Empty With You

A month had passed. Things had changed. Attitudes changed. What once was something, something to hold onto, it was being shattered by this initiation. Soon all of the transfers and the Dauntless born would find out their place.

A lot were angry that two transfers were advancing as much as they were. Eric was angry. He was angry that I had beaten him twice in our last match. Even angrier that Four was beating him too.

He'd spend more days with the rougher and ruder Dauntless than speaking to me. This day in particular, there were some weird Factionless issues happening that I wasn't paying attention to, but Eric was.

I passed him by the chasm and grabbed his hand to stop him only to shaken out of his grasp and met with a glare.

"whoa. Hey" I put my hands up "I've done nothing wrong except try to talk to you and you've maybe said 3 words thus month to me"

"There's a lot going on you wouldn't understand Ari," he seethe.

"Try me." My eyes met his only his ones that slowly softened. "If this is about me beating you i-"

"It has nothing to do with that!" Eric snapped and just slightly shrugged. "Things have changed"

"Changed?" I raised an eyebrow at him "the only thing that changed is you."

"Just go back to hanging out with Four." He spat with so much venom I wanted to punch him.

"So, That's what this is about?" I halfed laughed yet gritted through my teeth. "I'm just supposed to stand back and look pretty next to you? Be some dumb ditzy girl for your arm?"

"You-" he started but I was pissed now.

"No, it all makes sense now. These new people you spend time with want you to have control over me " I walked towards him. "They think I'm wild and out of control. Think you're weak because of it."

"Stop," he whispered his eyes moving away from mine

"No, I'll never stop being the person I'm meant to be," my heart raced, "I see where we lie now. On two completely different sides of this world"

"You want to watch everyone burn all for what?" I glared at him "two seconds of fane?"

With that, I felt a swift hand reach up to my neck and back into the railing. My eyes watered but I steadied myself looking at the one person who changed.

"Let me go," my eyes looked at him as he grasp released. "The next time you ever touch me like that again will be your last."

Eric just stared, I wasn't sure if it was rage, anger or maybe even hurt. He just took a deep breath in and was about to speak.

"The difference between me and you Eric. Is I still love you, I never stopped," I felt the sting in my eyes as I looked at him. "I tried. I always did. I'll always love you no matter what happens. I don't know about you but I- I just can't-"

"Ari-" he tried to reach for me but I put my hands up.

"No" I shook my head with tears threatening to fall "Please don't. It's just-"

I trailed off as I shook my head as to not break down in front of him. I couldn't let myself collapse and appear weak. Especially with how things changed.

"I've watched you this past month. Watched you with all those Dauntless. You're a charmer, you flirt. Exactly Like a true Erudite would do. I wish you the best Eric, I really do. Maybe one day, maybe the odds will be in our favor again." A smile formed on my lips as I approached him and placed my lips against his. My eyes closed as I felt his lips react to mine but I stopped short with tears now falling "I love you"

I turned away from him and heard my name but I rushed off. I had to get away from anyone, everyone. I pushed an outside door open and tried to catch my breath. It hurt to breathe as I slid down the building and just fell apart.

Part of me was wishing Eric followed me and would pick me up and apologize. Then kiss me and make it better. But that's not what happened. I sat there balled up alone hoping that these tears would stop.

"Hey." I heard a smooth quiet voice crouch down in front of me. " "I'd ask if you're OK but that would be pointless."

I looked up to see Four staring deep at me. His deep brown eyes looked so soft.

"Am I stupid?"

"For what?" He spoke ever so softly.

"For still loving him?" I sniffed.

"No,"F our shook his head and rubbed my arm. "Of course not."

"I just, there's just so much" I sighed trying to process everything.

"I get it," Four shrugged "he was your first love. Your first escape "

"I guess," I brushed a tear off my eye. "It's just I hurt yet I'm angry. I know he's been messing around. And I know I kissed you but that was just-"

"A mistake?" Four actually looked a little disappointed

"No," I shook my head. "You, I still can't figure out. Definitely not a mistake though."

I watched as Four blushed a little. It was cute he shifted in his spot and looked down then back to me.

"Zeke and Shauna did see him with another girl the other day. They just didn't know how to bring it up to you," he played with his fingers "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I shrugged.

"Hey," he stood up. "Let's get out of here. You look like you need to blow off some steam"

He reached his hand out to me and I took it as he pulled me up with a smirk. I'm not sure why my heart would start to race around him but it would. Things were only now starting to get even more complicated.

Especially being a Divergent now