OVERTHROW - Eric Coulter

Chapter 48

I could get used to this, to his arms, his breath, his scent. I could easily wake up like this every day.

I don't remember what time he arrived; I just half-opened my eyes and felt him next to me, embracing me while he slept. It couldn't have been later than 5, so I went back to sleep, enjoying the moment a little longer. Now it was 8, and he was still asleep.

I managed to move without waking him up; his face buried in my neck as my hand caressed his nape. I didn't want to wake him up; it was more satisfying to have him sleeping next to me. Although it was time to get up, I resisted waking him. He let out a groan as he adjusted, resting his head on his pillow and placing his hand on my shoulder, revealing his arm as he lay on his back. Eric was everything good in this world.

I furrowed my brow, noticing his hand, and immediately took it. His knuckles were injured, with small fresh scabs and several bloodstains around. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him turn his head to look at me.

"It's nothing." he murmured in a hoarse, sleepy voice. He moved his hand away, settling on his back as he yawned.

"It's recent. Are you okay?" I asked, confused.

"I am." he replied with a smile, but my alarm bells went off. 

Did he hit Genesis in the early morning? Although she was a despicable being who didn't deserve the slightest touch, it was terrifying to think that Eric had hit her.

"Hey, nothing happened." he continued, seeing me lost in thought. "I just punched the punching bag a couple of times, and the wounds reopened, that's all." He shrugged.

Should I believe him? Just thinking about it and searching for an answer gave me a headache. It was too early to think about anything.

"Mmmh." he made a discontented sound, and I turned to look at him, seeing his cellphone in his hand. "I was going to bring you breakfast, being the excellent host that I am, but...." his irony dripped from every word.

I smiled, shaking my head.

"Max wants you to have breakfast with him. He asked me to come get you."

"Why?" I furrowed my brow.

He shrugged. "He must have resolved Genesis's conflict by now. He might want to tell you about it. He doesn't want to show indifference, especially if Dauntless has noticed."

"Have they noticed already?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Genesis was taken to the cells. They must have seen her. It gradually spread, and now everyone's talking about you and your knack for getting into trouble." he explained.

He left his cellphone on the nightstand and approached me, looking at my face intently. His hand reached for my head, giving it gentle strokes. "You look terrible." he whispered.

I chuckled, followed by his laughter. "Let's get you to Max before he sends someone else and finds out you're here." he said, getting up from the bed.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, giving me an incredible view of his body as he walked to the closet. "Am I going in a wheelchair? I don't think you want to carry me." I teased.

"In 5 minutes, someone will bring you two crutches. Max won't take it well if he sees me carrying you in my arms. Before we leave, you'll take a couple of painkillers." he said, pulling out clothes from his closet.

"Have you become my personal nurse?" I joked, and he tossed a piece of clothing at my face, making me laugh as I caught it. "Well, I'll hire you if you work like this without a shirt." I added with a playful wink.

Eric laughed, a genuine and unique laugh, closing the closet and walking towards me while shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked with a sigh.

"I have a couple of ideas." I whispered.

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