Taken- a Selection FanFiction

Chapter 16

A few days, several lessons, and countless bruises later, I was with Nathan in our room. We already fought for the day, so I laid tiredly on his bed, reading a book from before the American war.

Nathan sat his desk, writing. I wasn't sure what, but he seemed deeply engrossed in what he was doing. He would take quick glance at me, but I wasn't all that sure he knew I knew. He would look at me for a few seconds before he started scribbling again.

"What are you doing?" I asked after a while. I closed the book at sat it on his shelf. He didn't hear me, so I took the opportunity to peek over his shoulder.

I gasped at what he was doing. He wasn't writing, but sketching. It was me, reading on his bed. It amazed me how perfectly he got every crease and wrinkle in the blankets and my dress, along with every curl in my long hair.

"Nathan," I gasped. "I didn't know you would draw."

He turned with a blush spreading across his cheeks. He looked flustered momentarily as he attempted to cover it all up. "Yeah," he stammered. "My mom was into the arts."

I took the sketch from underneath his papers and got a better look at it. I looked back at him, speechless. "Nathan, this is beautiful."

"Well, you're in it."

My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to smile at his comment, but my conscience wouldn't allow it. I felt butterflies in my stomach. "You really shouldn't say things like that," I said shyly as I put his sketch back on his desk.

I started pulling my hand away, but he caught my wrist, spreading warmth through my entire arm. "And why not?" He protested.

He took a step towards me. "Because you're Aaron's? You're not anyone's, El. You're beautiful and spirited, and passionate about what you believe in. Your strong, yet you're warm and loving. It kills me, watching and loving the little things you do because you're never going to be mine."

"Nathan-" I was cut off abruptly by him pressing his lips to mine. This wasn't fake for teasing Fantasia, or awkward because of the situation. This was him expressing his feelings for me.

As much as I hated to deny it, I had feelings towards him too. I pressed my lips back to his, meeting them with just as much passion and desire. My hands latched behind his neck, and his arms snaked around my waist.

He deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to him. He pulled back slowly, and his eyes met mine with an intensity I had never seen before. They were filled with hope, but we're also backed by fear of rejection.

"Nathan," I sighed. He cut me off again, but this time with another confession. We hadn't moved from our close embrace, and his forehead rested on mine.

"I couldn't go another minute without telling you how I felt. I know I'm not a prince, a scholar, a two, or whatever you wanted me to be. I'm just a guy that is so crazy about you, but I have no idea how to tell you."

"I think you've done considerably well," I smiled sheepishly. I kissed his lips lightly, barely brushing them.

"I have something to show you," he smiled. He took my hand, not my arm, and escorted me a few floors above to a room I had never been in before. It was decorated with white instruments.

I had never seen a white piano, but this one was beautiful. Nathan pulled me to sit beside him on the piano bench beside him. He lifted the cover over the keys and started singing. I knew the song, so I hummed gently along with him.

He began playing, and the sound was soothing. I hadn't heard a piano in months, and this was what I longed for. I leaned my head on Nathan's shoulder as the serenity of music filled my heart and soul.

When he was done, I kissed his cheek affectionately. "That was lovely," I smiled. I felt dazed after being filled with the happiness supplied from the music.

"I haven't sung such since mom," his voice trailed off, and I could fill the rest of it in.

"Did she teach you?"

"Sort of. Art was her talent. Sculpting, painting, and sketching are the main things I got from her. She was a five before the bottom castes dissolved, mixing and differing the jobs. She was an artist."

"What as her name?" I asked softly.

"May Ray," he responded as he gazed off. He was probably thinking of her.

"That's an odd name to be cursed with," I laughed. He nodded and released a laugh.

"Well, her name was May Singer before she got married. She was either from Atlin or Carolina, but I wasn't sure," he smiled.

"Do you have any family on her side?" I asked. "You don't have any siblings."

"I actually don't know. Mom didn't talk about her family. She was close to her father, but he died. From what I gather, she grew distant from her oldest brother and both of her sisters. She seemed to like her family before that, though."

"She sounds lovely," I smiled.

"She was," he said, with a slightly wavering voice.

The rest of the time we were in that room, I played music on the piano. I played Beethoven, Mozart, Yiruma, Eiles, D'Nae, and all of the other greats I had memorized. I got out every melody I could recognize, pouring my entire being into music.

"Are you mad?" Nathan asked suddenly.

"At you?" I asked furrowing my brow. He took my hands and fiddled with my engagement ring. "The wedding?" I questioned again. He hummed in a response. "I've come to peace with it. If I'm going to be down here forever, at least it would be with you."

"I might love you," he murmured under his breath. "But I don't know yet."

"I might love you, too," I sighed. "But I don't think I'm supposed to."

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GRACIE IM BECOMING REALLY SELF-CONSCIOUS SINCE YOU'VE BEEN READING MY STORY SO ROMANCE HAS SUDDENLY GOTTEN MUCH MORE AWKWARD TO WRITE.

me: oh, this would be cute to put in here.

*5 minutes later*

Wait, Gracie's reading this

If you tell anyone about this you're dead.

I'll judo chop your throat.