Stay Away | Eric Coulter [1]

thirty-nine

    It's been a long day and I was fucking exhausted. Tobias had missed a practice with me yesterday- I suspect, he was with Tris- and decided that since we missed a session, we were going to train twice as hard today.

When I had got back to me and Eric's room, I'd found it empty. Eric should've been back by now, seeing as to how it's close to midnight, and he didn't leave a note like he normally would've, either.

Heading back out of my room, I went in search of my friends. And maybe while I was at it, I could ask if anyone had seen Eric or knows where he is.

I wander the halls, taking a shortcut Uriah had shown me to the rooftop.

Turning right into a hallway that passes a row of offices and meeting rooms, I spot Eric's tall figure further up and call out to him.

"Eric!" I watch his shoulders stiffen at the sound of my voice.

Slowly, almost like almost as if he was moving in slow-motion like they normally do in movies, Eric turns to look at me with a worried expression marring his face.

The shift of his body reveals another body standing in front of him.

With short blonde hair and dressed in a smart, wrinkle-free blue blazer and skirt, the woman turns as well, taking me in with avid curiosity.

I knew who she was. Jeanine Matthews; the star of one of Eric's fear landscapes.

"Hello, there." She greets with a smile that makes me shudder. "Eric, who might this be?"

My eyes dart to Eric's almost instinctively. He has ironed out his features into a stoic mask, embodying the cold-hearted leader everyone seems to fear.

"Just an initiate," He drawls nonchalantly.

"Huh," Jeanine cocks a brow, "What's your name, dear."

"Nessa," I reply.

"Nessa," Jeanine repeats, "Tell me, Nessa, have we met? You look awfully familiar."

I shrug a shoulder, "Not that I can remember."

"Are we done here? The others are waiting on us to start the meeting." Eric interrupts with a heavy sigh as if this entire conversation was boring him immensely, but I see his urgency to get Jeanine away from me in his eyes.

Jeanine ignores him, studying me intently. "Such a fine young lady," She comments, "What did you say your last name was again?"

"I didn't," I answer curtly, growing annoyed by her carefully crafted questions.

She hums thoughtfully, "Ah, I remember now. You're Marcus Eaton's daughter, aren't you?"

I narrow my eyes at her, highly doubting she's just now recognising me and nodded, "I am."

"Dauntless looks good on you," She says, "Your father must be so incredibly proud of the woman you've become." She then turns to Eric, "I'd love to have a proper conversation with her someday. Perhaps you could make some arrangements for her to be escorted to see me in Erudite."

"What for?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity.

"Well, to get to know you better, of course." Jeanine offers me one of those forced smiles again, "You would be fine with that, right?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Her smile broadens, "Why wouldn't you, sweetheart?"

Liar. The word flashes through my head. I knew the moment she spoke those words that it was automatically decided that I was going to have some one-on-one time with this woman as much as I didn't want to.

"We're late," Eric interrupts impatiently, "I don't see how some damn initiate is more important than our meeting-"

"If you're in such a rush, Eric, you can go in without me." She snaps, "I'll find my own way."

In a blink of an eye, she's composed herself, sliding a hand down the front of her blazer calmly.

"So?" She asks, "How does some afternoon tea sound?"

"Perfect," I lied.

Looking satisfied by my answer she turns on her heels, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Eaton." With that, she disappears down the hallway without even waiting for Eric.

Eric glances at me and I see the same fear reflected in them as when we were facing off Jeanine in his fear landscape.

"Go to your brother's room and lock the damn doors," He orders in a low voice.

"Do you think she's going to do something?" I whisper in reply.

Eric's eyes dart to where Jeanine has disappeared, "I don't know." His brows draw closer as he turns to me again, "If he isn't in his room, you find your friends, do you understand? I don't want you to be alone. It might be nothing but I'm not taking that risk."

"Nessa," Eric urges, seizing my hand in an urgent grip when I don't reply fast enough, "Do you understand me?"

"Yes," I gulped.

His eyes soften as he takes in my frown and he leans down to press a kiss to my temple.

"Stay safe, okay? I'll find you as soon as I'm done."

"You, too," I tell him.

He gives my hand a gentle squeeze before he hurries after Jeanine and I stare after him with a bad feeling settling in my gut.