Beyond Her Beauty

CHAPTER 35 (Conclusion √)

I could see the pain in his eyes, before he could speak. "Do I still have a place in your heart Lily? But don't take it seriously, I knew—"

“No! But.” I whispered, pushing myself closer to him.

“If anything, you’re the one constant. I know that if everything turns upside down, you’ll still be here, in the exact same place. Everything gets so crazy that my love for you gets pushed to the background, but I know it’s always there. Does that make sense?”

“It does. I know I make this whole thing more complicated than it already is. I’m glad to know I’m not completely out of you.”

Bridger wrapped his arms around me, like he could hold me there forever. This is wrong.

“I haven’t forgotten us,” I promised, I really do. I could still remember everything.

“Bridger… I feel like Kaden and I are in our own version of the Elite Selection. It’s just him and me, and one of us will get you in the end; and I can’t decide who’s worse off. Kaden doesn’t exactly know we’re competing, so he might not be able to try as hard. But then, I have to hide, so it’s not like I can give you everything he can. It’s not really a fair fight either way right?”

“You shouldn’t think about it that way, Kitten.”

“I don’t know how else to see it, Lies.”

I exhaled, when I found out that Liezel is now in good condition I felt relief. “Let’s not talk about that.”

“All right. I don’t like talking about him anyway. What about all the other stuff you’re confused about? What’s going on?”

“Do you like being a soldier?” I asked, turning toward him. I never imagine Bridger going to be a soldier. I mean, he's strong and courageous but he will never take this job. He can be a soloist.

“I love it, Kitten. I thought I’d hate every minute, but it’s fantastic.” He popped a chunk of bread into his mouth and kept talking. “I mean, there’s the obvious stuff, like I’m always being fed. They want us to be big, so there’s plenty of food. And the injections, too,” he said, amending his thoughts. “But they’re not so bad. And I get an allowance. Even though I have everything I need, I get money.”

He stopped for a moment, toying with an orange slice. “I know you know how good it feels to send money home.”

I could tell he was thinking about his mom and his six siblings. He had been the father figure at his home; I wondered whether that made him even more homesick than I was. But if you look at his face: You could mistaken him for the son of a nobleman, if he wasn't just wearing iron clothes and wearing something that looked like Prince Kaden's clothes, for sure. He could be mistaken for a real prince.

He cleared his throat and went on. “But there are other things that I wasn’t expecting to like, too. I really enjoy the discipline of it and the routine. I like knowing that I’m doing something necessary. I feel so … content. I’ve been restless for years, counting stock or cleaning houses. Now I feel like I’m doing what I was meant to do.”

“So that’s a big yes? You love it?”

“Absolutely.”

“For sure you don’t like Kaden. And I know you don’t like the way Milléa is run. We used to talk about it back at our favorite spot, and then that whole thing with the people in the South losing their castes. I know that bothers you a lot.” I said.

He nodded. “I think it’s cruel.”

“Then how are you okay with protecting it? You fight against rebels to keep the king and Kaden safe. They’re the ones who make everything happen, and you don’t like any of what they do. So how do you love your job? Something is wrong with you Bridger, and I don't know why.”

He chewed as he thought. “I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t make sense, but … okay, like I said, there’s the sense of purpose. And feeling challenged and engaged, the ability to do something more with my life. Maybe Milléa isn’t perfect. In fact, it’s far from it. But I have … I have hope,” he said simply.

We were both quiet for a moment while the word washed over us.

“I have this feeling that things have gotten better than they were, though I honestly don’t know enough about our history to prove that. And I have this feeling that things will get even better in the future. I think that there are possibilities.

“And maybe this is silly, but it’s my country. I get that it’s broken, but that doesn’t mean these anarchists can just come and take it. It’s still mine. Does that sound crazy?”

I nibbled my bread and reflected on Bridger’s words. They took me back to our tree house and all the times I would ask him questions about things. Even if I disagreed, it helped me understand them better. But I didn’t disagree on this point. In fact, it helped me see what was probably hiding in my heart all this time.

“It doesn’t sound crazy at all. It sounds completely reasonable.”

“Does that help with whatever you’ve been thinking about?”

“It does.”

“Are you going to explain any of it?”

I smiled up at him. “Not yet.” Though Bridger was smart, and he might have already guessed. The wistful look in his eyes suggested that he probably had.

He looked away for a moment, running his hand down my arm, finishing by playing with the button bracelet around my wrist. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”

“A big one.”

“Sometimes I feel like we’re a knot, too tangled to be taken apart.”

I nodded. “It’s true. So much of me is tied up in you. I feel kind of lost without you.”

Bridger pulled me close, running a hand over my temple and down my cheek. “We’ll just have to stay tangled then.”

He kissed me gently, like, if he pushed too hard, the moment might shatter and we’d lose everything. Maybe he was right. Slowly, he lowered me to the mattress of pillows, holding on to me, tracing curves as he kissed me on and on. It was all so familiar, so safe.

I ran my fingers through Bridger’s cropped hair, remembering the way it used to fall and tickle my face when he kissed me. I noted his arms around me, so much fuller than they used to be, so much sturdier. Even the way he held me had changed. There was a newfound confidence there, something instilled in him through becoming a Two, becoming a soldier.

Too soon it was time to leave, and Bridger walked me to the door. He gave me a lingering kiss, making me a little light-headed. “I’ll try to get another note to you soon,” he promised.

“I’ll be waiting.” I leaned into him, holding on to him for one long moment. Then, to keep us safe, I left.

My maids prepared me for bed, and I went through it in a daze. It used to feel like the Selection was one choice: Kaden or Bridger. And as if that was some decision my heart could make simply, it grew into so many more things. Was I a Five or a Three? When this was over, would I be a Two or a One? Would I live out my days as an officer’s wife or a king’s? Would I slide quietly into the background in which I’d always been so comfortable or force myself into the spotlight I’d always feared? Could I happily do either? Could I not hate whoever Kaden ended up with if I chose Bridger? Could I not hate whoever Bridger chose if I stayed with Kaden?

As I got into bed and turned out the light, I reminded myself that it was my decision to be here. Bridger may have asked, and my mother may have pushed, but no one forced me to fill out the form for the Selection. I've been lying on the soft bed, trying to sleep but I can't, I even lock my door so no one is going to see me like this.

I walk at the body size mirror, gold dazzling colors. I'm staring at my body, I'm staring at my ears, my tail, and my eyes, became different. If someone sees me like this, for sure they will be — surprised — frightened.

I don't have anything to hide from Kaden, it's just - I just don't want to let him know yet. I'm not ready for this confession.

Whatever was coming, I’d just face it. I’d have to.