《Since You Been Gone》Chapter 8

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Tris P.O.V.

I sit uncomfortably on Christina's beige couch between Zeke and Tobias. I sit quietly as the three guys chat back and forth. After the movie ended, we all came back to Christina's house. Zeke, Uriah, and Lucas talked about the movie the whole way home. Uriah decided to wedge himself into the backseat of my car between Zeke and Lucas. Tobias got to ride shotgun this time, making it really awkward for me. Christina and Lucas come back into the room with a board-game and a plate filled with snacks.

"Tris, can you go back in the kitchen and grab the other plates of snacks and get some plates and napkins? I figured these three would eat all of it on their own," she says while motioning to Lucas, Zeke, and Uriah. I stand up and nod, thankful to finally move from my spot on the couch.

"Sure," I say. As I start walking towards the kitchen, Tobias stops me. I turn to look at him and he stands up, his large figure still towering above my small one.

"Do you want some help?" he asks. I bite my lip and look to the side, not wanting to be left alone with him. I still nod and mumble a yes. He silently follows me to the kitchen where two plates, one filled with cookies and chips, the other filled with apples slices and grapes, sit on the counter.

"Tris, can we talk?" Tobias asks. I look him over quickly. He has on jeans and sweatshirt with the Northern Illinois Bulldog mascot on it. His hands are stuffed in the pockets.

"I guess," I mumble, picking up a stack of napkins from the basket on the small table that serves as Christina and Will's kitchen table. I walk towards him and he plants his arms on my shoulders, stopping me in my tracks and forcing me to look up into his icy blue eyes.

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"Can we talk about my involvement in Lucas's life?" he asks. I shrug and move his hands off my shoulders. I walk over to one of Christina's cabinets and get out some plates out.

"Sure. You get plenty of involvement in his life. He talks about you all the time. See, we discussed it. Happy?" I ask. He stares at me for several minutes, leaning forward with hands supporting himself on the island. I lean back on the counter next to the island with my eyebrows arched, returning his stare.

"Tris, you know that isn't what I mean. I mean, I want to tell him who I am," he says. I shake my head and cross my arms.

"That isn't happening. Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be at your school? Studying and training for the fall season?" I ask. He shrugs and keeps his attention on me.

"I'm on break," he says. I arch my eyebrows in a, hopefully, questioning way. He doesn't break his stare that if focused on me, almost like he is playing the game that I used to do with Caleb when we were little. The one where we tried to see who could keep staring at the other the longest. I get the feeling snapping my fingers in his face wouldn't be very helpful in this case, though.

"Well, why are you on break? And if you are on break why would you come back here? To us?" I question. He just shrugs and brings one side of his lips up so he has a half smile.

"I took a break so I could keep my promise," he says. I arch my eyebrows again, just barely giving them enough time to relax since the last time I did it about thirty seconds before.

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"What promise?" I ask.

"The one I made when I left. The one in the note I left. It said I would be back," he said. I move from position leaning against the counter. I mirror his position, my arms on the counter supporting my weight. Our faces are just barely six inches apart.

"Oh, am I supposed to remember that? That note was--still is--the reason I hate you. If you really had to leave New York; if you didn't want to be with me and Lucas, you could have just told me. A decent person would have told me," I say. He take a deep breath like his trying to inhale the anger that I know he is managing to conceal.

"I did it because I was trying to be a decent human being. I couldn't tell you that to your face. I would have broke. I was planning on coming back. And I am. I am trying to be here for our son. I want to fix what I broke, Tris," he says. I bite my lip and look towards the doorway, making sure no one has decided to watched our heated conversation.

"So what happens when you go back? Are you supposed to rip out his heart like you did mine? Is he not supposed to see you for another two years?" I question. He looks right into my ideas. Something about the look he is giving me comforts me. The look used to do the same thing. This is the look that, years ago, would have caused me to crash into his arms or plant my lips on his.

"Tris, I've taken extra courses to get my credits quicker than I should. I'm going to finish early. I haven't gone out to party once. I only have one more year left and then I'm done. I'll be back here and have finished college," he says. I study his face again. This is all coming at me to quick. Why is he telling me all this now?

"Well, that is great. But that is still a year where he is going to broken hearted," I say.

"Tris, we can figure something out. If you will just let me tell him. He needs to know who his father is," Tobias begs. I shake my head and pick up the two plates sitting on the counter.

"I am not doing letting you do that. If you wanted a spot in his life you should have figured that out before I was left alone in New York," I say before walking out of the kitchen. He opens his mouth to say something but I stop him. "I will never forgive you for it. Get the plates and napkins. They're waiting for us," I say. I put on a fake smile and walk back into the living room where everyone is gathering around the coffee table. "Who's ready for some Life?" I ask as I look at the board game.

Two updates, two days in a row! Yay! I'm sorry if this whole chapter seemed a little rushed because I kind of do. Please comment and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: Veronica Roth owns Divergent, not me.

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