The Marked

Chapter Seventeen

After the Trio had finished at the Diner Casey climbs into Tristan's car, before climbing in himself he pulls on Ryder's arm, who is about to get into the car next to Tris'.

"You okay to come back to mine for a bit, I'd like to finish our conversation," Tristan asks.

"Yeah," Ryder nods, "I'll follow behind you."

Both boys climb into their cars, Tristan leaves first and Ryder follows closely behind him.

While driving Ryder can't help but think about Lily and what danger she could be in right now, he'd got her text from when she arrived at home but he hasn't heard from her since.

It had worried him but then he remembered what she said about Mason, and part of him decided that she was right, however, another part still worries, which is why he decides to tell Tristan about it all. Maybe he could help, Zion had told him that he couldn't tell Lily, he didn't say anything about anyone else.

He stops thinking about all that for a second and concentrates on where he is, he notices that they are nearly at Tristan and Casey's block, and suddenly panic kicks in, what if Zion found out he told someone? Would that put Tristan in danger? How could he convince Tris that it was true?

Ryder sees that they've arrived and he focuses on looking for somewhere to park, once he finds somewhere he parks there, and it leaves him two houses down from Tristan's. He climbs out his car and walks up to Tristan's house to see Casey and Tris getting out the car.

He walks to catch up with Tristan, who likes to walk Casey to her door.

"Have either of you heard from Lily, I sent her a text asking how things were going and she never got back to me." Casey asks as they walk her to her door.

"I've heard nothing." Tristan answers.

"Me either, not since she told me she'd got there safely." Ryder answers as well.

"Must be going good then, since she's not looked at her phone. Wonder what they're up to." Casey thinks, but neither of the boys reply, "I'll see you two later." She waves as she opens her door and goes inside.

The boys turn around and head back to Tristan's, "I'm not sure about this Tris, I should go back and check on Lils, she's not replied to me or Casey."

Tristan pulls out his phone and gets up the text he got from Lily passing it to Ryder, 'Everything's good but I 'm not gonna be coming back to the Diner, you mind telling the others, I don't really feel like being bombarded with messages rn.'

"See she's fine," Tristan says once Ryder passes him back the phone, "she hasn't messaged you or Casey because she doesn't wanna start a conversation she can't finish."

"How come you never said anything?" Ryder asks.

"I knew you'd message her." Tristan shrugs as they reach his front door, "didn't want her being pestered."

"Mom? Dad? You home?" Tristan calls as he enters the house.

"In here," Tristan's Mom calls from the kitchen, Ryder follows Tristan into the kitchen spotting Mrs. Abney making a drink while Mr. Abney sat at the table watching her.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Abney," Ryder greets them as he enters.

"Ryder, so polite as always," Mrs Abney smiles, "would you like a hot drink?"

"No thanks," Ryder smiles back.

"Mom, me and Ry will be upstairs working on some school work, we already ate at the Diner so we won't be needing anything." Tristan tells his Mom as he gives her a kiss on the cheek, he smiles at his Dad and both boys leave the room going up to Tristan's.