The Princess (The Selection)

Chapter Forty Five

Two weeks exactly. That's how long it's been since I held a conversation with Flynn. My eyes flicker over to the clock on the wall. It reads 3:16. If wait another 45 minutes and I might as well kiss him goodbye. The strong part of me tells me to wait longer. To wait until he has five minutes left here. The other parts of me tells me that I should already be downstairs in his arms after sending someone else home. It tells me that I shouldn't have waited this long.

I sit on my couch facing the unlit fireplace for several more minutes before my heart takes over my brain. Suddenly, I am racing towards the door and it is flung open. I am running down the hallway and concurring the stairs. And, before I can blink, I am at Flynn's door without having any of this thought through.

The rational part of me tells me to wait until he opens the door to come out and have a reasonable conversation. Or to just knock and have a polite conversation with him. But instead, my heart must take control again. I've turned the doorknob to reveal Flynn standing next to his bed with a pile of sheet music.

"Celia, what ar-" he starts to ask. Before he can finish, though, I've reached him and planted my lips on his. He don't hesitate to kiss me back. His kiss sends a warm feeling to me. A feeling that none of the others have. A feeling that I've missed for the last two weeks.

"You have no idea have long I've wanted to do that," I tell Flynn after we pull back. Smiles are present on both of our faces.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that," he replies.

"I'm really sorry about everything that has happened in the last two weeks. I just wish you were more honest with me," I explain. His smile becomes a little less bright but it is still present. He walks over to the table and takes a seat. I follow behind him. He takes my hands in his.

"Celia, I didn't know how to bring up the truth with Samantha. I never meant for that to hurt you so much," Flynn says.

"It was her that hurt me. She might have made me a little jealous but that isn't what hurt me," I admit. The smile has been completely wiped from my face. Instead, there is a look of disappointment.

"Well, can you explain exactly what hurt you?" he asks. I fight back the urge to roll my eyes. I get the feeling he knows but I still tell him.

"The fact that you had told me so many lies. When I found out about Samantha I blew up because it felt like everything that we had built were based on lies,"I explain. He avoids my eyes as he nods.

"I'm sorry that it felt that way. I wanted to keep my past a secret. It's been rough. I thought that maybe if I could keep it a secret for a few weeks while I'm here the past would change and no longer haunt me. But during my months here I've learned that the truth can also cause a lot of pain. Not only for yourself but for others," he states. It takes me several minutes to take it all in. He renders me speechless with this.

"Flynn, you didn't have to hide who you were. I could have helped you get over that," I say. He shakes his head. His eyes finally settle on mine. Tears are on the edge of his eyes, threatening to spill out.

"Celia, I didn't want you to think of me like a kicked puppy," he says.

"I wouldn't have thought of you as a kicked puppy. Sure, you have to be strong to get yourself through something like that. But sometimes it's even more daunting to ask for help," I say. A tear that I didn't realize was forming escapes his eyes.

"Thank you, Celia," he says. I nod my head.

"Your welcome," I say.