"Miss," I head Anne calling softly while gently shaking me. "Wake up, it's all clear."

I wake up slowly, finding myself with my head in Lucy's lap, while she strokes my hair a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lu-" I look up to apologize, and it's not Lucy.

"Hello," he says with a smirk.

"And how in the world are you getting away with this one?" I ask him, almost laughing.

"You were thrashing a bit in your sleep, like a nightmare, and I was near you, so I started trying to calm you. It was the gentlemanly thing to do," he explains as I stand up and straighten my robe. "As soon as I touched you, you grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go, so I sat next to you, and here we are."

I shake my head. "You're going to pay for this later."

"I'm the prince," Maxon laughs, looping my arm through his. "I can do what I want."

"Maxon," I say exasperatedly. "Not twelve hours ago you were telling me that you have to pay attention to the other girls too. You can't keep doing this, you'll get in trouble."

"Ah, so you do care," he says as he escorts me up the stairs, my maids following us. I hate that term, actually- "my maids". I shouldn't have maids- one caste lower and I would have been a maid.

"You know that, Maxon," I say, nudging him with my elbow.

"You ladies can go back to your rooms," he says to my girls. That's better, but I think it is the "my" part of the phrase that I take issue with. I don't own anyone. "I'll escort Lady America back to her chambers."

I roll my eyes at him, but walk with him nevertheless. When we reach my door, I turn to say goodnight, but he opens the door for me, then follows me in.

"A man in my bedroom while I'm in my nightclothes," I say dramatically. "How the people will talk!"

"Oh hush," Maxon says with a smirk. "We never really finished our conversation earlier."

"Oh?" I say nonchalantly. "Which one? The one where you kinda sorta almost proposed or the one where you told me to imagine you kissing me?" I tease him as I get under the covers of my bed and he lays down on top of them next to me.

"A little bit of both," he says with a smirk and leans down to gently press his lips to mine. I smile as he kisses me, and I wish that things were simpler. "Also I have three topics of conversation- dress, maids, and boyfriends," he says, counting them off on his fingers.

I roll my eyes. "I understand two of them, but dress?"

"Yes," he says, sounding relaxed. "When exactly did Celeste try to rip your clothes off?"

I suppress a smile, propping myself up with an elbow. "What?"

"When we were… arguing, before, about Celeste. You said she tore your dress, and I was too annoyed with you," he says, pulling me close, "to get mad at her, but once I cooled down I was… irritated to say the least.

I smile. "The second Report that we were all on, when I was wearing-"

"The red dress, yes, I remember. Everyone was trying to look like you, then you came out like that. I almost ended it on the spot."

I curl into Maxon's arm, understanding that every time we talk about this he sounds more and more sure of me. I wonder how much of that is because he's being competitive and just doesn't want me to choose Aspen, a Six, over him, a One. Not just a One. The One.

"Yes, well, that's exactly what happened. Anne told me that apparently all the other girls requested, or demanded, that their dresses be blue, and that many of them stopped wearing the jewelry you provide, so you would like them. So, when they saw that my dress was so different, Celeste pulled me aside and demanded that I switch dresses with her. I was confused, said no, and then she grabbed at my sleeve and scratched me." I pull the shoulder of my nightgown down a little to show him. Her scratches are almost gone, but would still be noticeable with a strapless gown, so I haven't worn one since.

"Marlee and Kriss helped my tuck in what was left of the strap and hid a few stray threads, and everything was fine. I don't particularly enjoy her company, and I don't like that she pretends to like you when she just likes your status. I would love to see her gone, but I know it's your choice. I just felt like her staying wasn't your choice if she was manipulating you," I explain.

Maxon has been very quiet.

"Are you okay?" I ask concernedly.

"Three of the girls asked to go home during the attack," he says quietly. I begin to get a little insecure about his feelings for me- are these girls as important to him as I think I am?

I try to think of a way to phrase my question without sounding jealous. "What- um- do you think- never mind," I mumble, my face turning redder than my hair

He laughs at me gently, but he's still upset. "I'm not upset because I want them to stay," he says kindly, stroking my back. "You know that I don't truly care for anyone but you. I just hate that I'm putting everyone in danger. Girls shouldn't have to put their lives on the line for me."

I don't really know what to say to that, so I don't say anything, just listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"Okay, next question," Maxon says, banishing the sadness from his voice. " What's with the maids? I'm not mad, or even surprised, just curious."

"They came to wake me up," I say with a smile. "They didn't have to come all the way up to my rooms, a guard could have gotten me. But then they were trying to go all the way back down to the kitchens, and that was too dangerous. Lucy, the one I was holding… in an attack a long time ago, she was… taken. She gets more scared than anyone by these attacks. I couldn't let her go through that again," I say, resting my head on his chest.

"Always the hero," Maxons says with a smile.

I snort. "Right, champion of the downtrodden, that's me."

"You really are, you know."

"What?"

"You're more passionate about people than anyone I've ever seen. That's why I'm sure you'll be a good princess once you learn the politics."

I smile. "You really think so?"

"I do. But, last thing. Officer Leger and I had a discussion."

I freeze. So I did see them talking. "Oh?"

"We've come to an arrangement that I think will be agreeable."

"Don't I get a say?" I joke, nudging him with my elbow.

"Not really," Maxon says wearily, running his hand through his hair. "If you insist on committing treason, he and I are really the best ones to tell you how to avoid getting caught."

"Hey," I say, sitting up and looking at him. "I swear, Maxon. I'm trying. I… I think I know who I want it to be, but it wouldn't be fair to either of you for me to make a decision right now." It's you, I think. I just can't be sure I want the job that comes with it. And I'm not sure you really want me.

"Really?" he says, bolting up. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Not yet. I want to be one hundred percent sure before I say anything. But… I think it will be soon. Anyways, what's the arrangement?

"Oh, right. Every night, after dinner, you and I will go to the gardens for an hour or so. I'll make sure I do something similar with the other girls, but maybe not every day. Anyways, Leger and I will alternate nights, so he can… well. You know," he says uncomfortably.

I hesitate.

"Is something wrong?" Maxon asks carefully.

"I don't- I think- Don't read into this, okay? But the gardens are ours. I don't know that I want Aspen there."

I feel Maxon perk up at my words. "That… that makes me really happy."

I smile as I push him back down so I can rest my head on his chest.

"I thought it might. And I have a counter-suggestion."

"What's that?" Maxon asks lazily, running his hand through my hair, and I almost fall asleep at the action. I want to do this forever, fall asleep in Maxon's-

Woah. That was extreme.

"Um," I say, surprised by my thoughts. "I don't know if this will work, but what about the Princess suite?"

Maxon freezes. "What?"

"Well, I mean, no one will look there. It would be right next to you, so if I'm in your room you could just say you gave permission and no one would question it."

"I… that's the same as the gardens, America. If you choose me, that's where you and I will start our lives together. I can't… I know that it doesn't mean anything to you. But I have lived my entire life knowing that my wife will live in those rooms. I don't want that tainted with her ex-boyfriend. I mean- that- if you want me, that is," he tries to save.

I smile. "I guess that makes sense. Maybe… the three of us could talk about it sometime?"

Maxon sighs. "I really, really don't like this."

"I know, me neither. But now you almost know how all of us girls feel," I tease him. "How about this- I'll make my decision in two weeks. Not before, but in two weeks, even if I'm not completely sure, whoever I think it is, I'll choose him." You, I think to myself again. I just wish Aspen wasn't so much like home.

"But at least you chose this," Maxon complains as he stretches, not entirely serious.

I laugh. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"You help me sleep at night," he mutters, and then disentangles himself.

"I should go before we get in trouble," he says, standing up.

"Yeah," I whisper, and he makes no move to leave.

"America, I-," he says, then goes to the door and steps outside. "Goodnight," he says finally, softly closing the door behind him.

I wrap myself in the covers, weighing Aspen and Maxon in my mind, not able to give either one an edge over the other.