Divergent Faction High

Chapter 38 (Tris POV)

I wake up to gentle hands on my shoulder, lightly shaking me awake. I'm still in Tobias' car.

"Hey, babe. Wake up." He sing songs.

"Mm.., I fell asleep?" I say, stretching out my arms.

"The hospital was kind of far from where we are now." He says.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"You'll see." He says flirtatiously.

He opens the car door and takes my hand and leads me. I see that we are in the same secluded garden that he asked me to homecoming in. The lanterns are still hanging, shining brighter than ever. Tobias smiles brightly at me, and I smile back at him.

"You remember this place?" He asks, looking at the stars.

"You asked me to homecoming in this garden, Tobias. How could I forget?" I say.

I throw my arms around him and give him a big kiss. He holds onto my hands and stares at me intently.

"Yes?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Do you know why I chose this place?"
He asks. I shake my head.

"Well, I chose this place because it reminds me of happy times I used to have with my mother."

"You would come here with your mom?" I ask, sounding amused.

"Yeah, if Marcus was at a long council meeting, to escape the bad atmosphere, we'd come here. It'd be during the daytime, rarely during the nighttime. We'd pick honeysuckle and lay on the ground together, staring at the clouds of the day, or the stars and moon of the night. It took my mind off of things, and after my mother died, I'd just come here after school and just wander around. Make new discoveries in this garden, and the things I'd find would make me happy because it reminded me of my mother. Quiet and peaceful. This place was the perfect escape."

"Oh, Tobias." I say, sympathy in my voice. My tears forming, making my vision go blurry. "That's beautiful."

"You're beautiful. You bring that happy feeling to me, every single day. Back when Marcus was still abusing me, and you had just arrived in Chicago, I dealt with the pain because I had a feeling that you'd want me to be strong. You're a beam of sunshine always shining even on the worst of days, I consider you to be a fire. Burning bright. A warm fire. My fire. You're the reason I'm not six-feet-under. You're literally the reason that I'm still breathing. You're refreshing, like a gust of air. Words can't describe how much you've made me happy. I am yours, and you are mine, and it's been that way all along. I love you, Tris Prior, and nothing will ever change that." He says, his eyes filled with adoration.

His long soliloquy about me touches my heart, as cheesy as it sounds. Seriously, I'm on the verge of crying happy tears after what he just said to me. I'm so sentimental. I start crying and he hugs me, so tightly that it feels like I could stop breathing, but I don't tell him to loosen his grip around my waist. I just cry into his shirt, making it wet with tears.

"Tobias Eaton. I never really understood or felt the feeling of true endearment, but now, I know exactly how that feels. Because of you, I'll always know what that's like. I'm in a constant euphoria now. You'll be mine, forever and always. Promise me?"

"You know I keep my promises." He says, winking at me. We hug each other again, and I pull away, wiping my eyes.

"Ugh-, my makeup is probably messed up, but I don't care." I laugh, wiping happy tears.

"You don't realize how beautiful you are without all of that on your face, Tris, you're stunning. Your eyes so stern, so insistent. Beautiful. You're striking. You're noticeable." He says.