The Way I Loved You | Tobias Eaton

twenty-two

Tobias has been secretive all day. I had to admit, as much as I love the man, it was infuriating.

It started with him telling me that I had to sleep in the dorms tonight instead of his apartment- which he never does. When I asked why, all he did was smirk and say, "You'll see."

What does that even mean?

I've been trying to get a straight answer out of him all day, but he hasn't cracked under the pressure. Yet...hopefully.

The curiosity was killing me, and as I slid into the seat across from Zeke in the dining room, I immediately leaned forward to try and get some answers.

Before I could even get my first word out, Zeke held up a hand to stop me. "Ah, Four warned me about this," He says, "Unfortunately, I told him I wouldn't tell you shit. Sorry, lovebird."

I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Clearly, Uriah had said something to him about it and it's caught on.

"Don't worry though," He reassured, "It'll be fun. Just a Dauntless tradition."

A low chuckle that has my body instantly on high alert sounds beside me, and Tobias wears a smile as he takes the empty seat beside me.

"Still trying, huh?" He laughs as he leans in to kiss me.

I melted into his kiss that was quickly interrupted by Zeke clearing his throat, "Some of us are trying to eat, you know?"

Tobias rolls his eyes as he pulls away from me, but keeps his hand on my lap under the table.

The gesture made my heart flutter and I smiled up at him, to which he winked at me in return.

"Aw, you two are so sweet it's going to make me throw up." I turn to see Myra sliding into the seat next to me with Edward hovering awkwardly close behind.

The two had taken to hanging out with me. However, I still couldn't quite decide if Edward genuinely enjoyed my company or if he was just doing it because Myra forced him to. Regardless, he was always polite but remained on the quieter side.

"Hey, guys," I greeted as Tobias turned back to his meal while making casual conversation with Zeke.

Our table has been a weird mash-up ever since Myra and Edward started sitting with us.

Tobias rarely ever spoke to the two (though he seemed to like them just fine) and my new friends never seemed to mind. Zeke, on the other hand, would sometimes join our conversations if they happened to catch his interest, but otherwise mostly stuck to Tobias.

It was odd, but somehow, it felt comfortable to have the two coincide.

"Have you heard?" Myra starts, spooning food onto her plate. "There's going to be this big thing going on tonight, but no one will tell us what it is or even what time it's supposed to happen."

I turn to Tobias in one last attempt to get an answer out of him, "Are you seriously not going to tell me?"

Tobias smiles into his mug and simply shrugs before winking at me and I feel my heart skipping a beat from just that small gesture.

I sunk my teeth into my lip to keep from smiling too widely before turning to his friend, "Zeke, please? Just tell me!"

"Don't even think about it," He warns before his friend could even get a word out.

"I wasn't going to tell her!" Zeke protests indignantly.

The two continue to bicker for the rest of dinner and I could see Myra eyeing them curiously. I got it, seeing Tobias during training and outside of it was like seeing two totally different people, and I would be lying if I said it didn't elate me knowing that I was one of the only people who got to see this side of him.

After dinner, Tobias and I return to his room to turn down for the day. There, just like old times, I laid on his chest while he read to me.

His voice was soothing like lullaby and I found my lids growing heavy with every word that he uttered.

I was almost asleep when I heard his low chuckle reverberating through my ears.

"You have to sleep in the dorms tonight, remember?"

I stretched out beside him and looked up with him with an exaggerated pout, "But I like it here."

He smiled at my attempt to sway him, "I like you here too." He leaned down to press a sweet kiss to my forehead, "But this is a big Dauntless tradition and I want you to experience it."

I got where he was coming from. Back in Abnegation, Tobias and I seemed so wrapped up in each other that we didn't have time for anything else. Now that we're back together, it felt like that part of history was repeating itself.

And while I loved being in his presence, it might also do us some good to experience things on our own. Tobias was a busy guy here in Dauntless, and I couldn't possibly be wanting to hang around him every second of everyday as tempting as it was.

That was the only reason that made me roll out of his enticingly comfortable bad.

Tobias smiles as he watches me before raising to his feet as well and holding out a hand to me. "Come on, I'll walk you."

I happily take his hand, letting him accompany me back to the dorms.

The hallways were quiet as we walked back, it was just past ten, but I've noticed that most people here at Dauntless tended to turn in pretty early.

Our footsteps echoed through the pathways as we walked in silence, and when we reached the dorm rooms, Tobias pulled into his arms and kissed me as if his life had depended on it.

"I love you," He mutters against my lips as we pulled away, "Sweet dreams."

I quickly pressed my lips to his in one last kiss, knowing if I lingered any longer, neither was us would leave.

He waited until I had slipped inside before he turned to head back to his apartment and I started to miss him in an instant.

As I headed back to my bed, I stopped short as my eyes landed on a sticky note on my pillow with words written on it in familiar handwriting.

I picked it and smiled as I read through the words on it that said; missing you already.

Tucking it safely away, I made my way to wash up for the night before heading back to bed. Once again, finding myself stopping short before it- this time, for an entirely different reason.

Dread pools in my stomach as I spot another note on my pillow.

But instead of Tobias' pristinely kept paper, this one had splotches of red liquid splatted onto it, which I could only hope was ink.

The message was scribbled messily onto the paper with a thick black marker and the words chilled me to the core; enjoy it while it lasts.