Kerttu's Selection

An Overflown Bottle - Chapter 14

The party was a banging success. Grandpa was chasing his grandkids with his camera, Amberly was playing hide and go seek with my brothers all day aka forced babysitting, and I was lucky enough to be able to converse with my suitors. Chaarlie continued to surprise me. He apparently knew how to surf and I begged him to teach me sometime to which he happily agreed. I had an enlightening conversation with Berry about civil engineering and Shaan taught me to play Hot Hands. The current tally was 10 to 7. I would have to play him again sometime.

I was settling down in my room, ready for bed when I heard something extremely heavy collapse outside. In nothing but my thin nightgown, I tore open the door. My eyes fell upon a writhing Tyrion Paul. Clutched in his left hand a nearly empty bottle of vodka. His tie was hanging around his neck, half untied and his legs were flailed onto the floor. His typically well manicured hair had fallen in a heap and his right hand was twisted painfully underneath him. He lolled his head up to look at me.

"Kerttu," he spoke indistinctly, chin shaking. His grey eyes showed that he was at sea and had lost his transportation. "Help."

I had to get him inside quick. If the cameras caught this, they would make his life positively miserable. I managed to get him on his feet and assisted him into my room. I placed him onto my bed and he kicked around, hitting his knee on my lamp.

"Be careful," I whispered. I locked the door behind us. Luckily, Lupita had a date tonight and was out of the vicinity. Tyrion had beads of sweat pouring down his face, his hand lazily smearing them. I hunted for my largest shirt.

I re-positioned him on the bed, pressing his back against the headrest. He fought against me and I barely avoided his straying arm.

"Tyrion, what were you thinking?" I began unbuttoning his shirt. I fought the blush rising to my cheeks as I did. It's not the time, Kerttu, I reminded myself.

"I-" He didn't finish his sentence, losing the thought. He flexed the rest of the shirt off of him and let me pull the tee shirt over his head. I used to wear it when I didn't feel like wearing a nightgown. It fit him remarkably well, the only thing remotely funny in this entire situation. I laid him back flat on the bed. I pulled out the duvet underneath in order to reduce his heat and used it as a makeshift mattress on the floor.

"Thank you," he muttered into his pillow. "I - sorry."

Tyrion fell asleep rather quickly, soft snores emitting from his dry parted lips. I had seen him drinking earlier but I had in no way imagined this. Why would he drink that much? It angered me that he would be that stupid. I noticed he was clutching the bottle again, I had left it on the bed earlier. I gently pried it out of his hands and hid it in my drawer. 

The morning sun rays settled in from the windows and I was awoken by a startled gasp from Tyrion. His hair was still messily covering half of his face, his eyes, those grey orbs heightenly alarmed.

"Please don't tell me I got - dammit." He sat up on the bed, looking down on himself. I had seen that look before.

"Don't do that," I told him, pursing my lips. "Don't ever view yourself as worthless." He proceeded to stare at me, bite the inside of his mouth and then rub his temple with his hand.

"I should get out of here. I'm a mess," he stated rushiedly, grabbing his button up. "Oh God, did you have to change me? This keeps getting more shameful by the second."

I grabbed his hand and pulled it lightly towards me. I needed to know.

"I-I don't want to embarrass you, Kerttu. I-I-I can leave before noon, you'll never have to see me again," he stammered. I had never seen him so out of sorts. Well, except for last night.

"I don't want that. Do you want that?" I juxtaposed quietly.

"No, I-" He squeezed my hand and moved onto the duvet with me. "I don't want that." His breath still smelled of vodka, the stench hitting my nose.

"Good. But you have to tell me what happened last night. It seems that this has happened before," I ventured carefully.

He huffed, shaking his head. "I never wanted to start the drinking." Tears filled his eyes but they didn't drop. As if they were so used to being held at bay that they had forgotten their original mission. They stayed that way, making his eyes precious jewels, shimmering in the morning light. I wanted to mine them and find whatever value I could. Whatever value he would let me see.

"I was fifteen." His voice hitched causing him to pause and start again. "I was fifteen. I have two little sisters, Rosalie and Nerway. It was Nerway's birthday, she was turning seven." He choked on the memory but then continued on. He was attempting to rob his voice of any emotion but was struggling. "I work in a factory. Long hours, low wages, but it's the only job I can get. My family used to be Sevens and though some with that background have become financially safe thanks to your mother, most of us are still in the same place. I never knew my father and my mother tries to provide for us but has her own inhibitions. See, we all have different fathers, I can explain that more later."

"Anyways, it was Nerway's birthday. I had saved all of my pay for the month, hidden it in a little stash. She wanted a doll. She was obsessed with the photo in the magazine. But funnily enough, someone robbed me the day before. So for my little sister's birthday, I brought her nothing." He was shaking at this point, his chin seemingly vibrating. I could hear the disgust in his tone. "She wasn't disappointed but I was. I went to a bar that night and I drank. I drank. I drank until I couldn't feel anything. The habit continued. I was a bit of an alcoholic."

"But once I got Selected by some streak of luck, I swore it would change, I would change. It was ridiculously hard but I was three weeks sober. Then I received a letter yesterday saying the Selection money isn't enough from my mother which lead to that terrible last night." He finally turned to me. "I am so sorry if I was any trouble. I just - drinking is all I know how to combat my emotions which isn't the best thing."

It was a lot to take in. "I do not know all of your circumstances, your background," I began. "But from the knowledge that I can pull from, you are diligent, loyal, hardworking, one of the most well spoken gentlemen I've ever met, compassionate yet much too hard on yourself."

"If you ever want to truly live, you must get comfortable with the fact that everyone else is as complicated and lost as you are. You have to get used to that."

He processed my words, a deer in headlights, staring straight ahead. "Thank you, Princess Kerttu. Thank you."

"Anytime," I responded. "Now, get out of here before you start a scandal." Levity finally returned as he bit down on a smile.

"I would not want to do that. Can I use your bathroom to change?"

"Of course."

Tyrion ventured into the bathroom and I finally released my own tears. He had only told me the surface of his struggles and it was already so much. No matter what I had to do today, I was making sure Tyrion had everything he wanted. I sobbed and Tyrion came out, half dressed. His buttons were open, exposing his muscular chest . I had forced myself not to look last night. His torso was as if he had been chiseled by someone with too much time on their hands. Or someone who wanted to create a masterpiece.

"Do not waste your cries on me, Kerttu. Please do not."

He returned to the bathroom to button the rest of his shirt and I stomached the tears. I was going to make his life the best I could make it. Whether we fell in love or not.

**How do you guys feel about Tyrion now? Were you surprised by his story?**

**We're seeing another character from The Selection next chapter. Who do you think it will be?**

**Thank you so much for reading! You are awesome. Have an amazing day!**