''I hate this system. Don't they see that they are ruining our lives?'' A look of hurt crossed her face briefly. ''I'm sorry,'' he spoke, ''I wasn't my intention to offend you, I just.. I can't shake the feeling that I never had the chance to choose who I wanted to be with. I had to choose between a selection of girls. It doesn't matter for us guys if we don't like them all, because we have to choose one of them. At least you girls have a matter in the saying. You can participate in any vendition. You can be with the one you want.''
''That is not completely true.'' Her voice was somewhat fragile. A sea of emotions hidden behind it.
''Sorry?''
''We can't always be with the person we want to.'' She smiled weakly at him although it didn't reach her eyes. She looked much older, in this instant, as if she had seen all the heartbreak and hurt that love had to offer.
He was silent, although he wanted to know what she was talking about, he didn't want to obtrude.
She didn't say anything for a while, she was simply looking at her hands. Mason watched her swallow and then she started ''I was in love once too, his name was Gabriel and he was the greatest boy I had ever met. I don't know if we were friends first or if I immediately fell in love with him but at some point I knew he was the person I wanted to spend my life with. We were together for a year and then his vendition was set up. He had just turned 21 and they wanted him to settle down, just like you. When I heard about the vendition, I wasn't scared, I probably felt happy. We were in love so the vendition was just a step forward for us. It was maybe early and to soon but I wanted to be with him and I was glad that at least I could be with someone I loved and I wasn't forced to be alone or join the vendition of someone I didn't even know. The day of his vendition, I had spent hours making myself ready. I wore a white summer dress, my hair cascaded perfectly over my shoulders and my make-up was done by a beautician. I probably looked like a wannabe bride. They took me into a room. It was small and grey. I remember the small tinge of disappointment, knowing that in this room I would start the beginning of the rest of my life. I should have known by then things weren't going to end up the way I hoped they would. I should have gotten the big, beautiful white room, the one I had with your vendition but with Gabriel I didn't. The guards seated me there, thinking back about it, I'm sure they knew by then. I didn't recognize it at that moment, maybe I didn't want to see it, but even weeks after the vendition I couldn't shake off their pitiful glances. I sat in that tiny room and I waited for hours, but he never came. Turns out he choose another girl. I don't know maybe she was prettier than me, or smarter but there was something that made him choose her over me. I was a wreck. Question over question formed in my mind, but there was no one to answer them. Why didn't he choose me? Didn't he love me? Did he knew this beforehand? And worse it broke my heart, knowing I waited for him. At that point all my friends were vended it off and my twin sisters too, I was the only one who was alone and I thought I would be alone for the rest of my live. But then six months later, I heard of your vendition. I knew you from around town and the supermarket you worked a part-time job, I just didn't know you were the same age as me. I never even considered that you weren't yet vended off. And somehow I just thought, why not? I can always try. Knowing that in a year I would be too old for the guys that would be vended off. So I enlisted for your vendition.''
He grabbed her hand and she looked up. ''I'm sorry, I didn't know.''
''It's okay, I guess that's just the way things go.'' She shrugged her shoulders lightly.
''It's not okay,'' he said looking into her eyes firmly,'' that Gabriel is a dick, you are a great girl, you're beautiful and smart and funny and you are going to do great things and anyone who doesn't see that is not worthy of your love.''
He raised his hand and laid it on her cheek softly. ''Every guy should be happy if you joined their vendition, at least I am.''
Elise leaned her face in his palm and closed her eyes. It felt like ages ago that someone had said something like that to her, his words were like balms, making the temporary sadness she was feeling disappear. ''Thank you.'' she whispered.