Revolution -Eric Coulter-

Chapter 17

Riley tried to keep her head down the following day, but it was hard. Her eyes continuously searched for Eric in the training room. He intrigued her, and that wasn't a good thing. Eric was a Dauntless leader, and she was Divergent. She knew keeping her distance from him would be the best option going forward. But still, she couldn't help but think about him. "Oh my god," Christina spoke from beside him. "I knew it."

Riley glanced at her, tilting her head to the side. "What? Knew what?"

Christina placed a hand on her hip, "you like Eric."

The heat rushed to Riley's cheeks, causing them to turn bright red. "What? No, I don't. Where did you get that from?"

There was a smirk on her face. "You're totally checking him out." Christina glanced at Eric. "He's also checking you out."

"Christina," it only added to her embarrassment. "First of all, I was not checking him out. Second, even if I was, he wasn't checking me out."

"Yeah, you definitely suck as a Candor." Riley huffed and rolled her eyes. "Besides, I've been watching him since training started. He looks at you every five minutes."

She didn't believe her. "There aren't that many people in here. He's probably just checking to make sure I'm doing everything right."

"Maybe, but if that were the case, he would do it with everyone, and he hasn't looked my way once." Riley wasn't sure what to say and stood with her lips slightly parted. "He's cute. I say go for it."

"Christina," Riley glanced at her. "Cut it out."

She laughed, placing a hand on her hip. "I'm just saying. He's interested, and you're pretty." Riley scoffed. "You're pretty. You do know that, right?"

The compliment caught her by surprise, but Riley smiled to herself. "Thanks, Christina."

Christina nodded and took a small step back. Her eyes drifted to something behind Riley. "He's looking at you again."

She rolled her eyes again, slowly growing nervous. "Will you talk about anything else?"

"Will asked me out."

Riley gasped, "why didn't you say anything sooner?"

She shrugged, "I was but got distracted by all the tension between you and crazy-eyebrow-piercing-man."

"You're impossible, Christina."

"And yet you choose me as your best friend." They both laughed at that. "So, I'm guessing there's nothing between you and Al?"

Riley's head spun in her direction. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Me and Al?"

"Are you that oblivious?" There was a pause, "he's had a crush on you since like, day one."

"He has?"

Christina had a bewildered expression on her face, "did you not know?"

"No, I didn't." That was the truth, and Riley couldn't help but glance at Al. He was sparing with Will, not paying attention to them. Sure, Al was a great friend, but that's all he was to her. Just a friend. "He's just my friend."

Christina nodded and went to push on the subject but was interrupted. "Alright, switch up. Go to a new station." Eric's voice caused everyone to stop what they were doing and switch things up.

"I'm going to go practice with the knives," Riley gestured behind her. Right now, that was her weakest trait.

"I told Will I would spar with him."

"See you at dinner then." With that, Riley spun on her heel and began walking towards the other side of the room. Most of the others stayed with the basics, sparing and defense, and Riley was okay with that. That meant fewer people would be throwing knives. As she got to the table, she began slowly picking up the metal knives.