OVERTHROW - Eric Coulter

Chapter 33

"Won't you tell me?" Andrea asked, looking at me with a sad expression.

"What?" I asked, disoriented, while biting into an apple.

I was in the infirmary, away from Derek and another guy on duty, with strict instructions not to move until my arm had rested. They cleaned the wound and stitched it up. I spent about two hours sitting on a cot with the first medical book I found at hand, and out of boredom, I decided to read it.

It was then that Andrea arrived with a salad, a bottle of water, the apple, and a blouse. She stayed with me while Derek constantly checked my vital signs and tried to get information about why I was in Eric's room yesterday afternoon, and how he had once again treated my wounds. Although he didn't get anything, he had drawn his own conclusions.

Apparently, after the fight, there was going to be the final stage of weapons training, something I was completely unaware of, but Four had told my friend that I was exempt because I had been in two advanced weapons simulators. It seems Eric spoke with Max and Freya, gave them the records, and my progress, showing that I had already passed the weapons training.

"Will I have to guess? Those two scars on your back are at least two years old. What happened to you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I fell from a tree." I replied disinterestedly.

"I want the truth, Grace. I know body language by heart, and I can tell when someone is lying." her gaze was annoyed, she knew I was lying.

"And am I lying?" I squinted my eyes, looking at her with amusement, wanting to evade the topic at all costs.

"Don't play games with me." she denied.

"Why do you want to know about something that happened a long time ago? It's not relevant anymore." I scoffed.

"I want to help you. You insist on leadership and proving that you're capable of everything, and friend, you are capable; you don't have to prove anything. You seek Eric's approval, and it scares me. I won't reproach you like Tiana or Ian, I just want to help you."

"What do you want me to say? Oh yes, Andrea. I'll make you feel even more pity for my cruel childhood alongside my father. Do you want me to tell you about the time he took a horsewhip and beat me several times just because I asked who my mother was? Or better yet, do you want me to tell you how he left my hands bruised because I didn't get up early and make my bed? Or when he broke my nose on the table because I didn't know multiplication tables? He made me feel stupidly useless, good for nothing." my hands trembled as I looked at my friend with teary eyes.

"I don't feel pity. Four told me..."

I laughed. "I'm getting tired of you two doing this. I'll be honest with you, Andrea. I don't want to know anything about my past, pretend you never heard it, please. Whether I'm trying to prove something or not, I don't care. I'm number one right now and you have no idea how gratifying it feels. Eric is the only one who understands me right now, so just leave it."

"I worry about you."

"And I appreciate that, but don't think that by telling you my problems, I'll give up on leadership," I grimaced. "Please."

She sighed, lowering her gaze and hiding her hazel eyes as she struggled between following her instinct or my request.

"Okay, forgive me," she said with a remorseful tone.

"Don't apologize, come here," I smiled, extending my right arm for a hug. "Forgive me too, I was rude."

Not accustomed to displays of affection, to being the one to embrace and show my emotions, but this time was different, and I enjoyed her hug. Derek's cough made us separate, and he looked at us with a smile.