Truly Selected (Book One of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 42

"I still can't believe that she's leaving." I said as soon as Matthew shut the door to my room. With his right hand, he pushed himself away from the wall, his support, and gripped both crutches. 

"I can't either believe it either. I was sure she was going to be here as long as we wanted her to be." 

"Did you really want her here?" I chuckled as Matthew approached me. Laughing easily, he gently sat down on the floor beside me, a stack of cards awaiting him. 

"Not at all."

 "What about CeCelia? Gemma?" Matthew laughed even harder now as he picked up the cards. 

"You think I'm falling for those two? Starting to like them?" I laughed very uneasily, and I knew that Matthew could tell. His smile and easy-going demeanor began to vanish from his face. 

"I mean... yeah." I said, picking my cards and organizing them into a pile by taping them against the floor. " I caught you smiling at CeCelia at the pool party. And today, on the Report, with Gemma." Matthew sighed and placed down the cards. 

"Did you not realize that CeCelia was standing right next to you at the pool party?" Matthew asked genuinely, staring intensely into my eyes. "Or realize that I looked at you right after Gemma sat down on the Report. I was thinking of you, and how dazzling you looked in that red dress" I piped up, using my horrid habit of interrupting Matthew. I needed to break that, and soon. Matthew narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"I'm being serious Sol," He said, and then sighed. "This isn't what I wanted to talk about tonight. I thought I made myself clear before. If the Selection were such a simple thing, if it was just me, and nothing,  not the public nor powerful families nor ties to other countries mattered, I would've already chosen you. I would have ended this stupid charade already, because though I'm not in love with you,  I do like you a great deal. Enough to say that I know you're the one." I grew silent. The room suddenly seemed to big, to foreign for me. Tomorrow, I want to change it. 

"It all just needs—"

 "Time." I said, immediately covering my hand with my mouth. Instead of Matthew getting upset, he smiled softly, causing goose bumps to rise on my arm. 

"Exactly. You know, I really don't mind that kind of interruption." I giggled and picked up my cards. 

" I don't know how this will end Matthew. I could end up going home, I could end up with Daniel; I could get married to you. Regardless, time is not anyone's friend, so use it carefully. Please, use it carefully." Matthew nodded, his smile growing serious as he picked up his own cards. 

"Got any three's?" he asked, both of us having growing smiles before we bursted out laughing, falling backwards and having the floor catch us. Sitting back up, I smirked an shook my head. 

"Go fish."

******************

Once the clock struck eleven, Matthew halted our game and rose to leave. 

"As much as I'd love to stay, my work load is about to grow again, around the amount I had prior the Selection beginning; as will Daniel's. I'm must get some sleep, for I most likely will not be getting a good night's rest for a while." I nodded, sad to see him go, but understanding of why he must. 

Matthew pulled me to my feet; each of us stood on one foot like flamingos. Then, out of a sudden instinct, Matthew pulled me closer to him. My hands rested on his hard chest and my head was two inches from his own. His eyes did the asking, and my lips answered. In seconds, we were kissing. Euphoria filled me as his baby soft lips brushed over mine, almost like a candle coaxing the darkness. It was as if I was becoming addicted, always wanting more. Finally, I pulled away and opened my eyes to a smiling Matthew. His eyes reflected adoration, and I knew that look was only saved for me. I wondered what my eyes looked like in this moment. Matthew backed away, but just as he went to leave, he turned back and grabbed the tiara from my head. 

"Hey," I whisper-yelled in a joking manner. "That's mine!" Matthew laughed twirled the silver tiara around his finger. 

"Nope," he teased with a sinister smile and a wink. "I've had to collect all these babies since the Report finished. They were really only meant to emphasize the point that you were the fifteen girls chosen at the Grateful Feast to continue on as Pre-Elite. Once you all wore them on the Report, well, my father told me to collect them all. He felt it created an image that all of you, I know I'm going to phrase this incorrectly, acted like royalty." I nodded and giggled lightly. 

"Hey, he makes sense. You don't." Matthew chuckled lightly and grabbed his crutches from the ground.

"My father has always been a man of honor and wisdom." He said as he placed each golden crutch underneath an armpit. 

Huffing, Matthew gripped the tiara and the handles of his crutches and made his way over to the door. Opening the door, I watched as he hobbled outside and bent down to a potato-sack-made-bag. Inside rested fourteen other sparkling silver tiaras, one which Matthew must've gotten from Clarissa's old room. I was amazed at how he could carry all of those while being injured. I didn't think I could do something like that. 

"Do you need help with that?" I asked, holding on to the edge of my door frame with my foot lifted a few inches off of the ground. Matthew laughed as he lightly dropped my tiara into the bag. It clanged against the ones already in the bag, and Matthew rose to a standing position. 

"There will be no need. Shane will be here later tonight, if I'm not mistaken. He can do it." 

My jaw dropped wide and Matthew laughed at his own joke, slapping his knee before placing a butterfly kiss on my cheek and hobbling away with his three "legs."

A/N: Hey everyone,

I know, I know, I've been off the charts. I've just been wrapping up this school year and now that it's nearly over, you have my full attention. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that short chapie, and I have some happy news and some sad news. I'll start with the sad news bc I don't want you all to be sad after clicking out of this chapter :D

The sad news is that Truly Selected is almost over! *gasps, cries* Yes, book one is almost complete and has around 2-3 chapters left. However, onto the good news *yay*

The good news is that you will be getting a sequel to Truly Selected, as I have already informed you all a few times. I've narrowed my cover options down, and I'm happy to say that I think you would all like each of them. In addition, while I haven't written out most of Truly Elected yet (the sequel in case you've been living under a rock :D) I have planned nearly the entire story out. Now, it just needs typing *sigh*. Anyway, I'm excited to finish up this story and begin editing it.

In more good news, I have simultaneously been working on several other stories and some of them have really been taking off. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to start sharing them with you if you guys want! (LMK)

Love you all lots and hope to hear from you all,

Keep reading ~Halebella

QOTD: Which ten girls of the remaining 14 do you think will make it to the Elite? (In case you are blanking on names, they are: Sol, Willow, Blake, CeCelia, Ember, Gemma, Dylan, Darling, Harmony, Heather, Tressa, Risa, Elsie, and Phoebe.)