Emily In The Selection (book 1)

Chapter 25

"What's going on?" I asked with the same seriousness.

"Emily, I can't go out there. Not tonight. I should know who I love shouldn't I? I do. I think I know. I think I know who I will marry, but why am I so uncertain?" He was prancing around; obviously stressed.

I don't know how I felt. Was he talking about me? I was tempted to ask but I had to listen.

"My mother and father-in-law are out there in the ballroom. I don't know if I should meet them personally if I don't know who I'm marring. I need to be certain, right?"

So many questions soared through me. I was scared that he would bring me up here to yell at me or something.

But I came out with saying: "Why? You're only in the top four girls. You don't have to make a decision now."

"But this is the one time I will be able to see everyone's parents and families before I choose who I'll marry."

I get what he was saying. He wants to meet them and know that he would soon marry their daughter, but I still disagree that he should make his decision within the next hour.

"Don't rush this," I said.

"I'm not. I've been thinking for days. I know who I want. I know I'll marry her, but I need to be certain right now."

Her.

He didn't say "you" to imply that he was marring me. He was marring her.

"How do you understand your feelings?" He asked me.

Truth is, I don't. I've been keeping myself up at night trying to figure my feelings out. But maybe no one can. Maybe feelings weren't meant to figured out.

"I don't know... It just takes time," I rubbed his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Emily. I needed you. You're such a good listener."

I didn't say anything. He basically just said that I was eliminated and didn't care. I want to burst into flames and cry an entire ocean and the same time.

"When the selection started, I only wanted ten girls instead of thirty because I thought it would be easier. But it's not. It is just as tough and especially at this point. See, when I first met Florida, I knew she seemed too young. She is 15 but she's not ready to become a princess. And Jane, as sweet as she was, she hardly ever said a word. She was so quiet. I couldn't marry someone like that. Amity chose to leave and Bethany was selected but never even showed up. Hannah and Jessica left for other reasons and now I have to eliminate people when I want to keep them all. How could I choose? I need more time."

He wanted to keep me?

"Ryan, you have time."

"Not a lot. After the presentations, I am supposed to eliminate one girl."

Me?

"I think I'm going to eliminate Kathleen. As hard as it seems."

Kathleen? No.

Something ripped my heart out of my chest. Oh, how I wish he never told me that.

"Kathleen," I whispered and looked away.

"I know you're good friends with her, but I feel no chemistry between us. I hope you understand that."

I did. I can't force him to marry someone that he has no feelings with. And I was expecting this wasn't I? I'd have to witness at least one of my friends leaving, especially if I was expecting to win.

"I get it," I looked down still a bit disappointed.

"Eliminating her will get me to the top three and in about two weeks, I'll get down to the top two. I think I'll propose next month, or whenever I'm ready."

A month seemed so soon, but he said whenever he's ready. I couldn't think. Everything drained from me.

He was sitting down now and I was standing next to him. He was wearing an adorable tuxedo.

"You're wearing another tux," I said puffing a small laugh and pointing at his shirt.

"It was just for you," he winked, "I was hoping if I wore another tux then you would wear another tight dress," he was laughing now.

"Shut up!" I laughed along.

"Hey!" He shouted with a straight face.

For a second I thought I offended him so I stopped smiling.

"What?" I asked; my face getting warm.

He jumped up suddenly and wrapped his arms around me and picked me up.

"Hey! Put me down!" I laughed and struggled to escape his grip.

He dragged me back to the chair and sat down, throwing me onto his lap. My legs were hanging off one arm of the chair and I laid across him.

We were suddenly quiet and I could hear our breaths picking up.

I couldn't resist but to throw my lips into his and wrap my arms around him. He kissed me back and it was not soft and slow like our normal kisses were like. It was harsh, but romantic.

I remember when I first went to kiss him I was scared. I had never kissed anyone before and was scared if I would do it wrong. But I knew for some reason. I guess when you're there in the moment you can feel it. You automatically know how to and how long to and when to. It all suddenly clicks.

Our kiss lasted forever and we stopped to catch our breath at some points. Some how we found our way to a small table.

I was laying on the table and he kissed me from above.

I was scared. I didn't know what to expect to happen. I just laid there and trusted him. I knew Ryan. He knew how far to go. I trust him.

He stared at me for a while but then I sat up. He sat on the table with me and continued to stare at me.

"You're so beautiful," he sighed, still trying to catch his breath.

I shook my head.

"You're so beautiful," he repeated.

"Stop," I whispered back.

Ryan dragged his fingers along the side of my face in a blithely way. I tickled.

"It's you," he continued to whisper, "it's always been you," he was getting a bit louder know, but not by much, "I love you, Emily. I love your hair and the way you look in a dress. I love the little freckles on your cheeks. I love how you're such a good listener and how you talk. I love how you smile. I love how you're so stubborn sometimes. I love how you think. I love how you try to get what you want. I love your personality. I love every aspect about you, Emily. Emily, I am in love with you. I love how you get stuck in my head like a song and can't get out. You're so cute. You make me so happy. I love you. I can't go on without you. I want you and only you. I want you, Emily, forget the things I said before. I love you."

I was shocked. It was me. I was getting married. To a prince. I was becoming royalty. He loves me. He loves me. This is the moment I have been longing for.

"I love you," is all I could manage to croak out before I exploded into tears.