The Selected | ✓

Chapter 22

Second door on the right, second door on the right. I repeat this over and over in my head until I actually reach his bedroom door. I knock quietly. No answer. I knock again, a little louder. I hear voices, but I could be imagining them. The door creaks open a little.

I look in through the crack, and immediately wish I hadn't. Tears blur my vision.

I turn and run back to my room without another look. I'd seen enough.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I skip dinner that night. And breakfast the next morning. I use the excuse of a headache to keep people away, even my maids. My stomach begs for food, but I don't eat. My stomach's upset, I say when they ask why I haven't touched my food.

When there's no one around, I sob into my pillow until I can't cry anymore. Then I lay there and stare at the ceiling. Occasionally I drift off to sleep, but the image that had been seared in my mind comes back, and suddenly I'm crying again.

After what I'm guessing would be lunch, Aquia barges into my room. "What the hell is your problem?" She snaps, locking the door.

"Headache." I lie.

"Liar. What. The hell. Is wrong?"

I sit up, sucking in a breath through my nose to clear out my nasal passages. "Have you been crying?" I suck in a breath again and nod. "Why?" She sits down on the bed, suddenly very concerned.

"Alexander-" My breath hitches and I cut off the sentence. Tears run down my face, and I start sobbing before I can help it.

She wraps her arms around me. "Oh, sweetie. What did he do?"

"It's- I- him and Celine-"

She makes a face. "He gave up his virginity to Celine?" 

Hearing it out loud makes it so much worse. I nod, still crying. Then I shake my head. "I-I don't know."

Something in her eyes darkens. "I'll be right back. Wait here."

She runs out of the room and comes back with Mason trailing behind her. "Aquia, what-" he stops when he sees me. "What's wrong?"

Aquia still looks angry. "Tell us everything."

I nod, wiping away the tears. "Well, I went to Alexander's room to talk to him. You guys know that." Aquia nods, crossing her arms over her chest. She looks like a momma bear ready to defend her cub. I swipe some hair off of my forehead from the messy bun that Alexis had tied my hair into to keep my hair from my eyes. "So I knocked once. No answer. I figured maybe I didn't knock loud enough, so I knocked again. That time I heard voices."

Aquia and Mason share a I-know-where-this-is-going look. "Continue." Mason nods. He crosses his arms over his chest as well.

"The door had opened a little the second time I knocked. I figured I'd just look it to see if maybe he wasn't there, and-" I squeeze my eyes shut, but the image surfaces as painful and detailed as if I was back there in that hallway again. "And I saw him and Celine, on his bed, kissing. And not just kissing, but like making out kissing. And the back of her dress was partially undone and his tie and jacket were off and his shirt was unbuttoned, and-"

Another sob cuts off my sentence. Mason looks pissed. "He told me he doesn't like her. What the hell was he doing?"

Aquia shakes her head. "I don't know, but when I get my hands on him-"

"Aquia." He cuts her off. She smiles sheepishly. "We'll handle this for you. Just...give us a little while." 

I sniffle again and manage a small- and still really sad- smile. "Thank you."

They both give me a hug. "That's what friends are for- we kick the shit out of idiots that do this to our friend. We've got it, okay?"

I nod. "Okay. Thank you."

They pull away and Mason takes her hand. "Okay," He sighs. "Let's go kill my brother."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It's an hour later when Mason and Aquia find Alexander. He's in the garden with Celine, on the bench that he and Cassiana had sat on, the one that overlooks the lake. He sits on the bench with Celine in his lap, and they kiss and smile and laugh. It's a picture-perfect scene, and both Aquia and Mason are almost too happy to ruin it.

"Alexander!" Mason calls once they're in earshot.

Celine whispers something in his ear, and a half-smile takes over his face. His usually placid expression has been replaced with an open, almost happy one. "Yes, Mason?"

"Can Aquia and I talk to you?" Celine gives him wide, innocent eyes. "Alone?"

"Yes, I suppose." Alexander sighs. Celine climbs off of his lap and onto the bench next to him, the purple fabric of her dress brushing the grass. Alexander bends and gives her a light, lingering kiss, his fingers brushing against some curls that have fallen from her elegant updo.

It makes Aquia want to vomit. Especially how pretty she looks, with her dark brown hair that is perfectly curled and her pretty brown eyes and olive skin. Mason leads them far enough away from Celine that they won't be overheard.

When they stop, Aquia gives him a shove.

Alexander stumbles and catches himself of an tree. "What was that for?"

"For Cassiana, you insensitive bastard."

As pretty as she looks when she's ready to kill his brother, Mason takes her by the arm and holds her back. "Aquia," he gives her a look. "Let me handle this, at least in part."

She lets out and angry breath. "Fine."

Mason glares at his brother. "You love Cassiana. Why would you ever be with Celine?"

Alexander's hands clench into fists. "Because unlike Cassiana, Celine has been trying to get me to notice her, rather than spending time with my brother."

"Did you have sex with Celine?" Aquia couldn't stop the question from coming out. "Yesterday, did you have sex with her?"

"What? No!" Mason raises his eyebrows. "We almost did- she wanted to- but we didn't! Why would you think that I had sex with her?"

"Maybe you should ask Cassiana," Aquia says, "since she's the one that saw it." Aquia turns and storms off.

"Saw what? What are you talking about?" He looks at his brother. "What's going on?"

"You know Aquia has a point- you should ask Cassiana." With a final disappointed look at his brother, Mason turns and follows after Aquia. Alexander stands there for a minute, staring after them. He walks back over to Celine, comepletely confused.

She stands up and wraps her arms around his neck. He pulls her off. "I have to leave."

She cocks her head to the side. "Is something wrong?"

Alexander shakes his head. "No, everything's fine. There's just...something I have to do."

She kisses him lightly. "Okay. I'll talk to you later."

He pulls away and leaves her standing in the garden.

Celine's blood boils. She knows it has to do with Cassiana- that's a given. But whatever the little slut it up to, she will pay.