THE SORTING

THE ANSWERS

I didn't quite know what to expect. Maybe anger. Maybe annoyance. Maybe I'd be ignored. But I know I didn't expect this. Laughter.

Dominic had his lips upturned into the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen as he laughed at me. If I wasn't so consumed by the happy sounds he was making, I would have felt insecure and embarrassed. But all I could focus on was his laughter. It made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. He made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

He took a deep breath and centered himself before actually addressing what I said.

"Of course, I will answer your questions. Ask away, little one," he gestured to the area around us with his arm, as if to say he would answer as many questions as it would take to fill up the space around us. I was taken out of my trance when he spoke, a ghost of a smile still on his face. I decided what my first question would be and threw it at him.

"Who are you?" Dom looked at me with a raised eyebrow, as if I already knew the answer. He was Dom. I knew I had to clarify.

"I mean, what is your full name? How old are you? Where are you from? What do you do here, for the King? Do you have any family? When is your birthday? What is your favorite color? Stuff like that."

I took a deep breath because I used all of my air when I spoke. He took a minute, digesting my word vomit, which was understandable. I had just thrown a million questions at him and it would probably take some time to process. After a few minutes, he blinked at me a few times before responding.

"My name is Dominic Cooper Harrington. I am 24 years old. I am from the Capital. I am apart of the King's personal detail. My parents live in a cottage style home in the countryside a few hours away from here. I have one brother named Dean. He is a few years younger than me and has his own apartment in the Capital. My birthday is July 19. My favorite color is black."

I was stunned that he answered all of my questions. I did not think he was going to humor me, but I guess that was his thing; showing me that he was more than I expected. Dom stared at me, as if to gage if I was satisfied with his candor. I had a hard time gathering my thoughts after his truth session, so I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Black isn't a color," I chimed in. Dom's eyes crimped and he let out another one of his intoxicating laughs. I wanted to drown in the sound of his happiness. He reached for the basket again, pulling out some plates, a bowl of mixed fruit, and sandwiches. Once all of the food was set out on the blanket, he addressed me again.

"Your turn," he uttered, staring at me expectantly with a smile that could stop traffic. What was my name again? I adjusted my glasses and began my tale, hoping I would remember all of the questions.

"My name is Vivienne Lee Windsor. I am 21 years old. I am from the Human Colonies. I'm still not quite sure what I am doing here or what I will be doing here. My mother, father, and brother Jaxon live in the Colonies as well. He is 16. My birthday is April 7th. My favorite color is green." I finished quickly, gasping as I had only used one breath for my monologue.

"Green, huh? Any particular reason?" Dom questioned. I couldn't tell him it was my new favorite color, a color I could stare at for hours and never get bored of, a color that made me stir with excitement, passion, and care. He smirked when my cheeks got red and it caused me to lower my gaze to the salad he had prepared. It had lettuce, red and yellow tomatoes, and carrots. The dressing was on the side, I assumed, and was in a smaller white container. The fruit caught my attention next. It was a mix of strawberries, apples, blueberries, and pineapple. I loved pineapple. We didn't have it often back home, but when we did, my mom always stashed some away for me to have later. My mouth salivated at the anticipation of having pineapple again. While lost in thought, a hand grazed my chin, and then grabbed it lightly. My head was tilted upwards, towards Dom's. When our eyes met, my mouth was salivating for a different reason and I no longer had pineapple on my mind. In the last few days, I had become some sort of boy crazed monster, but not any boy. Just Dom. And at first, it had startled me. I had never had any contact with the opposite sex before meeting him and I thought I was going insane. I had fought it and been embarrassed by my sudden feelings at first but now, it seemed silly to deny what my body, mind, and heart all wanted. I gave into the temptation and I didn't care anymore. I knew, deep down somehow, that Dom really cared for me, that he would never hurt me. And I wished deeply that this feeling never ended.

I closed my eyes in delight as he pushed his lips closer to mine. One taste of him and I was drunk. He held my face softly as we kissed. I never wanted it to end. He made me feel like no other. I smiled into the kiss, glad I had found this, and he copied. If you had asked me yesterday if I wanted to be here, I would've said no. But in this moment, with Dom, I never wanted to leave.