~Nathan~

I rush to Marissa's room. It was getting late, and I was hoping she wouldn't be in bed yet. As I came up on her room I heard crying.

"It's okay Marissa," said a voice. I immediately knew it was one of the Selected girls.

"He doesn't know what he's missing out on," said another voice.

"I just don't understand why. He said that he would send all of the other girls home just for her," said Marissa.

Did I really say that? I had to take a step away. What had I said that I didn't know about. I really messed up. I really made it worse for us. Marissa was the only one I wanted. Now I have broken that trust between us.

"He did not," said the first voice. "Well then he's a piece of shit is what he is then."

I heard a light hearted laugh. It was true though. I had just treated her like crap. Way to go Nathan. The one girl I truly cared about in this competition, and I've just destroyed her.

I start to back away from the door. I'll apologize tomorrow. It sounds as if Marissa had friends to make her feel better after what I had just done.

"What are you doing?" a voice from behind me said.

I whip around to find my grandfather standing behind me. "I was going to visit one of the Selected, but she's with some other girls at the moment. So I was going to go back to my room to get some work done."

Part of that was a lie. I had no idea what I was going to do. My grandfather looks at the door. "The Singer girl." He says with slight disgust behind his voice.

"What about her?" I ask getting defensive.

"You could do better. Her mother was terrible when she was here. She couldn't be controlled. No doubt it rolled into her daughter. After all she's a five."

"Actually grandfather. Marissa is a three. Not a five. And you have no right to talk about her like that."

"Why not? She's just like her mother. Trust me. Soon enough she will become out of control, and you'll want her gone, just as your father did."

He turns, and walks away, but I stop him. "You're wrong. Marissa is the best, most wonderful, beautiful, funny, talented girl in this competition. If I don't end up marrying her then I might as well throw my life away. Even after these few weeks I can't even imagine what life would be like with out Marissa."

"When you marry her is when you throw your life away."

Just like that grandfather walks away. Marissa's door opens, and there is a tear stained Marissa holding it open.

She sniffs. "Did you really mean all that?" she asks.

"Every word of it. Marissa I can't even stand to be without you. I love you so much that I will marry you." She smiles. "Now I can't end the Selection right now because of the press. It would look terrible, but you will be the One Marissa. No one else. Only you."

She smiles. She pulls me by the collar, and kisses me on the lips.

"Of course I will marry you Nathan."

I smile, and kiss her back not caring who is watching us from Marissa's room.