" Christina asks me, breaking me from my thoughts. I hadn't even realized I'd made my way over to the gang already. I do a quick glance and realize that Tobias and I were the last ones to get off.

"Y-yeah. I'm f-fine," I say, still stammering. I have to fight really hard against the urge to actually slap myself. I'm still stuttering, and I'm not even with Tobias right now.

Christina gives me a once over, then smirks at me. She looks at me knowingly, and I see a certain twinkle in her eye as she turns back around. I frown, confused. Does she know why this is happening to me?

It's like another body took place of mine and is controlling me now, because this is not me. I don't stutter when I'm in close proximity of a guy, let alone my boyfriend, Tobias, my heart doesn't race whenever I look somebody in the eye, and I don't freeze when somebody stares at me. The emotions I felt were foreign to me; I cannot name a single one that I felt in my attempt to help calm Tobias down.

What happened to me?

I shake my head of my thoughts, compartmentalizing them for later. I almost jump completely out of my skin when I feel his hand slip into mine. I quickly look up at him and see his smirking face. I blush darker and look away before I can risk being frozen to the spot again.

I must have spaced off because I'm startled when I feel Tobias lightly shove me. I look up at him, confused, then he jerks his head to his right. I follow the movement with my eyes and see Justin and Taylor walking away. I nod in understanding and turn to the gang.

I clear my throat. They look at me. "Hey, I've gotta go take care of some stuff before we leave," I tell them.

Christina responds first. "Like what?"

"I left some things unfinished before I moved to Chicago...I need to go wrap them up," I say, giving no hints at all.

Christina raises her eyebrow and stares at me. She must find what she's looking for, because she drops the stare. "Okay, I'll text you when we're about to leave then?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," I say. Everyone yells out some sort of goodbye or good luck, and I turn around and start to walk towards the exit, Tobias still in tow.

"Where are you going, Four?!" I hear Zeke yell from behind us.

Tobias turns his head around to look at them. "To make sure she doesn't do anything stupid!"

I hear laughter from the gang. I drop his hand and elbow him in his side. "You couldn't have said anything else?"

"Nothing that Christina wouldn't have suspected. And here's a tip: if you ever find yourself in a fight, use your elbows and knees to your advantage. God, your jabs hurt," he states matter-of-factly. It's only then that I notice he's rubbing his side with a grimace on his face.

"Sorry," I sheepishly say and smile at him. He stops grimacing and chuckles instead. He wraps his arm as close to my shoulders as he can get without touching the bruises. I wrap the arm that is stuck between us around his waist and suddenly understand why couples do this. It seems like there's an invisible barrier around us that no one can go through when we're like this. We're more like one person rather than two because of our closeness. I smile at that insinuation and lay my head on him as we walk.

We eventually make it back to the entrance and see Justin and Taylor waiting patiently for us. Taylor flicks her eyes between Tobias and I and smiles. Justin lets a smile slip too and says, "C'mon, follow us to the truck."

Tobias and I untangle from each other and take the backseats. Justin gets in the driver's seat and Taylor gets shotgun.

"If only Caleb and Hailey were here to see this! I finally got shotgun with Beatrice in the car!" she exclaims. And it's true; I always won shotgun-seat-rights.

Justin and I laugh. "Well I'm here as a witness, in case anybody ever asks."

"Why? How'd you decide who got shotgun?" Tobias asks. I sigh in quiet relief at his comfortable demeanor. So he and Justin really do get along. And he must trust my opinion about Taylor. That's another reason to be relieved.

"We did a lot of different things to determine that. Sometimes it'd be races, a few times it'd be whoever called dibs first, and other times it'd be who won which game," Taylor replies.

"And Caleb and I would always be stuck refereeing. Although, after a while we probably didn't have to; we knew who would win," Justin adds on as he starts to drive away.

"I see," Tobias says and gives me a small nudge, smiling at me. I'm biting my lip trying not to let my smile get bigger at those memories.

"So, let's play a game," Justin says as we get to the edge of the fairgrounds.

"Which one?" I find myself asking. Tobias nudges me again. I've figured that his nudging means 'Where's this side of you at home?'.

"A new one. It's called 'Let's see if Beatrice still remembers how to get to our house'."

I laugh as an idea pops into my head. "What time is it?" I ask, trying to see if we'd have enough time for what I have in mind.

"It's 7:15," Taylor replies.

"So you'll go wherever I tell you to go, and turn wherever I tell you to turn?" I ask Justin.

"Yes m'aam I will," he replies.

"Okay, then turn right," I reply, knowing exactly what I'm going to do. I mean, of course I know how to get to their house still. After years and years of driving there after the fair, it kind of sticks in your mind.

"Off to a great start," Taylor says sarcastically, obviously thinking I forgot. Everyone in the car but me laughs. I smirk.

"Okay, now which way?" Justin says at the next stop sign.

"Keep going straight for two blocks, then turn left," I say.

"Will do," he complies, trying not to laugh.

Tobias looks over at me and raises an eyebrow. His eyes ask something along the lines of 'What are you doing?'.

"Now what?" Justin asks once he's done that.

"Straight for 1 block, turn right."

He starts doing so, and I see Taylor in deep thought. Suddenly she nearly jumps from her seat and exclaims, "OH!"

I start to laugh and she joins in a moment later. The guys exchange a quick glance through the mirror.

"Now?" Justin asks confused, now knowing that I'm up to something.

"Go straight for 6 blocks, then turn left. After that there will be a nice little...turn in. Park there," I say, Taylor laughing at me trying not to reveal where I'm leading everyone.

We go straight for 4 or 5 blocks, then I see it dawn on Justin's face. "Oh my gosh, now I know. I'm in college, Beatrice, aren't I too old for this?"

"Says the guy who called himself a child the other day," I reply.

"Fine, fine."

"Also…" I start to say. Taylor looks behind at me and we nod at each other. "How can you be too old for ice cream?!" we exclaim at the same time.

"Ohhhhh…." Tobias drawls out slowly. "So that's where you were leading him. I was wondering."

I giggle. Yes, giggle. I'm guessing my Beatrice side is showing way more since I'm with Justin and Taylor.

We pull in front of the little ice cream place. I grab my purse and get out the door with everyone. We head into the store. We're the only ones in here.

"Justin! Taylor! So nice to see you again!" She rushes over and hugs them. For an older woman, she sure can move fast. "Who do you have with you?"

Sadie Ballard is a widowed old woman. She used to live on the streets until my mother helped her start this business. I've come in here at least a hundred times because of that. Taylor and I actually used to help her out in here every once in a while.

She gasps. "Do you have Prior with you? Beatrice, dear, is that you?"

I step out from behind Taylor. "Hey Sadie," I sheepishly say. She rushes over and engulfs me in a hug.

"It really is you! I haven't seen you since...well, you know when...but that's not the point! How are you? How is Tori?"

She lets go of me and I smile at her. "We're good, thanks for asking. What about you? How have you been holding up?"

"Oh, I've been just fine dear! Just as polite as when you left, I see!" she compliments. I blush. "So I take it that this handsome fellow belongs to you?" she asks me, looking at Tobias. I see Tobias' cheeks tinge pink and I giggle to myself at his reaction. And he always laughs at me not being able to accept compliments without blushing.

"Yes, he does. Sadie, this is my boyfriend, Four. Four, this was one of my mother's friends, Sadie Ballard."

Tobias extends his hand and Sadie shakes it. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ballard," he says, his Abnegation showing.

Sadie lets go of his hand and gives him a hug instead. Tobias looks a little shocked and flustered, obviously not expecting that. The three of us watching exchange looks and hold back our laughter. Tobias gives Sadie a little squeeze, but it's nothing like how he hugs me. I smile at the thought. Sadie backs up a moment later.

"And he's polite, too!" she exclaims, obviously happily surprised. Finally we can't hold back any longer and laugh. Tobias stands there, his face an obvious red now.

"Okay, well, I assume you aren't here just for a visit, so the usual for you guys?" We all nod. "And for you, dear, what would you like?" she asks Tobias.

"I'll just take whatever, uh, Beatrice got," he says, obviously feeling weird calling me by my full name. I don't blame him; it does sound very odd coming from his mouth, but I'm glad he did or Sadie would just ask more questions.

"Ah, trusting that your girlfriend has good taste, eh?" she asks. Then seeing the look on Tobias' face she adds, "Don't worry. She does. Her's is my personal favorite as well."

She goes behind the counter, but before she starts to make the different ice creams, I say, "Hey Sadie, could you make a mini strawberry with sprinkles as well?"

"Sure can!" she happily says before turning back to her work. She's done within a couple of minutes and sets them all on the counter one by one, I step forward and slide a 20 dollar bill towards her but she shakes her head and slides it back to me.

"No, no! That won't be needed! You kids go enjoy your ice cream!"

"Sadie, I can't let you do that! Take the money!"

She shakes her head again, grabs the bill, leans over the counter, and stuffs it back into a pocket in my purse.

"Sadie! I have to pay!"

"No you don't," she replies gently.

"But then I will feel like I'm stealing," I try again, already knowing I'm not going to win this fight.

"Then consider it a 'Welcome Home' gift from me," she says with a smile. I sigh, take the ice cream, and hand everybody their's.

"Thank you, Sadie," I say and smile.

"It's really not a problem, dear."

"Are you sure you don't want anything in return?"

"Actually, I'd like a word, if that's okay with you."

I frown. "Yes, of course that's okay."

She looks at the others behind me, and without a word they disappear through the front door and climb into the truck.

"What do you need to tell me?" I softly ask her.

"How are you really doing?"

I sigh. Of course she can see right through me. "I'm getting better."

She smiles and pats my shoulder. "I know you know this, but they were all very good people, and they didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve that. You were just a girl."

I sadly smile at her. "I know, Sadie."

"When you left, you were still just a young girl. Two years later, and on the outside you are still a young girl, but on the inside you are much more matured and seem like a 30 year old instead of a 17 year old. I know you had to grow up fast, but please, let yourself enjoy the good times. Don't hold the weight of your life, or your family's lives, on your shoulders. Live in the moment. Don't keep reflecting on the past. It's time to move on. Live your life alive. Don't go numb again." She pauses then adds softly, "It's what they would have wanted."

Tears brim my eyes, and I nod. She hurries out from behind the counter and engulfs me in a hug. She struck a chord with me; a big one. Many people have told me to be happy, stay my old self, help other people like my parents did, and work harder than I ever have. It's what they would have wanted. But when they tell me that, they're telling me to change myself. To become more like my parents, to be more like Caleb, to go back to my old self. I never listened to them, obviously, because I know that's not what they would want. Granted, I had no idea what they wanted, but now that Sadie has talked to me about it, I know she's right. That is what they would have wanted for me to do.

Sadie pulls back and hands me a small handkerchief from inside her apron. She wipes my cheeks with it, then hands it to me.

"This was your mother's. She gave it to me years ago, but I want you to have it. You should have it now that she's gone. It'll be something to remember her by other than old clothes and pictures. You need the reminder more than I do. Let this be a symbol of how selfless she was."

I clench it in my fist. This will signify her selflessness, yes, but for me it will also signify the kind, old lady at the ice cream shop who helped me figure my head out.

"Thank you Sadie," I say, dabbing at my cheeks again with the dainty cloth.

"It's my pleasure, Beatrice. Also, your boyfriend seems like a very good guy. May I ask when his family passed?"

I stare at her, shocked. "Umm, only his mother did, Sadie…"

"Ah, I see. So his father abused him, did he? May I ask when he stopped saying he had a family?"

I stare, jaw dropped. "But-but…."

Sadie has only talked to Four for a couple of minutes, and seen him for maybe 10, yet she already knew secrets that took him years to open up to somebody about.

"How did you know, Sadie?" I ask bewildered.

"When you're an old woman like me, you can figure out those kind of things. The way he presented himself is one way I could tell. His posture was too rigid and uptight for his age. I'm guessing he's around the same age as you, dear?" I nod slowly. "When he was embarrassed at the little attention he received I knew that he was not used to it, which would mean that he was not paid attention to. When he shook my hand, it was very automatic and didn't tell me much about him other than you could tell that's how he was taught to do it. That was a grown up man'a handshake, not a teenager's."

"But I still don't understand how you knew that one of his parent's died and his father abused him," I say, still confused.

"When I hugged him, he went very stiff. Then he hurriedly relaxed himself and hugged me as well. That told me two things: the first was that he had not received a motherly hug in a long time, which led to my conclusion of his mother and father passing. The second thing it told me was that he seemed too worried that he would be punished or criticized for not returning the hug right away. So when you told me it was only his mother that passed, it made sense that the last remaining parental figure would have abused him."

I stare at her for a while longer. "I still don't understand how you did that," I say. I get how she came to the conclusions she did now that she explained herself, but I still don't understand how she knew right from the start.

She chuckles and says, "When you're old like me, you'll understand."

I hear a honk from outside. I turn and see Justin tapping his wrist. We're running low on time.

I turn back around and hug Sadie one more time.

"I like this boy much better than the last one, Beatrice," she says. Am I the only one who didn't see that Eric was no good? "You better keep him around."

"I plan on it."

"How did he get the nickname Four?"

"I actually….don't know." I frown.

"Well, he loves you."

I pull back, smile, and shake my head in disbelief. "I can't wait until I'm old so I can understand how you did all of that."

Her eyes twinkle. "You guys are very good together. But just remember that all couples fight. If you didn't love each other then you wouldn't."

I widen my eyes. "Sadie, I don't know if I love him or not. But...I will remember that. Thank you."

"I see. You love him with your heart dear, but your head has not come around yet. You love him, but you're not in love with him yet. Just wait."

I smile. "Thank you, Sadie. Also..." I pause. "...his mother died when he was 7."

She sadly smiles. "You're perfect for each other. Now go dear! They're waiting!"

I kiss her on the cheek, then turn and start to walk quickly to the door. I start to push the door open, then turn around, letting it shut behind me.

"Don't tell him I told you this...but his name is Tobias," I gently say. I feel like she should know for some strange reason.

She smiles. "Tobias...that's a wonderful name."

"Thank you Sadie, again. You have no idea how much you helped me tonight. You said words that no one has said to me before, and….I think I can figure myself out now."

"I know you can."

I smile and walk out the doors. That may be the last time I ever see or speak to Sadie Ballard, but that was one hell of a last conversation.

WOWEE! I KNOW RIGHT?! I'M DONE, ALREADY?! I'M EXCITED TOO!

I was extremely motivated to write this one, and started as soon as last chapter was posted! I got it done crazy fast! Next chapter will be her and Tobias visiting the cemetery, and who knows what else will happen? (I don't even know...to be honest, words usually come to me as I write, not before I write.)

Their visit to Haviland is almost over, but either this chapter or next chapter, things start to get a little hectic! CAN YOU WAIT?! I CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE IT!

Anyways….Can we shoot for 490 reviews, 278 favorites, and 335 follows? I BELIEVE IN YOU! WE CAN DO THIS!