As y'all pointed out, things DID in fact escalate quickly. I decided to write it that way for my own reasons, and I think it's the first time I've gotten actual "shock value" reactions lol!

This chapter shorter, but since I shocked y'all, I figured a calmer chapter was deserved lol. So consider this a small palate cleanser before Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! 3


Waking up to the worst headache she had ever had seemed like a pretty fair punishment to Tris. She groaned into her pillow, as the pain seemed to pulse through her entire head, and she realized that her mouth was so dry that it almost felt glued shut. She let out another miserable groan, as she looked up at her beside table. There, next to her clock that read "9:15 AM" was a bottle of water that looked about as appealing as an oasis in a desert. She reached for it desperately, opened it, and drank nearly half of it in one sip before groaning in relief. She closed the water bottle and went to replace it on her bedside table, but she dropped it onto the floor instead.

"Fuck," she mumbled before dropping her arm back onto her bed and laying there with no plan to pick up the water bottle any time soon.

"Knock knock, B!" Christina yelled through the bedroom door, making Tris cringe. "I heard noises, I know you're awake!"

Tris groaned quietly into her pillow but didn't respond.

"I'm coming in! Don't be naked!"

Though she didn't bother to look up, Tris heard her bedroom door swing in followed by the sound of Christina walking over to her bed. When she finally came into view, their eyes met, and Christina let out a snort.

"God, you look like shit."

Tris rolled her eyes, as Christina laid down on the bed next to her and propped herself up on her forearm.

"How are you feeling?"

"Amazing," Tris mumbled.

"I don't think I've ever seen you drink that much," Christina giggled.

"And I never will again."

"What happened to you anyway? You disappeared for a while last night, and you were so squirrely when you came back."

"Oh... Well, I-"

"I dropped it because you were super drunk, but I need to know now! Were you talking to someone?"

Tris could feel heat rising into her cheeks from embarrassment and shame, as Christina grinned back at her. Still, she decided that telling Christina what happened wouldn't be the worst idea. Christina had always been like a chosen sister. No matter how different they were, she knew that she could trust her with anything, and this was certainly foreign territory for her. Tris knew that she had no idea how to handle this on her own.

"Chris," Tris sighed, feeling her mouth go dry again. "I did something really bad."

"What?" Christina's smile faded, replaced with a look of concern. "What happened?"

"Well, I may have... had sex with my boss," Tris mumbled.

"You what?"

"I had sex with my boss," Tris said slowly, feeling her face heat up even more.

There was silence for just a moment, as they stared back at each other. Though she had not said anything yet, Tris knew exactly how Christina would respond.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?!"

"Chris-"

"What are you even talking about?" Christina cried. "You had sex with your boss? This isn't like a fucking restaurant job where everyone screws everyone- this is an actual adult office job! Tris, that's so not you. That's me, that's not you!"

"I didn't mean to, okay? It just sort of happened."

"Just sort of happened? Happened how?" Christina asked anxiously. "When did this happen?"

"He was there last night," Tris said, watching Christina's mouth drop in shock. "We ran into each other, and it just... happened."

"Happened! You keep saying that, but how did it happen? Did he come onto you? Did he, like, pressure you?"

"No, he didn't pressure me. I mean, he kissed me first, but-"

"He kissed you first!" Christina pointed at Tris as if she just stated an amazing discovery. "Okay, well if he kissed you first, then he can't fire you."

"You think he would fire me?" Tris asked, feeling more dread than before.

"Well, he can't if he started it!"

They both went quiet for a moment and seemed to take a deep breath at the same time.

"You're the one that said I need to get laid."

"I didn't mean your fucking boss, Tris!" Christina snorted.

"I know, I know." Tris groaned, as she rubbed her eyes wearily. "I don't know what to do."

"Well," Christina sighed. "The good news is you have a four day weekend to figure it out before you even have to see him."

"Or four days to dread seeing him," Tris muttered.

"How are you gonna get through today? Mama Prior is gonna know that something is up."

"Honestly, I have no idea."

"Right." Christina nodded slowly. "One last question. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Tris said, shrugging a bit. "I don't know. I've never done something so impulsive and crazy in my life, it was like something just came over me. I think it may have been the one time in my life that I wasn't overthinking. I wanted to do something, and I just... did it. He was right there, right in front of me, and I just couldn't stop myself. It's like my brain shut off."

Christina nodded slowly again, as if she was processing Tris' words.

"Do you like him?" she asked. "I mean, not just in a physical sense. Do you actually like him?"

"Yeah, I think I do," Tris said quietly. "Is that crazy?"

"Hm," Christina hummed. "Yeah, it is."

She let out a laugh, and Tris felt a small smile form on her lips before she could stop herself. She rolled her eyes, as Christina laid down and wrapped her arm around Tris to pull her into a hug. For a moment, she allowed herself to sink into the comfort of the gesture, welcoming a break from the fear and embarrassment.