Hello readers, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who continues read and/or review this story! Your support means the world to me. A special shout out to DivergentBorn, Trini86, Goldensnitch1, and Sonyalisa8 for all the reviews! I don't own Divergent. I only own the plot, any military-related mistakes are mine. Just a reminder I have taken some liberties in regards to the military. Happy Reading!
Guest Reviewer: Thank you for the review. Tris is in a hard spot. I'm not sure what I would have done about Evelyn if I were in Tris's shoes. I probably would have eventually told her who my husband was and then told her off.
Chapter 24: Thanksgiving Woes
The next morning, opening the wooden front door, my eyes land on the cement doorstep, and lying there is a mysterious small package. Slowly, I glance around. Who left this? Picking up the envelope, it feels heavy in my hand. Is this the package Tobias was speaking of last night? Ripping open the envelope, a parcel of photographs falls to the ground. A shiver creeps up my spine, picking up the packet. My fingers run over the figures in the photographs. A woman with pale blonde hair wearing black running pants and a pink tank top. A brown-haired man walking next to her. Another image of the same woman, in what looks to be Vegas, except the woman has red and black hair wearing a black dress with the same man. I flip to the next photo, and the man and woman are walking with their hands linked. The gentleman is kissing the woman's temple. The guy has scruff and longish hair. I know these people: This is Tobias and me at Travis, in Vegas, and when we first arrived here at Andrews. My heart sinks in my chest, flipping to the next photograph. My eyes land on us, standing in the distance up a set of stone steps at the town hall where we got married. He is in his dress blues, and I'm in my wedding dress. In the next snapshot, Tobias and I are splashing in the water on our short honeymoon. In the penultimate picture, Tobias is standing outside the truck in his flight uniform the morning he left for deployment. The final print has a sticky note attached reading: You best be careful considering your husband isn't there to protect you anymore. You owe me a life. I pull the note from the picture, a shiver rips up my spine while my heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest. This picture is me running alone on the base somewhere recently. Who the hell has been following me, and who the hell sent me these pictures? What does this note mean? What life do I owe someone? My eyes narrow, attempting to recognize the handwriting, but I can't. It's written on computer paper.
A sharp knock on the screen door startles me. The voice of Shauna, yelling, "Tris!" Makes me jump from my chair. I shout, "Come in," while I attempt to gather myself. She wobbles through the door, smiling excitedly, "Are you ready to finish packing this place?" She glances around the house at everything we need to finish today before the movers arrive. I grin, "Absolutely! I can't wait to get out of this place, especially after getting this!" I sigh, pushing the parcel of photographs toward her. A worried expression crosses her features, taking the packet of photos from me. She begins to flip through each photo, asking, shock evident in her voice, "What the hell are these?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, "I'm not sure exactly. I found them today. Your guess as to who left them is as good as mine." Shauna narrows her eyes, asking, "Does Four know? Did you tell him about this yet?" A million questions dance through her eyes. Quickly, I reply, "No, I'm not going to. What is Tobias going to do from across the ocean? He is in Syria, and I'm here in Maryland. He is literally thousands of miles away. He can't protect me from anyone. All this will do is make him worry. He needs to concentrate on his job. He needs to stay alive to come home." My mind drifts to everything that could go wrong while Tobias is deployed. Shauna's voice brings me back to the present. Lightly she says, "Okay, Tris, I understand your reasoning behind it, but I still think you should tell Four. I think he would want to know, and I'm not sure he will be as understanding as I am about your reasoning. If it were me, and I got something like that. Zeke would want to know."
I quip, "Zeke is different. He can handle it, and he won't fly off the handle. Tobias, I'm not sure about his reaction. I will tell him when he is home, safe on US soil." I attempt to smile to reassure both Shauna and myself, continuing, "Tobias will only be gone for a few more months, right? I can deal with a crazy person. After all, I dealt with Peter most of my life. In a few days, I won't have to deal with whoever sent those photos again since we will be gone soon." Crossing her arms, Shauna asks, "Why do you think Four would flip if you told him?" I sigh, "Because I know, Tobias, sometimes I feel like I know him better than I know myself."
"What if this crazy continues to follow you? This person already followed you from California to Vegas, and now Maryland." Shauna asks, bringing to light the one question I have been trying to avoid. Shrugging my shoulders, I reply, "I can't stop living my life because of a crazy person. If I did, I would have stopped living my life when Peter went crazy the first time in college." She sighs, "Tris, I'm worried about your recklessness. Maybe I should stay the night with you?" I answer, quipping an eyebrow, "Fine, the moving truck will be here the day after tomorrow anyway. If it will make you feel better, you can stay the night. I'm not reckless, though. I value my life." Shauna laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder, grabbing a box, and walking into the kitchen, "Sure, you aren't reckless." Shauna and I pack the rest of the house, having a girl's night afterward binge-watching the latest trash reality television shows. Having someone in the house for the night is a welcome distraction after being alone for so long without Tobias.
When Shauna walks out the door the next evening after a day of finishing packing. She grins, "I could stay another night if you want?" I roll my eyes at her and send her on her way back down the road to her house. When the door closes completely, a smile tugs at my lips. I have a date with Tobias on FaceTime. It has been a long week, and I can't wait to see my husband once again. I hurry to shower, curl my hair, and fix my makeup. I grab my already made plate of turkey, sweet potato, cornbread, green beans, and cranberry sauce from the fridge. While the food heats in the microwave, I pace back and forth, tugging at my dress, my nerves on fire, and play with my silent cellphone. Sitting at the table, I anxiously await to have my Thanksgiving meal with Tobias, even though it's a few days early to continue our weekly dates.
When my phone rings, I immediately answer it. My heart beats in my ears when my phone screen turns black. I begin to panic when my face freezes for several moments. "Tobias? Can you hear me?" I ask the sound skipping. "Tris? Tris!" I hear, but I can't see him. "Tobias," I whisper, as my fingers skate over the coolness of the glass screen of the phone, wishing I could feel his body head instead. Suddenly, Tobias appears on the screen in his camouflage uniform, "Happy Thanksgiving, baby! I wish I was there to celebrate our first one, but there will be many more, I promise. We will have a lifetime together of Thanksgivings to celebrate." I giggle, "Are you sure about that, Captain Eaton?" Wanting to hear his voice again. He smirks, "Absolutely." A laugh escapes his lips, causing me to laugh with him. I lift my glass of wine, taking a sip, I whisper, "I'm holding you to that promise." His cheeks redden while he takes a sip of something out of his mug. I ask, "What are you eating for dinner, and how did you sneak it out of the DFAC?"
Tobias teases, "Look at you using the proper terminology for the dining hall." I grin, "So?" Waiting for his answer. He answers after a beat, "I'm eating bone dry chicken, peas, and mashed potatoes. This whole meal sucks. I miss our meals together." Staring at him, I murmur, "I do too. What are you thankful for?" A smile tugs at his lips. I return his smile, knowing the answer to my question. He answers, "You. You look gorgeous, by the way." Heat floods my cheeks at his comment. I mutter, pushing my hair behind my ear, "Thanks. You look tired. Did you have a long day?" He sighs, "Yeah, and I'm in for another long night. I'll get to sleep sometime tomorrow, hopefully." Shock fills my voice. I say, "Tobias, that is crazy! That sounds insane and dangerous! Be careful!" He smiles, "I will, I always am. Distract me from the exhaustion. What are you thankful for?"
I smirk, "What do you think? You." He shoves a piece of chicken into his mouth, asking, "What are your plans for this coming week?" I reply, "The moving truck is coming tomorrow. I suppose this week, I'm going to be saying goodbye to Andrews Air Force Base and hello to Langley Air Force Base. I know you are sad about leaving Andrews, but I can't wait to leave this base. The people are awful. Are all the bases like this?" He laughs, "No, Andrews has been one of the worst I have been to in terms of the people. I have heard many good things about Langley since I have been here. I even met some of the men who will be in my new squadron, and they seem overall pleasant." A smile tugs at my lips while I reply, "That's great! I'm happy for you! I should let you go that way you can rest for a bit." I attempt to smile while holding back the tears, watching him yawn. He mutters, "I love you, Tris. Happy Thanksgiving." I whisper, "I love you too, Tobias. Happy Thanksgiving." The phone screen turns black, signaling the end of the call. The tears flow from my eyes, feeling the distance between Tobias and me even more tonight.
The next morning, the men from the moving company come to pack the house, leaving it completely empty. Standing in the doorway, watching the men move Tobias's and my life onto the moving truck, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with sadness at this chapter in our life together closing. While I stare into the empty living room, the tears creep into my eyes. The memories flood back into the forefront of my mind. Tobias and I slow dancing in this living room. Him proposing to me in the house. Getting married near this base and other memories involving Tobias. After shutting the front door to this house for the final time, a sense of happiness takes over as I think about seeing Sam, Christina, and Will again in Virginia.
Thoughts and opinions on this chapter. I know this chapter wasn't as long as the last chapter, but it needed to be cut here. If you were Tris would you tell Tobias about the photos and the texts even though he is deployed? Any guesses on who is behind them. I can't wait to hear them your thoughts on this chapter and your guesses. For anyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving. I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope everyone stays safe. The next chapter will be up the weekend of December 5.