Dangerous Love

Chapter 33: The Gunshot

His eyes lock with mine and I feel my whole world blur around me and focus in on him. He stands there looking a whole lot paler than normal, bags form under his eyes and a feeling of absolute guilt runs through me because I know it is my fault. Yet here he is, standing in my kitchen, a broken vase next to him and my fuming father across from him.

"Autumn, go to your room," my father's tone is cold and calm. I turn my head to him, eyebrows knit in confusion, "No, this is about me I'm not going to leave when the entire reason he's here is for me." My father's eyes widen a bit at the sound and certainty in my voice, "In fact dad, I think you should be the one leaving us alone." His eyes widen even further and they flash from me to Eric then back again, realization seems to strike him in that moment. Oh so I guess he didn't know the real reason Eric is here.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" never in my life have I ever heard a profanity come from my father's mouth and in that moment he was Dauntless and his past came rushing to him as he charged at Eric. My eyes flash to the stairs to see my mother pushing my sister back up the stairs so she wouldn't see the scene before us unfold.

I watch frozen in horror as my father attacks Eric, and Eric just stands there, taking all the pain and all the blows that my father endures on him.
"Jack! Jack!" my mouther cries out as she tries to pull my father off of Eric. Once she finally manages to yank his pissed figure off of Eric my feet move faster than my mind and soon I'm kneeling in front of Eric holding his bloody face in my hands.
"I missed you so much," he croaks out and I feel more tears of the pain I felt the past couple days start to fall out, "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

My body freezes as he says these things and I go down and press my lips lightly to his before pulling back. My mother's cooing to my father sounds in the background as Eric sits up slowly, "Listen Mercer, tomorrow the Dauntless are going to come, take your family and get out, get out of here. Take refugee in Abnegation there's no telling what the Dauntless will do," his warning rings.
"Why?" I gasp and he glances back at my father before answering, "They're pissed, pissed that Amity got away with taking back the transfers. Asher's in charge and Max is listening to him."
"Well doesn't your vote count, shouldn't they listen to you?" I ask his head still in my hands.
"I.. I haven't exactly been sober these past couple days and they won't listen to a single word I say," he whispers.
"Just promise me, promise me you'll get away and stay out of danger," he pleads.

"Eric," my father's voice makes my hands slip from the sides of his face, "I don't know what you've done to my daughter," I glance at his bloody knuckles, "But you need to leave, now." Eric just stares before clenching his jaw and standing and I quickly follow looking back at my father.
"He didn't do anything...."
"Autumn, I'm going to need you to be quiet," he says calmly.
"Dad, I'm 18 I can decide when to speak for myself. Especially when it's about me," he doesn't exactly see that the man before him has protected me in everyway possible and that the reason we're both mental right now is because we hadn't been  by each other's side.

"Get out," my father proceeds to ignore me. I look up at Eric who's eyes are trained on my father before they fall to mine, "Stay safe," he whispers in my ear before disappearing in the doorway.

I slowly turn to my father who's face is downcast like he just cast out a demon from our household.
"How could you?" I sneer at my father who's look of guilt increases.
"He was trying to warn us..."
"He was manipluating you! I come downstairs to him walking into our home like he owns the place, and you! You weren't even here! Where were you?" he scolds and I tilt my head up.

"I went to Dauntless," that catches both my parents attention as their heads turn towards me, eyes wide in shock and betrayal, "I went there to see him. It turns out he went here to see me. It's a good thing I got here when I did." My parents blink at me as they process it, my mother a more understanding look but still surprise that we would go to such measures as sneaking into opposite factions to see each other. My father on the other hand looked frozen into place, I just pray that he thinks of his and mother's relationship and how that started and how far they've come.