NESSA
"Uriah, please help me get better." I pleaded as Uriah and I neared the Chasm on our way to the rooftop from the dining hall.
I found out today from the board that was put up in the centre of the Pit that I would soon be going up against Drew in a fight that was to determine our final rankings in conclusion of the first stage of our training. And as much as I hated hitting someone, there was no way in hell I was going to let that jerk screw me over.
The thought of fighting someone again reminds me of my fight with Tris...if you could even call it that. She was already half-beaten to death when I stepped into the ring, so I'm not sure if one could even qualify it as a fight at all, much less a fair one.
To say I still felt guilty was an understatement. I was so beyond sorry, I don't even know how I was going to face her when she gets out of the infirmary.
So far, I've been able to avoid Eric pretty successfully. I was pissed, sure. But I was also confused as hell.
One minute, the guy was kissing me and the next he was targeting me. It almost felt as if I've gotten major whiplash just thinking about it.
"Are you seriously willing to risk me getting kicked out?"
Okay, I was being a tad bit dramatic and maybe even borderline guilt-tripping the guy, but I wanted to make sure I would do well.
"Please," Uriah scoffs, "You're not getting kicked out, Nessie. You'll do just fine."
I was currently ranked eighteen on the board and I wasn't sure how I felt about having only three other names between mine and that damn red line.
"Uriah," I whined, before wincing at the sound of my own whiny-ass voice. Clearing my throat, I continue. "Please?"
"Fine," He sighs, "Tomorrow night, on the roof?"
I nod, "Sounds great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Darting forward in excitement, I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
"Woah! Watch the nuts, Nessie!" Uriah complains, "I almost spilled them."
I laugh at how ridiculous and almost inappropriate that sentence sounds, but trust me, it didn't mean what we all probably thought it did. Despite just having dinner, Uriah was snacking on a packet of mixed nuts. That was the nuts he was referring to.
A throat clears from behind me and I curse under my breath.
Whirling around, I see Eric standing behind me with his arms crossed and wearing a scowl. He must've been standing there long enough to hear Uriah talking about his, um...nuts.
I narrow my eyes at him before reaching back and grabbing ahold of Uriah's hand and dragging him behind me as I continued down our path, regardless of whether or not Eric was standing in our way. I'd decided that I had spent enough time running from him and if he was determined to continue being such a jerk, two could play at that game.
Before we could make it past him, his hand shoots out and wraps around my elbow.
"What do you want this time?" I snap.
He raises a brow in the infuriatingly hot way he always does and I quickly remind myself that I'm still pissed off at the guy.
Instead of answering me straight away, Eric hums thoughtfully as his eyes take me in from head to toe in a slow perusal.
"You've been avoiding me." He states, totally uncaring of the way Uriah's eyes seem to ping-pong between the both of us.
"Have I? Whatever gave you that idea?" I shoot him a sarcastic smile before attempting to move past him again.
Eric's grip tightens around my arm- though, not painfully- as he takes a step to the side, effectively blocking my path.
"You think I haven't noticed how you turn to leave whenever you see me in a hallway?"
"Awkward..." Uriah sings under his breath and both Eric and I turn to glare at him in unison.
"Is there a reason why you're still here?" Eric questions in a low tone that makes Uriah stiffen.
"W-well, we were-" My friend stutters only to be cut off by Eric.
"Do I look like I give a fuck? Get the hell out of here."
Uriah gulps, "Um..." He hesitates before raising his wrist, where my hand was still tightly gripping onto.
Eric's jaw ticks in irritation as his eyes land on where I'm still holding onto Uriah.
"Let go of him," He orders.
"No," I shoot back, "We're leaving. Uriah's not going anywhere without me. Right?" I question my friend who groans as if this entire situation was causing him physical pain.
"Please, for the love of god, leave me out of this."
Eric's lip quirks into a satisfied smirk, "I think your friend has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with this." He nods towards our hands, "Now, let him go, Nessa. I won't ask again."
"Remember when I told you I have no problems throwing you over my fucking shoulder? I meant that."
"That would be wildly inappropriate."
"Again, do I look like I give a flying fuck?" He returns.
I glare at Eric, who returns it tenfolds. When it's clear I'm not going to give in to Eric's stupid little game, he lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair and tugging on the ends like he's on the verge of ripping them out in frustration.
"You're not going to let go, huh?" He shrugs, "Fine by me. You should know that I have no problem with airing out my dirty laundry."
I freeze at his threat. I trusted Uriah, sure. But the dude also gossips as if his life depended on it. There was no doubt Marlene and Lynn would hear about this as soon as we saw them. Then, the news would probably reach Zeke's ears in no time and before I knew it, my brother would be dragging me out of bed by the ear in the middle of the night to give me a piece of his mind...Again, I'm being a tad bit dramatic. Still, no thanks.
"What dirty laundry?" Uriah just couldn't seem to help himself from asking.
Immediately, I loosen my grip on Uriah's wrist and fold my arms over my chest, imitating Eric's stance.
"I'll catch you later, Uriah."
Uriah hesitates until Eric barks, "What the hell are you waiting for?"
My poor friend pales, "Yes, sir." He turns to me and whispers, "I'll send the Calvary if you're not back in twenty, yeah?"
I was about to question what he means by 'the Calvary' when Eric grunts in annoyance, "She'll be fine."
With one last glance from Uriah that relays that he'll keep his promise no matter what Eric says he turns to leave.
"Is it necessary for you to be constantly hugging everybody?" I pick up the thinly veiled note of jealousy in his voice that has me feeling even more confused than ever.
"First of all, I've only hugged two people so far. And there's nothing wrong with me hugging my friends!" I argue.
Ignoring my outburst, Eric cuts straight to the point. "Why have you been avoiding me?"
I scoff at his question, "If you're so clueless that you haven't figured it out, then I don't see the point of having this conversation."
"I'm sorry," He chokes out before I get the chance to even make a move to leave again, sounding a lot like his body is physically trying to forbid him from even uttering the word 'sorry'. It's clear that the guy isn't used to apologising to people.
"I'm sorry for making you fight her," He says, "If that were a real-life situation and you were under attack, you wouldn't have time to hesitate or you would be dead. That's how it works, I've seen it happen and it will not happen to you, do you understand that?"
The sincerity in his voice soften takes me aback and my shoulders sag slightly, losing the defensive stance that they once held. Damn him for being able to crumble my resolve so quickly.
"What happened?" I croaked out.
He swallows, his eyes darting away from mine as he takes a step back.
Instead of answering me, he clears his throat and says, "As for the kiss, I'm not apologising for that." He states firmly.
Eric closes the distance he'd just put between us. He's not close enough to touch me, but he's close enough to make me crave his touch though I know I shouldn't be.
"Should it not have happened? Maybe." He goes on, "But I refuse to regret that it did and so I will not be apologising for it."
Finally, he moves a little closer until his chest is brushing my front. He reaches up a hand to lift my chin and forces my eyes to hold his.
"Want to know what I realised while you've been so busy avoiding me?" He asks.
I suck in a deep breath to calm my racing heart, "What's that?"
Eric's gaze darts down and settles on my lips. As if having his gaze on me like that wasn't distracting enough, he raises his thumb and runs it over my bottom lip.
"I want you," He says so simply I thought I might've heard him wrong. Then, he leans in, until his lips are hovering over mine, but never touching. "And I always get what I want, Nessa."