Hi guys! I'm not going to lie, I am extremely mad right now. I had this whole chapter typed up and ready to go, but my internet crashed before I could save it. :( I'll try my best to make it as good as the one I had ready before. I was so happy with it. Oh well, here we go again! Hope you enjoy.

Kiera Cass is the writer of the Selection trilogy. All rights go to her.

Chapter Six

(America's POV)

After our talk in the gardens, we headed inside. I didn't know where we were going, because Maxon was steering me this way and that, but I trusted him. Once we started up the stairs towards my room, I got curious. I noticed that Maxon's mouth was twitching like he was trying hard not to smile. I was about to ask what was funny, when we entered my room.

"What happened?" I asked, looking around.

The room looked spotless. The floor seemed brand new and was polished smooth, the bed was perfectly made, and all the sheet music I had laying out before the attack was gone. I noticed new dresses in my closet and immediately ran over to look at them. All of the gowns were beautiful and so intricately designed, that I knew my maids must have been up for hours making them. That's when I realized who had to have done all of this for me. I heard laughter behind me and turned around. Anne, Mary, and Lucy were all sitting in front of my piano.

"This is incredible," I said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, "Thank you."

They all smiled back at me and slowly broke apart so I could get a good view of what was behind them. On the piano was a beautiful blue violin. I stared at it for a good minute before strong arms wrapped around me, and I looked up into my holder's eyes knowingly. I remembered the last gift he had given me.

It was a few weeks ago, and Maxon had just gotten back from his mission in New Asia. He was walking around outside when I saw him from my window. I tugged my ear, hoping for his company, and he came to my room with the prettiest bracelet I had ever seen. He told me that when he saw it in the shop's window, he thought of me. It was blue, my favorite color.

I walked to the violin, slowly picked it up, and began to play. It sounded other-worldly, and I couldn't contain my joy. I jumped up and down and squealed like a little girl getting a birthday present. Everyone laughed.

Without waiting another beat, I ran for Maxon and kissed him softly. After a minute of this, I was suddenly aware of my staring maids. I broke away from Maxon and went to give them a hug.

After lunch, I hurried towards my room. Maxon had told my maids that the funeral was at three. It was one-thirty. I had roughly an hour to get ready.

As soon as I was in my room I stripped and ran for my bathroom. Thankfully, the bath was ready for me when I got in. While I was bathing, I heard my maids come in. They started to work as soon as they got through the door. Fifteen minutes later, I was out of the bathroom and in my black satin dress.

The maids didn't waste any time. Anne started drying my hair at a record pace, and Lucy and Mary were doing my nails. When it got quieter, I stopped paying attention to what they were doing and fell asleep.

When the girls finished everything, they woke me up and asked me if I thought everything looked okay. I couldn't answer though. I didn't know what to say. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't see me, I saw a beautiful stranger. She had pale skin and cheeks so rosy they looked like they had been pinched repeatedly. She had hair the color of fire cascading in waves down her back. Her eyes were fierce, with dark eye-shadow surrounding them. Her lips were the palest of pinks, like a dahlia. She looked strong. Like nothing could faze her. She was brave. She was everything that I wasn't in that moment, and that scared me.

At two-thirty, Maxon was at my door. When I went get him, I noticed him staring.

"What," I asked, "is something wrong?"

He shook his head, as though he were trying to clear it of his last thoughts.

"No, no. It's just that every time I see you, you get more and more beautiful." he replies, seriously.

His words warm my heart. We stared at each other for a second, and its was like the world around us disappeared. I kissed him lightly on the lips, and we continued walking towards the palace's cemetery.

The service was short. Aspen's family couldn't show up because of money issues, so no one but me was really there to grieve for him. After watching his casket get lowered to the ground, I fell apart. I fell to my knees with remorse. Maxon tried to help me back up, but I was shaking so hard that it wasn't possible. I don't know how long I sat there at Aspen's grave crying, but it felt like hours. Maxon never left my side.

At dinner, I was still wearing my black dress. No one looked my way. It was obvious that I was holding back tears throughout the meal. Finally, when dessert came, I couldn't take it anymore. Without warning, I stood up and ran from the room crying. I had made it all the way to the gardens before I heard someone breathing hard behind me.

"America, love, whats wrong?" he asked, his face contorted with worry.

My knees gave out and I fell to the ground. The grief of losing Aspen, and the guilt of betraying Maxon was unbearable. As soon as he was level with me on the ground, I told him everything. I told him about my boyfriend of two years, of how we would sneak up in my tree house at night. I told him about Aspen wanting me to join the Selection, not thinking that I would actually get in. I described how I felt when I realized that Aspen was a guard at the palace. I recalled every meeting we had together, in detail; and finally I finished with our last meeting before Aspen's death. The one where I told him that I was in love with Maxon, the one where I broke his heart.

After everything was out, it was like a weight lifted from my body. I stopped crying and began to shake. The enormity of what I had just confessed hit me like a ton of bricks. Maxon didn't respond to what I had said, and without a word, he got up and left me with my tears.

Wow. Hits you hard in the gut doesn't it? I was traumatized just writing those last few lines. Okay, I'm going to say something very important, so READ THIS CAREFULLY. I am a firm believer in Maxerica. I am also a firm believer in honesty and trust. If Kiera were writing this confession, would you really think Maxon would forgive America right away? No. Because it is not realistic enough, and it doesn't follow Maxon's one request for America, which is for her to be trustworthy. By confessing something this big (hello, this is treason!), America has disappointed Maxon. Eventually, he will get over it, but right now? Definitely not. So calm down if you think I am ruining Maxerica. I'm not. Keep reading and you will understand what I want to happen. :)

Remember: follow, favorite, PM, or review.

Love you amazing readers!
-Property of Illea