Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 46

Alex was good with Paisley and talked to her as if she weren't just a kid, because she really wasn't. She has had to mature to survive where we did but there is still a kid inside of her but she's forced to hide it. In a way, almost like Addy.

"You've been to other countries?" Paisley asks in shock.

"A few. Though some you wouldn't want to go to. Others are a great place to visit honestly." Alex tells her.

"I wanna write and travel. Or maybe just write sometimes. I'm not sure yet." She says thinking for a minute. "Charlie! I forgot to tell you! Dad got me a notebook and a pack of pencils! Though he says I have to use one of them for school so I don't have to borrow Mrs. H's pencils anymore."

"I'm glad! That's great!" I laugh. I almost, quote almost forgot how excited she would get just to receive a gift.

"I've already written my own stories, too!"

"She couldn't put it down." Tayloe laughed. I look at Alex, who was confused.

"Can I send you some of my work? If you send it back at least." Paisley said.

"Definitely." I agree.

"I'm going to write one after the ball tomorrow. Maybe on my way home. Payton said they're already working on my dress and that it's beautiful!" She says excitedly. "I just don't want to go." She mutters.

We all sit there in silence until Alex spoke up.

"Maybe one day you won't have to." He suggests. I knew what he was saying and wanted to scold him for it. He shouldn't get her hopes up on such a thing when it would be his fault if it didn't happen.

Paisley sits in awe but doesn't say a word.

"I probably should go before any of the other girls hear me in here." Alex says. "Good night Paisley and Tayloe." He says kissing each of their cheeks making me laugh then reaching over to me and pecking me on the lips before whisper, "Goodnight I love you you."

I almost flipped. Like, right out of my bed and almost forget to say anything back.

"Night love you." I say as he leaves. The door clicks shut and I put my head in my hands. "God he's got guts." I mutter.

"Charlie he loves you! He can't not pick you now." Paisley says. I see she's crying. "Charlie we won't be poor anymore." She chokes on her sob and puts her head in her hands.

"Come here, sweetheart." I say and pull her to me. "Don't get your hopes up but– I hope so too. And I hope he does mean it when he says he loves me and I hope he isn't telling another girl that too."

"Charlie I know you can't see it but I do. I see the way he looks at you and it's something I didn't see till Jason brought Payton home. Mom and Dad never looked at each other like that and Dad never looks at Lewis like that." Paisley whispers. "Please don't give up hope."

"I won't." I whisper. "I won't."

That was my promise.

•••

The next morning I was walking in the gardens when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turn and smile.

"Haven't talked to you in a while." I tell him. "I've missed you."

"Me too." Jason replies. "It's different at home now. Maybe it's where we've moved and now Payton stays a lot but I think it's where you haven't been there."

"The Selection is about to end, Jason. And you and Payton are about to get married. A lot of things are about to change. It's scary." I mutter.

We keep waking throughout the gardens quietly.

"We won't get a lot more time to talk before I have to leave in the morning, Charlie, but we really need to." Jason says. He led me to a stone bench. The cold that the stone had pulled through my dress made me shiver.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask him.

"Everything." He mutters. "You're my little sister and you're in this castle fighting for a guys heart. I just want him to be worth it."

"He's... great. A lot of the time he's there and will do things with me that he doesn't do with other girls. He said he loved me before, but I won't know till it's just me in the castle." I shrug.

"I trust you then." He says looking at me. "I just feel like you should know this, so I'm going to tell you just don't get too excited."

"You know I'm not the person to get my hopes up." I tell him.

"The Prince asked for my blessing. He said he already asked dad but he still thought It was important to get mine too." Jason sighs and puts a hand in my arm. "I didn't tell him anything yet because I hadn't talked to you yet. I'll make sure to talk to him later today."

I didn't say anything at first, because I was bursting inwardly.

"Do you know if he did it with every other girl too?" I ask hopeful.

"I'm not sure."

And I fell. Just a bit. My hopes were still higher than the sky. Even if I told myself they weren't.