I Choose You

Twenty

Mare

The sunlight and Maven's light snoring woke up.  I raised my head a little with my small yawn.  Once I came to my senses, I saw the clothes surrounded on the floor, and Maven's bare chest and my nude body.

Oh my God.

Did that just happen or am I dreaming? 

Dear lord, that did happen. 

My breathing quickened.  I glanced around the room, but my eyes wouldn't let go of Maven dreaming.  He lay on his side, chest rising and falling.  I had fallen for Maven again.  Obviously, I did after last night. 

I softly crept out of bed, trying not to wake Maven.  I grabbed my nightie from the floor and briskly walked into my closet, picking out a dark leather shirt with leather red pants and black boots. 

I open the door to the closet slowly.  Maven rolled over, but he still appeared to be sleeping.  I missed the fresh air so I opened the balcony door quietly.

I stand in the cool Spring breeze on my neck, how refreshing it was.  The sky was a golden orange as the sun rose.  Dawn.  I love dawn, the start of a new day.  The golden sky was cloudless, I breathed the crisp air through my nose, the fresh air never felt so good. 

I was cut off when two strong arms grabbed me by the waist in a hug, it caught my breath.  

"Good morning, Mare," Maven said the words so sweetly, like sugar cane.  His warm touch makes me gasp.  He lifts me up slightly during the embrace, setting me down when he's finished, kissing my cheek. 

"Good morning, sleep well?" I say while I turn myself to see him in his nightie. 

"Of course, I did," He says with a childish smirk.  "You look mice today."

"Thank you, I love your outfit," 

He looks down at his regal black silk nightie, I give him a small giggle.  

"Thank you," 

I give him a smile; we stand there for a moment before he breaks the sweet silence.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs, hungry?"

"Yeah, I am," I was, I was hungry after last night.  "Are you going to wear your fabulous outfit?" 

He rolls his eyes. "No, I am going to change," He turns back inside and I shake my head and laugh. 

***

We walk down the hall to the dining room, hands brushing against one another, they tangle together until they are being held.  

Once we reached the dining hall, we are bombarded by cameras and reporters.  I clench Maven's hand, the cameras flash in my face, blinding me.

"Mare?" He says my name so only I can hear.

"What?" I say it quickly.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, in front of the cameras.  I turn to face him, thinking about last night, what we did.  But the night didn't give me chills, it made me flush, the love we have makes me feel things I didn't know I could feel again. 

"Yes, I do, why?"  

Before I can manage to say anything else, he presses his lips to mine quickly, making me catch my breath hardly when the deed happens.  He continues to pull me in with his arms around my waist.

Once we break free the cameras all fade away, not even bothering me anymore.  "Was that all for the cameras?"

"Maybe," He says with a playful smirk.  I smile a childish smile.

Once the cameras leave the room, I am still in Maven's arms, holding me tight.  I try to hide my flaming face from Maven's gaze.

"Your blushing,"

I guess I failed at that. 

"Why are you blushing?"

I giggle as my answer, trying to find my words. "I- uhm- hehe- uhm, er," I can't find my words, my failed attempt at speaking only makes my blush spread like wildfire.  Maven looks at me with a cute face I can't even describe.  The only thing I can manage to say at Maven's cute face only makes me more embarrassed. 

"Hi," I say it so stupidly, acting like a child that got punished. 

"Hey," He says back while nodding his head with a lustful smirk.  "Now you're really blushing."  

I purse my lips, trying not to do another silly laugh.  "Why are you blushing?" He asks me again, only in a more playful tone.  I can only think of one thing to say, I guess it was finally time to admit it to him, or myself, or both. 

"Because I love you, Maven," 

He looks at me, obviously a little shocked, as am I, but eventually the shock fades away into a smile that I can't help but copy.  He pulls me into another kiss, making it soft and not as surprising. 

When we break free, I am on my tip-toes, our foreheads touching, we both giggle a sigh, one that is very relieving. 

Cal

I see them kiss on the television screen. 

It makes me cringe, but not of embarrassment, of grief that I betrayed Mare, the Scarlet Guard, the newbloods, everyone. 

It's just me and Evangeline in the house, again.  Mr. and Mrs. Barrow went into town; Shade jumped here and took Kilorn to Tuck with the other newbloods, and now Evangeline and I are watching Maven and Mare on the news.  She has a snake smile on her face, seeing them together makes her pleased, the fact that I chose her makes her pleased. 

"Forget her, Cal, they were made for each other," She breaks the silence with the worst possible thing.  I hate to admit it, but I still love Mare, I thought she loved me, well, she did.  Now she loves my brother, and I'm stuck with Evangeline.  

She stands up from sitting.  "Hope that charade goes well."

She really knows how to say the wrong thing at the right time.  "Evangeline, you can shut it,"

I am standing up now, the television still on, saying news that is old at this point.  She snaps her head to face me.  She's mad, at least I'm good at that.

She walks up to me, stomping her feet on the ground, one for theatrics. 

"Last time I checked, no one tells me to shut it,"

"Last time I checked, I just did," 

"I can't believe I am having your child," She scoffed. 

"I could say the same," I turned my back to her, I could hear her pounding footsteps on the wooden floor.  She stood on her tip-toes to reach her head to my shoulder, probably to tell me something stupid to me.

"Listen to me, Calore, no one talks back to me, and when they do, they get punished,"

"Well, I already did, what happens if I do so again?"

"I don't believe in second chances,"

That was the last thing I heard before I felt the stabbing prick of a needle be injected into my neck, the pain flooded me as my eyes rolled into the back of my head and my tall body fell to the floor.