CHAPTER 45 - BEATRICE

"Oh sweetie," Mom murmurs into my shoulder, her arms tightening around me. "You were so strong to have lasted through those simulations. My brave little rebel." I smile at her and hold back tears that want to escape so badly and be released. But I don't let them go yet.

The front door opens. Dad and Tobias walk in, both looking a little awkward around each other. A prickle of warmth stirs in me at the sight of Tobias. He makes me feel calmer. My mother runs her hands through my hair, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration as she sees how dirty it is. Her eyes drift down to my even dirtier clothes and she scowls. Tobias sits down on the opposite side of me and plays with my thumb. At that right moment, my stomach growls. Every head in the room turns to look at me.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up and I will get you something to eat," Mom says. The idea of a hot shower, lemon shampoo, and a full meal makes me feel drowsy. Or maybe that is just the fatigue and lack of sleep.

"Yeah. A hot shower and a meal sounds amazing," I say in a dreamy voice.

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An hour later, I walk into my bedroom with my damp hair hanging down my back and beginning to soak the back of my shirt. I pull on a pair of my favorite sweatpants and head downstairs. My nose is met with a wall of warm and welcoming aromas of dinner.

Tobias and I each grab a full plate of food and sit close together on the couch. I literally inhale my meal. Tobias doesn't touch his. When I set down my empty plate on the coffee table, he passes his untouched plate over to me.

"No. You eat it."

He pressed his fork into my hand and gently lay the plate in my hands.

"But you need it more."

I smile gratefully at him and begin picking at a piece of chicken. My mind wanders off into random thoughts, too. How lucky I was that George was undercover and kept in touch with Tobias. I finish the plate of food and set it down beside my first one on the coffee table.

I lean my head against Tobias' shoulder, aware of my parents' eyes only on me this entire time, and close my eyes. The sound of heartbeat lulls me slowly back to sleep.