The Selected | ✓

Chapter 23

There's a knock on my door. I glance up at the door from the string I'm playing with. "Come in." I call, sitting up.

The door opens. "You really should have a maid in here."

"What do you want, Alexander?"

He shuts the door and walks into my room, sitting on the bed next to me. "You know, I didn't really think white would look good on you."

"What do you want?" I repeat.

He sighs. "Mason and Aquia said that you saw something between Celine and I, but they didn't say. They just kept asking if we...had sex."

"And did you?"

"No. But what were they talking about?"

"I think you know."

"I don't! Just tell me what I did wrong!"

I turn and look him right in the eye. "I saw you and Celine kissing on your bed yesterday. Her dress was partially undone, and your jacket and tie were off, and your shirt was unbuttoned. Care to explain?"

His eyes widen. "You saw what?"

"You heard me." I snap. "And right now I'm pretty irritated, considering you kissed me and then asked if it was possible. I told Mason to stop wasting his time on me and instead focus on Aquia. I was coming to you to tell you that I wanted you, not him."

He shuts his eyes, hanging his head between his shoulders. He lets out a breath. "You really saw that?"

"Yes." My insides twist. "You know, if I knew that you loved her sooner, I would've just told you to send me home. Why waste my time here where I'm nothing but eye candy? Not even that, really- I'm just kind of here."

He shakes his head, looking at the floor. "Don't make me send you home."

"Why not? Why waste your time and mine being here when you want her?"

"I don't want her, okay? I want you. But everyone thinks I should be with her, and so I need to keep up appearances. You think I really want to be kissing her? I don't. The only way I've gotten through this is by telling myself that hopefully soon I'll be with you, and not her."

"I don't believe you."

He lets out a defeated sigh. "I guess I wouldn't either, if our positions were reversed." He watches me as if it's the last time he's going to see me. "Do you really want me to send you home?"

"Would you do it if I wanted you to?"

"Yes." He says it without hesitation. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, Cassiana. Even if it means breaking my heart in the process. Do you want to go home?"

I watch him for a minute. If I say yes, I'll be eliminating any chance of him proving me wrong. I'll marry some rich- probably much older- man and never see Alexander again. If I stay, I have a chance of my heart being broken again. But he might also prove me wrong, he might make everything right.

"I'll stay." I whisper. Then, louder, "I'll stay. But don't think that I won't leave if this kind of thing happens again. There are only so many migranes a girl can fake."

He laughs and wraps his arms around me, falling back onto my bed and pulling me on top of him. My hair falls in his face, and he pulls me down and kisses me. Butterflies flutter in my stomach. He pulls back maybe an inch at the most. "I love you." He says.

My lips curl up into a smile. "I love you too." I barely take a breath before he pulls me back down again.