'The Calvary' that Uriah was referring to had turned up just as Eric was stomping off as if the world had personally wronged him in the form of Marlene and Lynn.
Lynn lets out a low whistle as she watches our blue-eyed leader leave, "What happened there?"
I glance over at her with a raised brow, doubtful that Uriah hasn't said anything. Knowing him, he definitely did.
My face must say it all because Lynn smirks, "From what I hear, there's trouble in paradise."
I groan and Marlene gets a good laugh at my expense, throwing an arm over my shoulder and leading me down the hall.
"It's alright, Ness. We have exactly the thing to take your mind off things."
Intrigued, I shoot my bubbly friend a curious look. "And what's that?"
She links her hand through mine and jumps up and down excitedly, "Beer!" Observing her slightly flushed face, I wonder if she already had some.
We made our way up to the rooftop with Marlene chatting away about how Uriah had stubbed his toe against his bed frame while in a rush after waking up a little late.
When we emerge from the stairwell, I find Uriah already comfortably lounging against a wall on the far end with a beer bottle in his hand.
He grins when he sees me, "Ah, I see you've made it out unscathed!"
I knew the minute my butt settles on the gravel floor that I would get interrogated about it and swooped down to grab a bottle for myself.
"Courtesy of Zeke," Uriah says, "You can thank him for it."
I stare down at the bottle for a minute before pulling off the metal cap with ease from years of serving Marcus and taking a big gulp.
I've never drunk before, it wasn't something that was allowed in Abnegation. I thought it was kind of ironic that the person they'd chosen to lead them indulges in it on a daily basis.
At first, I wince at the bitterness of the beer but decide to give it a second before forming an opinion. The following sip was better and surprisingly refreshing. Though, it's definitely not something I would find myself forming an addiction to like Marcus had.
"Alright, Nessie." Uriah rubs his hands together in gleeful anticipation, "Time to spill, what was that about?"
"Uriah told us all about it and whew!" Marlene fans herself, "Even I could feel the sexual tension and I wasn't even there!"
I choke on my drink at her words, slapping myself on the chest until it wasn't passed.
"Jesus, Mar." I took a deep breath, "Don't say things like that."
Marlene wiggles her brows at me with a smirk, "I wouldn't have if it wasn't true." Before pressing her palms together pleadingly, "Come on, Ness! Please, we need to know! This is probably the most interesting thing that happens around here!"
I knew she was being dramatic. In my time here, the Dauntless were far from boring.
"Pleaseee," She continues to beg, "We won't tell anybody."
I narrow my eyes at her. It would be nice to have somebody to talk to about this. Eric was the most confusing person I've ever met and I need help figuring him out or I'll go mad.
"Even Zeke?" I ask suspiciously, knowing that if Zeke ever found out about this, I would be in a world of trouble.
Uriah gives me a firm nod, "Screw Zeke, he doesn't need to know."
I chuckle at his comment and how he looks dead serious when he says it.
Ah, fuck it.
"Eric and I kissed," I rushed out under my breath.
"Speak up, Ness! We can't hear you!" Uriah nudges me with his foot.
I exhaled sharply, "Eric and I sort of kissed." I say, more clearly this time.
Lynn frowns at me, "Sort of?"
"You don't sort of kiss someone, Nessie." Uriah agrees, "Either you did or you didn't."
I shoot Uriah a scathing glare, "You know what I mean."
"Oh, we do." Marlene chimes in, "We just want to hear you say it."
"We did," I admit, feeling the heat rising up my neck. Whether it's from embarrassment or the beer, I'm not quite sure. Either way, I'm pretty positive my face is currently a shade of beet red.
Uriah throws his head back in raucous laughter and lets out a loud whoop, "I knew it! Neric has sailed!"
I groan. Thankfully, Marlene seems to take a little pity on me and elbows Uriah in his side. That, however, doesn't stop her from grinning like she'd just received the best news in her life.
"I'm not trying to embarrass you, Ness. But we need details! All of it! Leave nothing out," She says, "How did it happen?"
"It was stupid," I bury my face in my hands, "He walked in on me hugging Tobias and I got all pissy about it-"
"Back up," Uriah interrupts, "Who were you hugging?" He asks, sounding genuinely confused.
My heart stutters in the realisation that I'd just slipped out.
Well, fuck.
"I don't think we know a Tobias," Marlene comments with furrowed brows.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I really fucked up this time. I've also evidently been spending too much time with Eric seeing as how the word fuck has basically taken over my vocabulary.
"He's...um..." I stutter, wrecking my brain for a way to play this off.
Uriah squints his eyes at me, as if it somehow helps him read me better. I guess it does, seeing as to how he seems to see right through me.
"The truth, Nessie." He says before softening his tone when he senses my panic, "You can trust us."
If my brother is able to tell his best friend, I don't see why I couldn't tell mine.
The realisation that these three people had entered my life and taken it by storm hits me like a freight train. It's only been several short weeks but somehow, they've managed to worm their way into my heart and claim their spots as my best friends- even Lynn who could be a bit aloof sometimes.
"I meant Four," I say slowly, deciding that I would probably trust these people with my life at this point. "Tobias is Four."
"Four," Uriah repeats, "And you're comfortable enough to address him by his first name." A strange expression takes over his face as I take a nervous sip of my beer, mostly to give myself something to do to distract myself from their inquisitive gazes. "Are you sleeping with him?"
This time, I don't choke on my drink. I spit it out all over Uriah, who had the misfortune of sitting directly across from me, in shock.
Uriah leaps up from his seat, flicking off the liquid from his hands. Instead of getting mad at the quite honestly, disgusting situation, he doubles over with laughter. Laughing so hard I'm worried he might burst a vessel or something.
"Holy...shit!" He chokes out between laughs, "I guess I deserved that. But hell, Ness, warn a guy next time, would you?"
I can't help but laugh along with him at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"So, I guess that's a 'no' on whether or not you're sleeping with him..." Uriah trails off, giving me the chance to fill in the blanks for them myself.
"He's the brother," I say after a short pause.
I wait for a reaction from any of them...but nothing. Instead, they all stared at me intently with their head corked to the side.
"Huh," Marlene mutters, "Yeah, I see it now. Same eyes."
"And nose, too," Lynn adds.
Uriah wrinkles his nose at me, "Fuck, you're like the female version of him." He shakes his head, "I can't un-see it."
"More importantly, are we not going to address the fact that she's sleeping with her brother's archenemy?"
I throw my hands in the air in exasperation, "I am not sleeping with Eric!"
"Oh, sweetheart." Marlene reaches over to pat me gently on the knee, "It's only a matter of time. It's useless to pretend otherwise."