The Way I Loved You | Tobias Eaton

nine

There was still a way persistent ache in my chest as I ran amongst my new faction mates.

I should be enjoying this newfound freedom, but with every step I take that leads me further from my mother, I feel my heart constricting even more.

Pausing at the base of one of the metal posts that leads up to the train tracks, watching as the Dauntless-borns start to scale them with ease.

"You're going to get left behind if you keep on staring," I jump at the unfamiliar voice that speaks from behind me, whirling around to see a boy decked out in a classic Erudite getup standing behind me with a lopsided grin.

He runs a hand through a headful of floppy blonde hair and points to the post.

"Together?"

I glance back up to the tracks and nod, "Okay."

"I would offer for you to go first, but..." He trails off before eyeing my skirt meaningfully.

"Right," I move to the side to make space for him, "You first, then."

He moves to climb the post but pauses, "You'll be right behind me, right?"

I clear my throat and nod again, "Yeah, right behind you."

Satisfied by my reply, he starts to make his way up the post. Though not as effortlessly as the Dauntless-borns made it seem, he makes it up eventually.

Taking a deep breath, I grab onto some of the protruding bolts and screws to help me along.

I pause halfway up looking down to see people milling around beneath me and laughed to myself. The craziness of it all was starting to set in and it was...invigorating.

"Come on, I think I can see the train!" The boy yells from above me and I turn to look at him, cracking a smile for the first time today.

I scale the rest of the post, panting and sweaty by the time the boy-whose name I've yet to find out- reaches down and pulls me up the rest of the way onto the platform.

"Had fun?" He asks, wearing the same wide grin that was on him when we were on the ground.

"Definitely," I chuckled.

Just then, the train speeds past us and we stand back for a minute, watching the Dauntless-borns as they grip onto the train handles and swung themselves onto the train like pro-stuntmen.

"This is wild," The boy was practically buzzing with excitement. "Ready?"

"Ready," I reply and we both took off after the train.

The boy grabs onto the handle first, swinging himself onto the train with more grace than he'd possessed when he was climbing before he sticks out a hand towards me.

"You can do this! Just a little more!" His voice is a little muffled by all the noise from the train, and I speed up a little, moving as quickly as my legs could carry me.

When I'm within reach of his hand, I reach out and snag it.

He tugs me into the car, both of us stumbling onto the ground.

As we both catch our breath, the boy turns to me, "I'm Joseph, by the way." He says between breaths, "But I mostly just go by Joey."

"Fallon," I introduced myself in return, "It's nice to meet you." I push myself to my feet and Joey follows suit.

He gazes at me for a second longer than probably necessary and I shift on my feet, unsure of how to react.

The only experience I've ever had with boys was with Tobias. Even then, we were friends before we were ever really together and he'd brought me a level of comfort no one else has ever been able to ever since the moment I laid eyes on him. I guess a part of me always knew that he was mine. The keyword here being was. Past-tense.