The Elite (Selection)

about it all.
    Behind them, Aspen stood, watching with a quiet smile, so clearly grateful to see me there.
    “Where were you? They looked everywhere.” Mary pulled me over to the bed to sit, though it was a terrible mess, with the comforter shredded, the pillows stabbed and leaking feathers.
    “In one of the safe rooms they missed. Maxon’s okay, too,” I said.
    “Thank God,” Anne said.
    “He saved my life. I was on my way to the gardens when they came. If I’d been outside …”
    “Oh, my lady,” Mary cried.
    “Don’t you worry about a thing,” Anne said. “We’ll get this room fixed up in no time, and we have a fantastic new dress once you’re ready. And we can—”
    “That won’t be necessary. I’m going home today. I’ll put on something simple and leave in a few hours.”
    “What?” Mary gasped. “But why?”
    I shrugged. “It didn’t work out.” I looked up at Aspen but was unable to read his face. All I could see was relief that I was alive.
    “I really thought it would be you,” Lucy said. “From the start. And after everything you said last night … I can’t believe you’re going home.”
    “That’s very sweet, but it’ll be all right. From here on out, anything you can do to help Kriss, please do that. For me.”
    “Of course,” Anne said.
    “Anything for you,” Mary seconded.
    Aspen cleared his throat. “Ladies, maybe you could give me a moment. If Lady America is leaving today, I need to go over some security measures. We didn’t get her this far only to let someone hurt her now.
    “Anne, maybe you could go get some fresh towels and things. She should go home like a lady. Mary, some food?” They both nodded. “And Lucy, do you need to rest?”
    “No!” she cried, standing tall. “I can work.”
    Aspen smiled. “Very well.”
    “Lucy, go to the workroom and finish that dress. We’ll come help soon. I don’t care what anyone says, Lady America. You’re leaving in style,” Anne said, addressing me at the end.
    “Yes, ma’am,” I answered. They left, closing the door behind them.
    Aspen walked over, and I stood to face him.
    “I thought you were dead. I thought I’d lost you.”
    “Not today,” I said, smiling weakly. Now that I saw how bad it was, the only way to stay calm was to joke about it.
    “I got your letter. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the diary.”
    “I couldn’t.”
    He bridged the space between us and ran his hand down my hair. “Mer, if you couldn’t show it to me, you really shouldn’t have tried to show it to the country. And the caste thing … You’re crazy, you know that?”
    “Oh, I know.” I looked at the ground, thinking over all the insanity of the last day.
    “So Maxon kicked you out because of that?”
    I sighed. “Not exactly. The king’s the one sending me home. If Maxon proposed to me this very second, it wouldn’t matter. The king says no, so I’m going.”
    “Oh,” he said simply. “It’s going to be strange without you here.”
    “I know,” I said with a sigh.
    “I’ll write,” he promised quickly. “And I can send you money if you want. I’ve got plenty. We can get married right when I come home. I know it’s going to be awhile—”
    “Aspen,” I said, cutting him off. I didn’t know how to explain that my heart had just been crushed. “When I leave, I want some peace, okay? I need to recover from all this.”
    He stepped back, offended. “So, what, do you not want me to write or call?”
    “Maybe not right away,” I said, trying to make it sound like it wasn’t a big deal. “I just want to spend some time with my family and get my bearings again. After everything I’ve felt here, I can’t—”
    “Wait,” he said, holding up a hand. He was silent for a moment, reading my face. “You still want him,” he accused. “After everything he’s done—after Marlee—and even when there’s absolutely no hope, you’re still thinking about him.”
    “He never did anything, Aspen. I wish I could explain about Marlee to you, but I gave my word. I have no hard feelings toward Maxon. And I know it’s over, but it’s the same way I felt when you broke up with me.”
    He scoffed incredulously, rolling his head back like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
    “I’m serious. When you ended it, the Selection became my lifeline because I knew I’d at least have some time to get past what I felt for you. And then you showed up here, and everything shifted. You