It wasn't exactly how I had planned the conversation to go. But Eric evidently was hurt by the fact I wanted to stay in Amity. It just hadn't even crossed my mind that I would need to say goodbye to my family and my home all over again. I didn't know what would happen to my friends, they had been here over a year now and built lives here.
Of course, with Janine gone, it was far easier to go to the other factions to visit, but that wasn't the point.
I hadn't heard from Eric in nearly three days now. Evidently we were both as stubborn as each other. By the end of the third day, I couldn't take it anymore. As the sun set, a warm glow spread over the Amity fields, as if it were done deliberately to remind me of how beautiful and calm my home faction was. I made my way through the woodland and jumped onto the train with ease, sitting cross legged and remembering the first time I went to dauntless, my first day in my new faction and everything I had accomplished and achieved in that time.
Everything that wouldn't really have been possible without Eric.
As the train rolled into dauntless I jumped off and practically sprinted into the pit, my eyes scanning round searching for his face but to no avail. What did happen though was everyone soon recognised me and turned to look at me.
"Aria?" A warm Deep South voice spoke and I turned to see Bea, smiling broadly. She pulled me into a tight hug and the pit erupted into cheers and applause.
I laughed slightly, embarrassed and overwhelmed. I didn't deserve this reaction, I wonder if Eric got the same when he came back. It wasn't long before my thoughts returned to him and I pulled back from Bea.
"Have you seen...?" I didn't even have to finish before she nodded.
"He'll be in his apartment sugar. He ain't left in days"
I silently thanked her and looked round at the bright faces of Dauntless who suddenly seemed different. So full of hope. I didn't really know what to say so gave a small kind of half wave at them.
"I really don't deserve this" my voice croaked.
"You're a hero Aria....you changed everything we have known for as long as I can remember" Bea said quietly as the cheers died down.
"Um...thank you. I really don't know what to say, but we knew we could be better and now without the evil that was hanging over us before, we can take back our city and restore peace. We all play a part in it, but together, working with the other factions, we can take back control." I said. I seriously was not cut out to be a leader, so it was at that moment I made my excuses and hastily left the pit, making my way up towards the apartments.
I arrived outside Eric's door and it took me a minute to build up the courage to knock. There was no reply.
I knocked again, only harder and this time the door flew open, revealing a disheveled Eric.
"Seriously, why can't you just leave me..." He stopped as he saw me but his face remained the hard, stern face I had once known, not the warm look I was now accustom to.
"What do you want Amity?" He asked, his words falling on my ears like acid.
I took a step back, not quite knowing what to say I definitely was not expecting this welcome. Then again, I don't know what I expected.
"Eric, please. Can we talk?"
"About?" He asked coldly, not moving from the doorway.
I held up my hand, showing the engagement ring as a reply and he stepped aside, letting me in, but not before rolling his eyes first as if I was some sort of chore to deal with.
"So...what do you wanna say?" He asked, closing the door and moving over to where I was stood in front of the sofa.
"Um....well...what's going on?" I managed to choke out.
He walked closer and for the first time in a very long time, I was actually intimidated by him.
"You'll have to be more specific amity. I ain't into guessing games."
Now his face was so close to my own, it was actually making me lean backwards. He moved forward again, causing me to fall back onto the sofa.
"I think you know exactly what is going on. From where I see it, your little peace keeping ass wants to stay in Amity, where I need to be in Dauntless. It's what I know."
I looked up at him, tears suddenly filling my eyes. I genuinely thought this side of him was long gone.
He looked down on me, flinching a tiny bit as a tear escaped over my eye and slowly rolled down my cheek., but quickly regaining his composure.
"Maybe I should just go" I said, standing up from the sofa only for Eric's firm grip to push on my shoulder, pushing me back down. I looked up at him, a feeling of fear mixed with sadness ensuring that more tears escaped over the lids of my eyes.
"You aren't going anywhere." He growled
"Eric, you're frightening me. "
"Good. You need to remember who you are. You chose dauntless Aria. You chose me. You can't just flit back to Amity when you feel like it. It doesn't work like that." He said with a scowl.
"But..."
"Don't interrupt me. I'd been in that sissy peace palace for so long I had forgotten who I was. What I am. I'm not some prinny little farm boy. I'm a dauntless leader. The most feared dauntless leader. And the sooner you accept that, the better."
With that he turned and headed towards the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
What the hell just happened ? And what the hell happened to my loving fiancé?!
I sat motionless on the sofa for about 10 minutes, trying to get my thoughts together, but it wasn't helping. I got up and slipped on Eric's black hoodie which was hanging over the back of the chair before leaving the apartment, making sure to slam the door behind me as I left.
I walked down corridor after corridor before I came to the chasm. The rushing of the water below sparked the memories of what Dale and Luke had tried to do in training. That all seemed like so long ago.
I sat on the edge, my feet hanging over the rock face, and thought about Eric. I didn't realise being in dauntless meant so much to him. But what if I came back and then was miserable? What if bad things start happening again?
I swung my legs back and forth before feeling a presence behind me. As I turned to look up, startled by the sudden and very close presence, my hands slipped from beside me over the damp rocks and I felt my body fall.
A short scream escaped my lips as I reached out to grab on to anything I could. That was when I saw him, his muscled arms holding on to my hand tight, a worried look on his face.
"Hold on, I've got you" He said, his voice loud over the noise of the rushing water below.
I fell back against the cold path as Eric slumped across me in a protecting manner. His arms slid round me and he pulled me close, a little too tight.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered into the nape of his neck but he cut me off, pushing his lips against mine. He held me close before finally pulling back and getting to his feet, holding a hand out to help me.
"Don't go near the edge again..." He muttered, running his hand down the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact as he turned and walked away.
I sighed as I watched him leave. I guess it was going to take more than nearly dying for him to forgive me.....