The One: Maxon

Chapter 2

THIRD PERSON POV

Everything seemed quieter since Natalie had gone. Elise kept going over their last conversation, replaying it in her head.

*Flashback*

"Hey," said Natalie at her door.

"Good evening, how are you?" asked Elise putting down her book. Natalie looked down, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm, uh, actually here to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Maxon has eliminated you?" Elise furrowed her brows.

"No. Well, yes kind of. I talked to him about it and I asked him to send me home." She swallowed, teary eyed. It was hard to say goodbye to an experience like this. "It's too hard to stay here, Elise. My family needs me and truthfully I need them. Every morning I wake up here, I'm reminded that I was here instead of back home protecting Sa-" she choked on the last word, barely being able to say her sister's name. "I just need to be home, so I'm saying my goodbyes."

"I see," said Elise with a solemn tone. She stood up to take Natalie in an embrace. "I will miss you, Nat," she whispered into her shoulder. Natalie pulled back and gazed into Elise's eyes. In a swift motion, she bent down and brushed her lips against hers. Elise pulled back in shock and took a few steps back.

"Why did you do that?" she whisper yelled, touching her lips. She wasn't angry, just confused and shocked.

"I'm sorry I thought- never mind. Goodbye Elise." Natalie rushed out of her room and disappeared into the hall.

*Present Time*

Elise sat by the bay window in the Women's Room, lost in thought. She couldn't stop thinking about her discussion with Maxon and then with Natalie. She had never admitted to herself that she could be g-, not interesting in men. Ever since she was a child, the idea of romance just wasn't an interest to her. She was raised to remember that duty always came before everything else. Her parents had planned out her whole life, including sending her to Illéa to get a better understanding of the "pathetic way of life here". Her parents wanted her to marry someone of royal descent and if it wasn't Maxon, it would be another fellow from back home.

But living in Illéa for two years had opened her eyes. She began to experience things that she never would have back home. To feel things that she never would have been exposed to in her previously sheltered life. Perhaps because she made a promise to her family that she wouldn't even look at another man romantically because she was to marry Prince Maxon, she had begun to feel things for women. When she first arrived, she was brought in by a family in Angeles that took her under their wing. They had a daughter that didn't live with them but would often visit. She was a few years older than Elise with long blonde hair and freckles that dotted her nose. Whenever she would visit, Elise immediately felt happier. It was like she brought a bag of sun everywhere she went and dumped it into every room she entered. She made Elise feel special, feel loved. As days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, Elise began to daydream about living with her. She started to feel things she never had before and while her head was telling her it was wrong, her heart was screaming that it was okay. She never spoke of it.

Suddenly, Kriss let out a loud gasp. Elise turned toward the sound and saw Kriss's face heat up.

"Oh my god," she muttered. Elise joined her at the window, as did Celeste. They all drew in a sharp breath at the sight before them. The guards were all outside with their shirts off, running laps around the garden.

"No fucking way," said Celeste, covering her mouth. Elise frowned at the unnecessary use of profanity, but she agreed. Gay or not, those boys were hot.