Chapter 3
The collective gasp was what really broke through my REM sleep. I opened my eyes to find Lucy, Anne, and Mary huddled at the door, afraid to enter. I had never seen them look at me that way and in my groggy confusion I couldn't fathom what could possibly make them react so strongly. It only took another moment to realize that I was not alone in bed this morning.
That is when I realized just how bad this scene had to look. Here I was in a competition to win a man's heart as a young and unmarried woman, yet I was currently curled up in the sheets with the crowned prince of Illea and he was definitely not wearing a shirt.
"Maxon!" I snapped a little too loudly, noticing that his face was still tucked into the crook of my neck. I reached back to tap his shoulder, vigorously. He woke then, startled slightly and sat up in bed quickly as he realized that we had an audience.
"Good morning ladies." He barely even looked at my maids before jumping out of bed, grabbing his shirt that was left in a careless pile on the floor next to the bed, and buttoning it up. "I'll be going now." Maxon said hurriedly as he located his shoes and coat around the room.
"We'll come back" The Lucy managed to stammer as they closed the door again behind them. I jumped out of bed along with Maxon and sighed dramatically. "Now they are going to think that I'm some kind of sleazy girl trying to sleep my way to the top or something! Why didn't I even think about them waking me up in the morning?" I was trying to smooth out the crazy waves that had formed in Maxon's hair over the course of the night when he laughed lightly.
"That was probably because you were a little busy making me the happiest man in Illea." He leaned down to kiss my lips, helping me instantly relax after my startled awakening. I knew that he had to go but I was worried about one of the other girls seeing him, doing what looked like a walk of shame, back from my bedroom. Maxon left the top button of his shirt undone and draped his jacket over his shoulder. There really was no help for his hair that was now sticking out in all directions with the previous day's hair gel still embedded in it but there really was very little time before his absence would be noticed by more people. I grabbed my robe as I walked Maxon to the door, opening it slightly. He paused before exiting and turned back around to face me.
"Thank you for last night. I can assure you that it was one of the most special nights of my life, I'll never forget it, Miss America." I could tell that cordial Prince Maxon was back. He was preparing to walk back into a world where we were not officially together. He still had to keep up appearances before he could tell his parents of his decision and make arrangements to end the selection. We both smiled at each other as he leaned down and planted a simple kiss on my lips. "I will see you at breakfast then, my dear." I nodded. That was the first time that I did not protest when he used that pet name with me.
"Indeed you will." I was back to using my cordial voice too but unlike Maxon's, mine had a slight hint of scandal attached to it. I opened the door wider for him giving him one last loving glance before he started back out of our little bubble. Unfortunately, he had only made it a few steps out of the door before, as if from nowhere, Aspen's fist collided with his jaw.