Selected

Fifteenth

She looked down at her wrist, "It's almost three. Dinner is at six. So we've got a few hours to kill." She smiled, "I know," She then pulled a black thing that looked kind of like a small search engine. "I made a list of things we still need to do for the wedding. Why don't we..." She touched a few buttons on the screen. "How about we buy some decorations. The flower shop is just around the corner." She pushed the speaker button and started giving the driver a destination. "I have this amazing idea that will totally blow Mel's wedding out of the water."

I walked into Vox's room exhausted after a full day of wedding talk and shopping with Hal. This whole thing was happening way to fast for my liking and stressing me out. I was tired of looking at three different shades of blue, trying to determine which matched the flowers and the table cloths and the streamers. I just needed some time alone to forget. I pulled the book I got from the library out of my bag and curled up on the bed.

Vox hadn't been at dinner again. I hadn't heard from him since he had lied to me at the library. I wanted to talk to him, get a real explanation as to why he left me in such a hurry. I was hurt that he thought he could just fabricate some lie and get away with it. What was he doing that he couldn't tell me? Why didn't he think he could trust me? I mean yeah, we have only known each other for a short time, but in a week and a half we'll be saying 'I do'. I think that should count for some kind of trust. I shook the thoughts out of my head as I reread the same page for what seemed like the hundredth time.

As I continued to read, my mind started to wonder again. I started thinking about how similar Hal and Clinson Vaughn looked. They had to be related somehow, there was no other explanation for it. They had the same chocolate brown eyes, the same jaw line, and the same smile. I had tried to study her face while she wasn't looking, getting quick glances and comparing them to Mr. Bly in my head. There was absolutely no way she wasn't her mother's daughter, but maybe she wasn't her father's. I didn't find any similarities. She had more in common with Clinson Vaughn than Mr. Bly.

Clinson Vaughn was in Sector 3 at the right time. And an illegitimate child wouldn't be publicly announced in a society like this one. Maybe in one of my novels, but even then it would be considered a scandal. This would be the biggest scandal in history. The Selector's match had a child with another man.

I wondered if Mr. Bly even knew. I mean he had to, right? He had to be curious when he noticed she didn't have any of his features. He could look up her genetic code at any time. I wondered if Mrs. Bly knew. I wondered if she thought that her affair with Clinson Vaughn didn't have any consequences. I wondered if Hal knew she wasn't a Bly.

"Hey, you." I looked up from my book to see Vox in the doorway. He was grinning from ear to ear. "I wasn't expecting to see you in here."

I set my book down, "I wanted to see you when you got home."

He laid down next to me on the bed, wrapping me up in a hug. "How sweet." He whispered before he started to give me a trail of kisses along my jaw. When he reached my lips he gave me a long kiss. "How was your day?" He gave me another kiss before I could answer.

"It was good, Hal and I went shopping for wedding stuff." His eyes danced with fire. I could tell there was one thing that was on his mind, and it wasn't how my day was. Usually I would feel the same way, but something else was nagging at me.

"Oh yeah?" He rolled me over so he was straddling on top of me. He gave me another long kiss. His hands found the hem of my shirt and started running up and down my back.

I placed my hands on his chest, "Wait." At first he didn't respond, "Vox, stop." He broke the kiss and let his hands rest on my waist. "Can we talk for a second?"

He sighed, letting his head fall in disappointment before rolling off of me. We both sat up facing each other on the bed. He took his hand in mine and started playing with my fingers. "What's on your mind?"