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“I’m really sorry, Sloane,” he sighs, the regret in his tone palpable. “I never should’ve tried to take matters into my own hands like that. It was stupid, and I know it’s no excuse, but I was just a dumb kid, I never considered the potential fallout from doing it.” He heaves another resigned sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I was just scared. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“But youdidhurt me,” I blurt, grinding to a halt.
He stops, too, swiveling to face me. “I know I did. And I’m sorry, I’msofucking sorry. If I could take it back, I would. I wish I could.”
I fold my arms over my chest and stare down at the floor, kicking the toe of a sneaker against it. “Me too,” I whisper.
I lift my head to meet Tristan’s eyes again, finding them shining with regret.
“Are you ever gonna be able to forgive me?” he asks quietly.
I blow out a slow breath, uncrossing my arms and dropping them to my sides. “I’ve already forgiven you, Tris. I’m just trying to figure out how to move past it. Howallof us can move past it.”
He nods sadly, the muscle in his jaw ticking from the hard set of it. “So are you and Madd, like, together now?”
The million-dollar question.
“We’re figuring things out,” I say.
He presses his lips into a tight line, nodding again. “I know it’s not my place, especially after what I did, but just…” he trails off as he reaches out to set a hand on my arm, staring into my eyes with his dark ones. “Be careful, Sloane.”
I flinch back with a scowl, furrowing my brow.
Tris raises his hands in surrender, showing me his palms. “I’m just saying, Madd’s different than he used to be.”
I shake my head adamantly. “He isn’t, deep down.”
“You missed a lot.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Tristan hangs his head, shoulders slumping. “I guess that’s fair,” he mutters. He returns his gaze to mine, eyes rounded in sincerity. “All I’m saying is that I know Madd, too. And after you left, he kinda lost it. In a big way. People don’t just come back from that kind of darkness overnight.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I grumble.
He frowns, and I take a step toward him, grabbing onto his hand and forcing him to meet my stare. “He’s my person, Tris,” I say, my voice breaking with emotion. “He always has been. Always will be.”
My brother searches my face for any flicker of hesitation. “How can you be so sure?” he asks slowly.
I shrug a shoulder. “I just am. When you know, you know, and you’ve just gotta blow past all the red flags and go for it.”
He stares at me for a long moment, then nods, seemingly accepting that answer. Not that I need his approval. What Madd and I do is our business, and he never should’ve involved himself in the first place.
“Maybe you should take a page outta my book,” I say, giving him a little nudge.
Tristan arches a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Are you ever gonna tell Andie how you feel about her?”
He frowns. “That’s different.”
“Is it?”
My brother rolls his eyes, turning around to continue down the hall. I jog a few steps to catch up, forever cursed by my short stride, then fall into pace with him again.
“At least the scare last night got you out of the initiation,” he mutters as we walk.
“I still don’t get why everyone’s making such a big deal out of that,” I scoff. “It can’t be that bad.”
