Infallible

Chapter 17

Once in the hallway, Rae rushed to the restroom. Leaning against the sink, she wished she could splash her face with cold water. Deidra would probably murder her though, after how long she spent perfecting it. She took a long look at her own strange reflection.
Pull yourself together! She reprimanded herself firmly. She settled for a quick drink straight from the tap, careful not to smudge her lipstick. Taking a few deep breaths, she pushed open the door.
Upon stepping out of the restroom, a dull blow to her stomach caught her off guard. Someone was attempting to shove her into the wall. Clenching her fist instinctively, she swung until her knuckles met flesh. She heard a grunt and the hands attempting to subdue her faltered for a moment. Rae had just enough time to turn around and face Marcus before he recovered, pinning her clumsily against the wall.
Damn, I really CAN'T throw a punch to save my life. Eric's comment from just a little while ago popped into her head.
"Easy Auraelia." Marcus said. She responded by spitting in his face. He sighed, wiping his face on his sleeve. "I suppose I deserved that."
"Let go of me, piece of shit." She growled between clenched teeth.
"Look, I'm not trying to cause a scene, I just want to talk-"
"You ran up on me in the bathroom you coward!" Her voice was inching higher as her panic increased.
"Look, we had a deal , your father and I. You wouldn't want anything... unfortunate, to happen to your old dad would you? He has a debt to me that you were supposed to be payment for. What am I supposed to do now?"
"I don't give a fuck what either of you do. Rot in hell for all I care! You're both pathetic excuses for men." She said it loudly, looking him square in the eye.
"Oh? And what about your aptitude test? What if Jeanine found out about that?" He whispered it quietly, leaning so close to Rae's face that she could smell the whiskey undertones of his breath. It was enough to make her blood run cold.
How did he know?
She felt the color drain from her face and her hands begin to tremble. Just then, the door to the banquet room opened and then Eric's bulky frame filled the end of the hallway. It took only second for him to register the scene before him. As the door to the banquet room clicked shut again, Eric looked from Rae's paper white face to Marcus's flushed one, and watched as Marcus dropped the hands that had just been pinning Rae to the wall.
"What the fuck is going on?" He asked angrily. Rae's eyes were lowered and filling with tears, while her hands crossed in front of her massaging the marks Marcus had left on her arms.
Marcus backed off slowly, as if Eric were a rabid dog about to attack. Eric slowly began walking toward the retreating Marcus, the muscles in his jaw tense.
"What business do you have touching her?" He growled menacingly. Rae stepped forward and touched his arm lightly, but he didn't seem to notice.
"She didn't tell you about me?" Sneered Marcus, his voice sounding stronger than he looked.
"I asked you." He took another quick step toward Marcus before Rae stepped in.
"Stop. Eric, please... Not here." She pleaded with him and he looked down at her confused.
The door to the hallway opened yet again, and Jeanine appeared. She stopped short when she saw the scene before her.
"What on earth is going on here?"
Eric didn't move, but kept his eyes trained on Marcus. Marcus assured Jeanine that everything was fine. Rae looked up at Eric, a pleading look on her face.
"Please Eric. I don't want to cause a scene. I'll tell you everything, just please, get me out of here. Please." She pleaded with him quietly. He considered his options for a moment, then took Rae's hand. Turning to Jeanine, he said,
"Thank you, for the wonderful dinner Jeanine. It's always a pleasure to be your guest, however Rae isn't feeling well and I've got to get her home. I hope you'll understand."
"Of course. I'll have a car take you back to Dauntless right away."
He thanked her, and before they followed Jeanine to the car, he turned to Marcus and said,
"Don't think for a second that you're safe."
***
The ride back to Dauntless was silent and uncomfortable. Rae knew that, yet again, she had some explaining to do.
How do I always find myself in these situations? She asked herself.
Eric thanked their driver who then pulled away. Immediately after, he rounded in on Rae.
"What the hell just happened Rae?! Did he hurt you?" Rae only shook her head. "Well what then? I just threatened the leader of another faction, the one that's in charge of running our government. I need to know the truth."
Sighing, Rae slowly and reluctantly explained to Eric about her father's deal with Marcus. She told him how her father had kept her as confined as he could, training her to be the perfect housewife, beating her or drugging her when she didn't comply. When she finished, she folded her hands in her lap self consciously. After a few moments of silence, Eric finally said,
"Is this a joke?" Rae was floored.
"Of course not! Why the fuck would anyone joke about something like this?"
"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me this before."
"There are a lot of reasons." She said quietly. He had begun pacing angrily.
"Damn it, Rae! You should have told me. If I'd known this earlier I'd have-"
"What? Killed Marcus in front of the other faction leaders? Killed my father in the middle of an Amity field? Used my word against both of theirs?"
"I would have taken care of things my own way. I'm not just a mindless killing machine...I thought you of all people knew that."
"I do know that Eric."
"Then why didn't you trust me enough to tell me?"
"Because I'm ashamed! Okay! Is that want you really want to hear? It disgusts me that my own father intended to sell me off to some greasy old phoney who's tired of beating off. I'm embarrassed that I've been sexualized and objectified by men that were supposed to keep me safe. I don't want anyone to know what a joke my life has been, or what the exact value of my virginity was worth!" She stopped to take a breath when she realized she was practically screaming. Hanging her head, she tiredly added, "I just don't want the world to know how weak I am."
"Weak? You're anything but weak if you lived through that, little one." He stepped closer to her. "And you don't have to tell the world. I just wish you would have told me."
"At this point in my life, you are my world." She whispered it, almost hoping he wouldn't hear her, but he did.
"I love you Auraelia."
"I love you too." She mumbled into his muscular shoulder as he swept her into his arms. He kissed her again, possessively. After awhile, Rae pulled away and asked,
"What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know yet."
"You're not going to... You know..."
Eric looked at her somberly.
"I want to. But I won't. I'll find a way to make your father factionless. To most, that's worse than death. Marcus-"
"I want to deal with Marcus." Said Rae suddenly. Marcus's threat to expose her hadn't been forgotten, as will as Four's warning about Eric and his possible involvement with Jeanine Matthews. She didn't want to believe Four, yet something inside her told her to keep this one last secret from Eric. At least until she understood more about her situation.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." She said finally. "I just want him to leave me alone. Both of them. I don't want to think about either one of them, ever again."
"Okay." Was all he said before kissing her again. Rae assumed this was his way of ending the conversation as his lips became more commanding. It was only a few moments before they heard a man clear his throat behind them. Releasing each other reluctantly, they turned to see Four's annoyed expression glaring back at them.
"Can I help you?" Asked Eric rudely.
"Max just phoned from Erudite to the control room. Wanted to see to it that you two were alright and made it back safely."
"As you can see, we're just fine." He smirked.
They continued to stare each other down for a moment, Rae looking nervously from one to the other, until Four lightly shook his head and went back in to the compound.
"Why do you two hate each other so much?" Rae asked boldly.
"I don't know. Old initiation rivalry I suppose. He came in first, I came in second."
"I came in second." She pointed out.
"You did, and it's not a bad rank. He just gets on my nerves. He doesn't belong here. His too stuck in the ways of his old faction."
"Abnegation's teachings are very rigid I've heard." Said Rae quietly.
"How did you know he came from Abnegation?" Snapped Eric. "That's not information he offers up freely."
"He-he told me."
"Why?"
"I asked him, the first day of stage two. After he saw his father in my fear simulation."
"So he knew about all this before I did?" Rae could tell he was getting upset.
"Yes, but Eric, it's not like I went to him and confided all my secrets. Trust me, if I could have said no to having a giant needle stabbed in my neck and then living out my worst nightmares in front of a complete stranger, I definitely would have. But you guys don't exactly make it easy to become a member of Dauntless."
Eric knew she was right, yet he couldn't help from being upset. He didn't like that Four knew Rae's deepest fears. She was his, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew it.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." He finally said to Rae. "I'm gonna take you on a date."
Eric grabbed her hand and led her in to Dauntless. The passageways were bustling with the usual energy. Dinner had been long finished and almost everyone she saw had some kind of drink in hand. As they made their way hand-in-hand down to the Pit, almost every person they passed stopped to stare. Rae's cheeks flushed. He led her through the Pit and the crowd parted for them easily. She thought that maybe it had gotten quieter, but she couldn't be sure. He led her to a dimly lit lounge area next to the tattoo parlor.
They walked up to the bar, ordered their drinks and found a table that allowed them to view the tattoo parlor. Rae took a sip of her drink and it was cold and smooth. When she looked up at Eric, she was surprised to find him already looking at her.
"Do you think you'll ever get anymore tattoos?" Rae asked, trying to avert his intense stare. It worked, and he glanced into the parlor before answering,
"Yeah, I'll definitely get more. I'm in no hurry though."
Rae nodded. "I like the ones you have." She traced her finger lightly along the lines of his tattoo on his arm. "What do they represent?"
Eric studied her a moment before answering, "The path I chose and the obstacles I faced. The choices that brought me here and made me who I am."
"I wish I knew more about that path and those obstacles." Rae admitted.
"What do you want to know?"
"What were your parents like?" Rae was surprised at her own question, yet curious to know the answer. Eric took a long drink before answering her.
"They were pretty normal I guess."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"No. Not anymore. My older brother died when I was 10." He took another drink and thudded his bottle back against the table a bit harder than usual. Noticing, Rae said,
"I'm so sorry."
Eric shrugged, then replied, "He was a threat to society. It was for the best."
Rae's mouth opened in shock. "What does that mean?"
"I don't want to talk about this here Rae."
His tone made it clear that the conversation was over.
"I'm sorry." Said Rae. She meant it, even though what he'd said made her feel uneasy.
What if Four was telling the truth?