Haven (Eric x OC divergent )

CHAPTER 19 - cory coulter

"So nelly, she's your gran or something?" Eric's voice fills the train carriage as we make our journey back to Dauntless.
"No she's just a family friend actually"
"She seems wonderful" he speaks softly, honestly.
"Yeah She is. She always took care of my brother and I when you know-"

Silence floods the car for a moment, along with the cool night breeze. The dark sky doesn't allow me to see much of what's outside, only basic shadows of buildings and trees. It's actually quite relaxing.

"On that note, Alex if you ever want to talk about that stuff I'd be more than happy to listen"
"Thanks Eric, that means a lot"
"You know, we could make a pit stop on the way back, if you'd like."
"Huh?"
"I feel like you've shown me so much about yourself, all the deep dark shit, and that it's my turn" I feel my stomach turn a bit at his words.
"You don't have to"
"That's the thing I want to, that is if you want to see it"
"Okay then, let's do it"

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The train comes to a holt so I know we must be in erudite, the start of the tracks.
We step out of the train and walk along the concrete sidewalk. The pathways in erudite are so different from abnegation. In Abnegation sidewalks are cracked, they prefer spending their money on food for the factionless.

We come to a stop after a few minutes of walking. We are standing outside of a graveyard. I look to Eric and see his face is riddled with fear.
"You okay?"
"I'm just not used to showing people this side, the personal one" he says before grasping my fingers briefly pulling me inside the graveyard but yet not being forceful. We stop at a grave with a white marble headstone.

It reads
Cory Coulter

"My brother..." He starts and I feel his hand tightening on mine.
"He was 15 when he" I can feel the struggle in his words which causes my heart to ache for him.
"He killed himself" I shut my eyes trying to understand the pain he's going through, remembering back to my fear landscape of Tobias.

"I was in school, my mother had given Cory the day off, he said he was sick. So I went to school, mom went to work, dad wasn't in the picture, she even set him chores to do that day. It was just a normal day." Every pause he takes he leaves out a shaky breath before gasping for air as if the oxygen would disappear if he didn't.

"I came home from school, mom was still in work. I was heading upstairs to do my homework. I made it up the stairs and into my room before I noticed the backyard light was left on. So I went back down and out to turn it off. Then I saw him" an involuntary tear slips down his cheek.

"15. Fifteen years old and he hung himself. He hung himself from the green house, a fifteen year old boy. I knew he was being bullied in school but I was 11, way too young to understand. That day I made a promise to myself to never let anyone hurt me"
"Eric, I don't know what to say."
"That's why I hate the chasm so much, when I saw you sitting on the edge of it crying that day I was so scared" his words break my heart a little bit.
"I wasn't going to jump" is all I manage to say.
"I know that now"

I sit down on the ground, facing the beautifully decorated grave. Eric sits down beside me.
The grave itself is covered in white and black pebbles. The flowers and cards that cover it are an array of bright colors.
"I haven't been here in 7 years, since the funeral" his words shock me. If it was Tobias I'd have been here every day for the last 7 years.
"Why now?"
"Why not now?"
I lie my head on top of Eric's shoulder, his body giving heat to mine. Although it is summer it's cold out because it's late.

"I liked holding your hand earlier" I blurt it out, it has no context to what we are talking about.
"I liked holding your hand too" I hear him laugh lightly from beside me.
"What?"
"Were sitting here, me telling you about my dead brother and your saying you like holding my hand?"
"Yeah I am, why not say it now?" I reference to his words in which causes him to laugh a little bit more.
"You'll probably think I'm crazy, but I feel like I can trust you. Not even Carlyle knows about Cory, I haven't spoken about him since I left erudite."
"I feel like I can trust you too. Telling you about Marcus was so easy."

"Alex, please talk to your brother." His words catch me off guard.
"Why should I? He tries to control what I do in my life." I can't help the anger that slips through in my words as I remember today.
"I was fighting with Cory the day before it all happened. You never know what's around the corner. You'd be so mad at yourself for the rest of your life knowing you left things like that, trust me" I feel the sincerity when he speaks.
"I'll give it a try"
"Thank you"

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I knock my fingers roughly on the oak door, not long before it opens heavily to reveal my brother.
"Alex? How are you? Where have you been?" He bombards me with questions as I push past him into his apartment.
"Honestly, I feel awful. My head is spinning and everything aches." I sit on his couch him sitting opposite me.
"What exactly happened last night? if you don't mind me asking" I take a deep breath.
"It was just after you walked away in the corridor last night. Theo came up behind me. He started saying about how he wanted me and then he tried to kiss me and touch me. When I wouldn't cooperate he started to beat me up. That's pretty much it" I fiddle with my thumbs trying to make it out as if it's not that bad.
"Alexa I'm so sorry"
"First of all it's Alex, and second of all why are you sorry?"
"For leaving you that night. I should have taken you with me. This wouldn't have happened"
"Don't say that. It wasn't because it was that night, he would have done that anytime and I can't have a bodyguard for the rest of my life."
We sit here in silence for a moment.

"Look Alex, I get it that you're your own person and can make your own decisions. I'm really trying my best not to interfere anymore, but when I see you with him it doesn't sit well with me. I've known him for a long time I've seen what he's like when he's angry."
"What are you trying to imply? That he'd hit me?" Angry floods my voice.
"I didn't say that, but we don't know what he's capable of. But like I said you get to choose your life from now on. But if he ever hurts you I won't hesitate to kill him" his words are serious, I sigh deeply.

"So were good then?"
"Better than good"