From Here On Out

seven

"Don't you try to tell me someone's waiting. They're not waiting for you."

A Year Ago

"I'll pay you back baby, I promise." Tobias says from the passenger seat, Tris's hands still on the wheel unable to move.

It was the second time she was hearing this, but what he didn't know was that it was too late to pay her back.

"Just get better in there." She tells him, her voice monotone. Almost like what she's saying is programmed into her.

Tobias kisses her one last time, but his lips don't feel the same anymore. He pulls back and walks in.

Fourth time here, they're both used to the routine. But it's different this time for Tris, this time she drives away not daring to look back.

And she cries not because of the separation and fear for Tobias. But because this is the final straw, that this is all she can take.

The ring that sits on her finger, burns a hole. She knows she has to do this for her, the best thing she can do. But that doesn't make it any less painful.

/ / / /

Present Day

"You're very quiet." Al tells Tris, it's late at night but both of them sit together at the table. Each with a glass of wine in front of them.

Tris looks up at him, and shrugs. "Just lots of things on my mind."

"Like visiting Tobias at his meetings, and talking to him more than once." Al says and Tris's face drops.

"What's going on with you?"

"I don't know." She shakes her head, honestly not knowing.

"Tris, when I met you... you were hurting so badly because of him. You were in debt, you lost your bookstore because of him! Paying for all his damn rehab treatments." Al's voice raises, yet all he continues to say is the truth.

"I know." She whispers, resting her face in her hands.

Al leans back in his chair, "Do you still want this at all Tris?"

His question makes her look up at him.

"Yeah." She says as she chokes back the sobs that want to escape, only letting a few tears leak.

"I do, Al, I do." Her answer makes him feel relieved but still somewhat leery of the future.

"I'm just having a hard time right now," Tris shakes her head. "but I'm going to get through it babe."

Al believes her.

"I know, and I'll be here at the end when you do."

Standing up and straddling him, Tris kisses him. With the love, with the thankfulness , with the luckiness she has for him.

"I love you." She whispers, against his ear. Smelling the light scent of linen and cologne on him.

Al smiles, "I love you too."

Waking up the next morning, dressing in a pair of black leggings and a maroon wool sweater, Tris grabs something from the small box in her dresser.

She holds it in her pocket as she slips on her boots, heading for the car.

Al still sleeps soundly in bed, as she leaves at the break of dawn.

"Hey Tobias," Tris says as she dials the familiar number. "look I know it's early but can you meet me somewhere."

Even though being half asleep, Tobias complies.

Standing in the thirty degree weather, the trees all but bare, the grass brown and dead. Tris stands with her hands in her black coat pockets, along a path lit with streetlights. One they used to walk together. The one that would eventually lead up to the bridge... their spot.

She soon turns her head as she hears the sound of footsteps, ones she knows as Tobias's.

"Thanks for meeting me." Tris's voice seems strangely distant as Tobias steps closer to her.

Tobias shrugs, looking down at his feet. Still not sure of what to say to her.

"I called because I've decided to let you live your life. I know I've been kind of jerking you around these past few days, weeks."

"I guess ever since I saw you again... alive. It made all my worry for you come back, but I'm letting it go," Tris says, tears rimming her eyes. "letting you go."

Tobias lifts his head at that, "This thing," Tris shakes her head, looking off.

"it's brought us too much grief, too much pain." Looking back at him, she sees the torn look in his eyes.

"And I think now... I'm going to focus on what joy I have in my life right now." She smiles, thinking of the man laying asleep in her bed at home... her soon to be husband.

Tobias nods, "I used to think that I could save you, that you could save me.."

"But now, we have to save ourselves." Tobias finishes for her, as she bites her bottom lip knowing more tears are being brought to the surface. She doesn't want to cry, she doesn't want to waste anymore tears on him... but she can't help it.

Tris looks down and takes the thing she brought with her out of her coat pocket, Tobias looks down at it and shuts his eyes.

Letting out the tiniest breath of both love at the memory but hate at the moment that's happening now. It's like a stab in the heart, that she both still has it but that she's pulling it out now.

"I always thought we might need this someday." Handing him that silver band she kept, it's like parting with the last piece of any remaining trace.

Walking back to her car, she's proud of how she's holding it together. Tris thought for sure that once she sat back in the seat, she'd break down right there. But she hasn't, and she doesn't feel like she will.

She feels strong. She feels better. She feels ready to live her life again.

A/N: Love this chapter too, kind of broke my heart just like the scene in the show, and the scene I wrote did. I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I love writing it!❤️