Chapter 4

I softly knock on Eric's open office door.

"I call it a day now," I say when he turns his gaze away from the computer.

"Alright," he nods before starting to smirk. "I have a date tonight, just so you know."

I roll my eyes at him. What a surprise. Ever since I have complained about the noise of his acquaintances last week he brought women home every night. I swear he is trying to provoke me.

"Thanks for the warning, but I'm staying at Uriah's tonight," I smile sweetly.

He raises his pierced eyebrow.

"Oooh, finally moving on from Number Boy, are we?" he grins.

"No, you perv," I snap. "We're all meeting up for drinks at his place. I just thought staying with Uri is saver than staying with Chris and Will."

I shiver from the memory of that experience.

Eric's grin widens. "You need to loosen up a bit, Stiff. You're Dauntless now. Having sex is normal."

I shake my head. "I'm not talking about this with you."

"Oh really? Now that doesn't sound at all like the girl that screamed at me through my apartment door at one in the morning."

"Oh shut up," I snap, though only halfheartedly. He has a point there.

He laughs.

"Go," he says then. "And enjoy your evening."

"You, too, I guess."

"Oh I will!" he yells after me. I just shake my head again and make my way to my apartment to take a shower and get ready for my friends.

As always, I am the last one to arrive.

"I haven't seen you all week!" Christina complains while hugging me.

"Yeah, been busy," I reply. And tired. So tired.

When Uriah hands me a glass of wine, he furrows his brows.

"You look like shit, Trissy."

"I know," I reply before taking a huge sip. "Eric's been keeping me up for the past seven nights. Guess that guy can't ever get enough."

My friends stare at me in shock and Four actually spits out his whiskey.

"You're sleeping with Eric?!" he yells and my eyes widen.

"Oh god, no!" I hastily reply. "No, no, no, no, no!"

I go ahead and tell them all about my neighbor's nightly activities with other women. Neither Zeke nor Four seem particularly surprised.

"But thank god," Four laughs afterward. "You had me worried for a moment."

I raise my eyebrows. "You are the last person on earth with a right to criticize me for something like that."

"But I hate Eric," is his explanation.

"And I hate Shauna," I shoot back. "No offense, Lynn."

"None taken," Lynn mumbles.

"Alright, this is heading in a totally wrong direction," Will finally interferes while Four and I glare at each other. "Four, with me. Uri, Zeke? Let's give the girls a few minutes."

I mouth a silent thank you in his direction before I take another sip of my wine.

"You know what?" I put the glass down on the coffee table. "I think I need some of that whiskey tonight."

The girls exchange a worried glance.

"Are you sure?" Christina asks skeptically. "You've barely gotten used to drinking wine."

I shrug my shoulders. "You'll keep an eye on me, won't you?"

"Of course," Marlene smiles.

"Alright," I say before getting up and walking over to the kitchen counter. I grab one of the glasses Uriah has obviously already prepared for tonight and then fill it to the brim.

"You're drinking now?" Four says in surprise when he and the boys come back into the living room.

"What, I'm not allowed to?" I ask him, slowly getting irritated. "Oh that's right – you don't like me embracing Dauntless. You'd rather I stay this obedient little Abnegation girl you can control."

"What the hell, Tris?" Four looks at me like I have gone crazy. And maybe he is right – I don't know what the hell is wrong with me tonight. Probably my lack of sleep. I have been grumpy all week long.

"I'm sorry," I finally say. "Don't know what's gotten into me."

I shake my head and take a sip of the whiskey.

"Maybe you need to get laid," Uriah grins. I choke on my drink and Chris has to pat my back while Four turns and slaps Uriah on the head.

"Wow, no humor these guys," Uriah grumbles before sitting down next to Marlene on the couch.

A couple of minutes later we all join them and Lynn suggests a game of Never Have I Ever. Since I have almost no experience regarding sex and kissing I decide to drink whenever Christina drinks which turns out to be a grievous mistake.

Before long, I feel dizzy and can't stop grinning. Four and Zeke are wrapped up in an embrace telling each other how much their friendship means to them and how sorry Four is for sleeping with Zeke's ex-girlfriend. Christina and Will are long gone after we kicked them out for almost having sex in Uriah's bathroom. Marlene is sitting on Uriah's lap and making out with Lynn next to them while Uriah grins like he has won the lottery.

I decide that this is way more than I am comfortable with. I get up, almost fall down in the process, and make my way toward the apartment door without any of my friends noticing.

Out in the corridor I pause and lean against the wall. My head is spinning – or does the corridor move? I'm not sure. Maybe both.

Somehow I end up in the Pit where I stumble across Sean, one of my former fellow initiates. Friendly as always, Sean offers to take me back to my apartment and I accept. At least I have someone to hold on to when the corridors start moving again.

We have just reached my door when I trip and almost fall head first into the wall next to the door frame.

"Ooopsi," I giggle when Sean grabs me by the waist and holds me upright. He grins, his hands remaining on my waist. I furrow my brows in confusion when he turns me around and slowly pushes me up against my door.

"What – what'reyoudoing?" I mumble unintelligibly.

"You invited me, remember?"

I scrunch up my nose. "No, I don't think so."

I bring my arms up against his chest but somehow they feel really heavy and fall back to my sides. He presses his body against mine and buries his nose in my neck.

"Hey!" I yell when I feel one of his hands slipping beneath my top, the other moving downward, grabbing my ass.

"Come on, Tris," Sean whispers, kissing up and down my neck.

"No!" I scream, my head beginning to temporarily clear as panic starts to set in. "Let go of me!"

The hand under my top is wandering up toward my left breast – when the door next to us is thrown open and Eric steps out, his eyes full of rage.

Sean freezes, his eyes wide.

Eric halts in his steps.

"That's not Pedrad," he observes, obviously perplexed, before meeting my eyes. "Why aren't you with Uriah?"

His gaze falls to Sean's hands then. Before I can even blink he grabs Sean by the shirt collar with one hand and tears him away from me, slamming him into the opposite wall, his other hand closing around his throat.

"When a girl says no, she means no," Eric's voice is deadlier than I have ever heard it.

"She invited me-"

"I don't give a shit!" Eric spits in his face and Sean shuts up. "I heard her screaming no and that's all that matters. If I ever see you near her again – or some other girl that clearly doesn't consent – you're factionless, got it?"

Sean nods hastily.

"Good. Now piss off!"

As soon as Eric let's go of him he runs for his life.

Eric turns around and glares at me.

"Next time you take someone home with you, make sure you actually follow through and don't wake half the compound at three in the fucking morning," he snaps.

I snort and push myself away from the wall – and sway and stumble and almost fall over. Eric's eyes widen and he quickly reaches out to hold me steady.

"Shit, Stiff, are you drunk?" he stares at me incredulously.

"Noooo," I answer, my eyes wide as I look up at him. "But the corridors are moving."

He rolls his eyes at me.

"Guess that answers that," he shakes his head. "How much did you have to drink?"

I shrug my shoulders. "A liiiittle bit of wine and maybe three glasses of whiskey."

"You're kidding, right? God, those friends of yours really are completely useless."

"I'm tired, Eric," I mumble and yawn. "Haven't been sleeping in almost a week. All that screaming and moaning."

Suddenly I feel really exhausted and lean my head against his chest. He is warm. So warm.

"Stiff?"

My eyes are falling shut and I feel my body relax.

"Great. Just fucking great," I hear Eric swear before darkness encompasses me.

When I wake up I feel like someone has run me over with a truck. My head hurts like crazy, my throat is dry and I feel slightly nauseous. I open my eyes slowly, blinking against the sunlight – and then freeze. This is not my living room and it certainly is not Uriah's. Where the hell am I and how did I get here?

The moment I sit up pain shoots through my head and I groan.

The door to my right opens and Eric walks out, wearing sweatpants and a tank top.

"Fucking finally," he snaps and heads toward the kitchen counter. He rummages through a few drawers and cabinets before walking toward me with a glass of water and a couple of pills.

"Take these," he says, his eyes cold. "Helps with the head."

I nod and swallow the pills before emptying the glass in one gulp.

"Why am I in your apartment?" I ask, putting the glass down on the coffee table.

"Oh, you don't remember?" he asks sarcastically, raising his pierced eyebrow. "Well, let me enlighten you then. You see, after I've spent half the night fucking that redhead from the tattoo parlor" – I roll my eyes – "and eventually got her to leave, I went to bed only to be woken up again a couple of minutes later when you decided that you didn't want that guy you were taking home to touch you after all and screamed so loud that half of Dauntless must have heard you. Generous as I am, I came to your aid, once again saving your ass – literally – and how did you thank me? By falling asleep in my arms."

I feel myself flush in embarrassment.

"I couldn't very well let you sleep on the corridor and didn't want to feel you up in order to search for your key, so I put you on my couch."

"I'm really sorry, Eric," I say, not able to meet his eyes. "I was drunk-"

"You don't say."

And suddenly I start too remember.

"Oh god," I put my head into my hands and shake my head before looking up at Eric again. "Again, I'm sorry. It was just too much, Four was making me so angry and then Chris and Will disappeared and" – I feel my cheeks redden even more – "Uriah practically had a threesome on the couch with Lynn and Marlene and-"

"Come again?" Eric interrupts me, his expression one of utter disbelief. Then he smirks. "Damn, I underestimated the kid."

"Really, that's what got your attention?" I snort.

"You don't know what you're missing out on, baby," he winks and I have to look away. Oh god. Of course he would have experienced something like that.

I don't know how to respond and thankfully I don't have to because there is a sudden insistent knock on the door.

"Go into the bedroom," Eric says immediately and points to the door he came through earlier. "Could be the blonde I'm having a date with tonight and I don't want her to ask any unnecessary questions."

I roll my eyes but get up and walk into his bedroom – which is surprisingly neat – and leave the door slightly ajar so I can hear what is going on.

Eric opens the door and then groans.

"Great, it's the whole gang," he sighs. "What do you want?"

I seriously wonder how he gets all these women with that rude behavior of his.

"We need you to authorize this," I recognize Four's voice.

"What is it?" Eric asks gruffly before the rustle of paper rings out.

"A permission to use the control room to look for Tris," it's Zeke that answers. "She disappeared on us last night and now she's not opening her door. We're worried."

Eric turns his head and looks at me through the gap.

I shake my head furiously.

"Don't tell them I'm here," I mouth. He starts to smirk and I know what he is going to say before he even opens his mouth.

"Let me save you the trouble. Come on in," he opens the door wider and all of my friends awkwardly make their way into his living room. He closes the door and turns in my direction. "Tris! Your babysitters are here."

I close my eyes. I swear I am going to kill him one day. Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and then step back into the living room.

My friends stare at me like I am an alien; Four looks more than pissed and Eric is grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the show.

"What the hell," Christina finally says. "What are you – why are you – did you sleep here?"

"Yeah," I answer like it is a completely normal thing, though my heart is pounding like crazy. "Everyone was busy or making out-"

"Congratulations, by the way," Eric interjects, clapping Uriah on the back. Uriah actually starts to grin like an idiot, while Lynn and Marlene turn beet red.

"So you slept in his bed?" Four almost yells. I open my mouth to protest but Eric beats me to it.

"I took the couch."

I raise an eyebrow at him when my friends simultaneously turn their heads toward the couch and to the crumpled blanket on it. Eric just shrugs his shoulders at my mute question.

"Why didn't you go home?" Four asks, still suspicious.

"You know, it's kinda funny, you asking her all those stupid questions like she did something wrong," Eric answers for me and I gape at him when I realize that he is actually angry. "Where were you all when she stumbled home last night – drunk and alone? Where were you when she was screaming because that son of a bitch wanted to force himself on her? Where were you when I interfered and made sure she was safe?"

"What son of a bitch?" Uriah growls, rolling up his sleeves.

I just shake my head.

"It doesn't matter," I sigh. "Eric took care of it. And me. Everything's fine. So can we please just leave? I want to go home and sleep."

"Yes, let's go," Christina decides. "Thank you, Eric. I guess."

My friends all thank him and leave. I am about to follow them out the door but then stop and turn around again.

"Thank you," I say honestly and give him a warm smile. "For making sure I was okay."

"Don't mention it," he replies, his expression cold and still angry. "Oh and Stiff? Try to get some sleep – I plan on having a long night."

"God, I hate you," I grumble before stepping onto the corridor and closing the door behind me.