Deceptions & Secrets

Chapter 22: Common Courtesy

Chapter 22: Common Courtesy

Date: Dauntless Initiation – Phase 1 / Baby Natty is 5 ½ months old (July 8)

^^ One Week Has Passed ^^

*Tris POV*

"Shit!" Four mutters. I rub sleep from my eyes to see what he's cursing about at... 5:35 in the morning. Why is he even up? He doesn't usually get out of bed for another ten minutes from now. I hear him mutter a string of expletives as he jumps out of bed and begins pulling clothes out of the dresser, setting them on top as he goes.

"What is going on?" I groan, wishing I hadn't been awoken already.

"I have a Trainers-Leadership meeting in ten minutes," he snaps, gesturing wildly with his hands. "I'm going to be late!" I try to ignore the pang of jealousy I feel; I know that Lauren will be at this meeting with him. Not that it's any of my business that he gets to spend quality time with his latest conquest. Latest that I know of, at least.

"Well, I don't have to be up yet. Can you be quiet, please, so Natty and I can keep sleeping?" I try to be polite, but irritation creeps into my voice despite my efforts. I roll over to try to get a few more minutes of rest as Four runs to the bathroom, grumbling at me indecipherably the whole time. I close my eyes as I hear the shower start running.

But as I try to fall back asleep... I realize just how badly I need to use the bathroom. There is no way I will fall back asleep like this. At the same time... Four is in the shower, and I can't just barge in there. I can't ask him to get out so I can pee, because he's in a rush and worried about being late to his meeting as it is. The bright side of that is that his shower should be quick.

I decide to wait just outside the bathroom door so that I can rush in there as soon as he comes out. I'm glad no one is here to see me, in nothing but my panties and the long t-shirt I slept in, wiggling around like small child who doesn't want to stop what they are doing to use the bathroom.

Four flings the bathroom door open so abruptly that I jump, and I hear him gasp. His gaze immediately rakes down my body, lingering on my bare legs before dragging back up. One part of me is giddy to see him looking at me like that, and the other part of me is irritated, remembering how many girls he's surely looked at, probably wearing even less. I make a point not to check him out—especially not to look at the part his towel is covering. Speaking of his towel, I can see from my peripheral vision that he's got what I am pretty sure is a hand towel wrapped around him, barely covering his groin and ass. He has to grip the corners of it with both hands to keep it in place and covering him.

Then he rolls his eyes, like he's irritated to see me standing there. "Move, I'm in a hurry!" he barks. "I forgot my clothes out here, I'll just get dressed while you're in the bathroom." I scowl at him, but I really have to pee, so I comply and rush past him.

I don't notice the messy floor until it's too late. I yelp as my feet slip out from under me, and I feel as though everything happens in the blink of an eye and in slow motion, all at once. I feel that brief sensation of weightlessness as I fall, and I claw at the air, unsuccessfully trying to steady myself on the empty towel rack connected to the wall. I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my teeth in anticipation of the inevitable jolt when I hit the ground.

But Four has inhumanly quick reflexes, and instantly his arms slide under my own, catching me from behind. He must have had to turn as he had been facing away from the bathroom, and not had time to steady himself. Now we both drop to the ground, and Four breaks my fall, grunting painfully with the impact, and I let out a startled gasp. He has slid under me and landed hard on his ass; I wince just thinking about how much that had to hurt. And now we are on the floor, Four underneath me, his stomach pressed to my back, his arms wrapped around my torso.