lmlm

Chapter 68: AnniversaryI wake up gasping for air, and sweat drips down my face. “Well done, Four.” I glance at Rachel and seethe look of pity in her eyes. “I don’t need your sympathy,” I snarl. “What was my time?” She scrollsdown the computer screen. “Twenty‐ nine minutes and forty‐ three seconds.” Not bad,I think. Thatshould be enough to throw the leaders off my trail. “Fine.” I get off the chair and walk to the doorwithout looking back, but she stops me before I can get out. “Four? I’m... I’m sorry.” I glare at her. “Itold you. I don’t need your sympathy.” Who does she think she is? Just because she’s friends with myso‐ called father doesn’t mean she gets to stick her nose into my business. I shrug her hand off andleave without another word. As I walk by Cassandra on my way out, I squeeze her hand and whisper,“meet me at the Pit later”. She nods and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I find a spot in one of the tablesat the center of the room, and grab a slice of cake from the counter. About half an hour later, Cassandrasits down beside me, and I give her a hug. “How was it?” She shrugs. “Okay. I just wanted to get out soI could come see you.” She grabs the fork and starts eating my dessert. “Wait...” I pretend to examineher face. Confused, she stops mid‐ bite. “What?” I try to keep from laughing. “You have icing all overyour face.” Her eyes widen. “Where?” Smiling, I pull her towards me. “Here.” I kiss her, no longercaring about who might see us. When we pull away, she sighs. “Is the icing gone?” I smirk. “I thinkso.” She reaches out to touch my cheek. “You better check again to make sure.” She inches closer, andI oblige. “Well, well, well. Isn’t this just the cutest thing?” I break the kiss and realize Eric is standingbehind us. “What do you want?” He takes a seat next to Cassandra. She shrinks back, and I hold herclose to me. “Oh, nothing really. Just wanted to offer my condolences.” I frown. “What the heck areyou talking about?” Eric raises an eyebrow. “Cassandra didn’t tell you?” He reaches over and grabswhat’s left of the cake. “It’s Dave’s death anniversary today.” Dave. David. Cassandra’s brother.Cassandra makes a strangled sound. “I’ll be right back.” Eric frowns. “Something wrong, darling?Don’t tell me you’re feeling suicidal too!” Cassandra gasps and runs out of the Pit. I grab Eric by theshirt and ram my fist into his face. “Don’t you dare speak to her ever again, do you understand?” Hegrins. “Certainly, your majesty.” Blood pours down his cheek, but he just wipes it away. “Tell me,almighty Four... is it true that your daddy beat you?” I glare at him. “Is that why you transferred?Because rumor has it he used to make you go days without eating. That’s why you left, isn’t it. Becauseyou’re a coward.” I let go of all the anger I’d been holding in since the day I met him and hit him for allI’m worth. “I’m not the one ganging up on innocent people, am I? And just let me get one thingstraight... I will never be afraid of you. I willkill you if you don’t leave all of us alone.” I spit at himand go after Cassandra. I finally find her looking over the chasm, and she clings to my shirt as soon as

she sees me. “I’m so sorry, Cassie.” Her muffled cries fill the silence, and I hold her against me. “Heused to call me that,” she mumbles. “I miss him so much. I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d feelcloser to him by transferring to Dauntless. Maybe I could find out what really happened to him bycoming here. But I’m no better off than I was at Amity. And Eric...” She shakes her head. “How did...how did he know about your brother?” She winces. “It’s a long story.” I tuck her hair behind her ear.“Want to tell me about it?” She lets go of me and sinks to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. “Ihave another sibling. Amanda, two years older than me.” She looks away. “We were best friends. Shekept my secrets and I kept hers. When she turned sixteen, she told me that she’d started dating someoneabout my age. I asked her who it was, and she said that I’d find out soon enough. She asked me not totell anyone, and I swore I wouldn’t.” She closes her eyes. “True to her word, she brought him home afew weeks before her Ceremony. Even though they were angry at first because she’d been datingbehind their backs, my parents quickly came to like her boyfriend.” I nod. “Eric.” She glances at me.“Yes. He was always polite when other people were in the room, and he acted like he was madly inlove with Amanda.” She laughs. “They had no idea how far from the truth that was. One day, I leftschool early, because I wasn’t feeling that well, and my parents were away, working. David andAmanda were still in class. I was home alone, basically. And... he followed me home.” My fists clench.I don’t like where this is going. “He snuck in right after I went inside the house, and locked the door. Iasked him what he was doing there, since my sister wasn’t home yet. And he said... he said...” I movecloser to her and kiss her on the cheek. “Oh, Four, he...” She pauses, and starts sobbing. “Shh. It’sokay. I’m here. You’re okay.” I hold her until she calms down, and kiss her neck. “He said that he’dheard that I was sick... and that he knew how to make me feel better. He cornered me and...” I take herhand. “Did he touch you?” Cassandra looks away. “Tell me. Did he touch you?” I turn her toward meand force her to make eye contact. “No,” she whispers. “He didn’t.” I let myself relax. Son of a... “Butmy sister did come in later and saw us like that... and she believed Eric’s story. He said I’d beenharassing him for days, and that I lured him inside.” She shrugs. “Amanda was so fond of him shechose to think that the whole thing had been my fault. She never spoke to me again, and I haven’t seenher since she transferred to Candor. I didn’t want to tell you about this because I was afraid you’d reactjust like my sister.” I kiss her forehead. “I believe you, Cassandra. I love you, and I always will. Nomatter what.”