And you, sir, are an idiot.
I need to polish you up a bit, but your aversion to all things fake might just be your greatest asset here.
I didn't know it would be so easy to make you smile.
The best people all have some kind of scar.
You can be quiet and go back to kissing me, or you can leave.
Don't worry. The best people all have some kind of scar. I thought of Marlee's hands and Maxon's back. They both held permanent marks of their bravery. I was honored to join them.
Luck was fine and well, but I didn't need it. I had a plan.
But your life is yours, singular and sacred, and you should be with the person who makes it feel that way every blessed second you live it.
From the moment I became truly aware of him, I was in love with him.
Because if it was a choice between him or me, I didn't think I'd be able not to put him first. He was the prince, and his life was invaluable to the country. But more than that, it was invaluable to me.
Maybe there would be one person who'd still want to kiss me when I had a runny nose or would rub my shoulders after a long day of meetings.
And the cameras came and went, stealing pieces of our lives to entertain the people.
You can't plan wars, don't know how to cook, and refuse to write love letters, I teased.
I prefer being below the radar. That's what I'm used to, you know?
How are you feeling? Your eyes look like chocolate, I mumbled. He smiled. And yours look like the morning sky. Can I have water? Yes. Lots, he promised. Let's get her upstairs, he said to someone else. And I fell asleep to the rocking of his steps.
Maxon Schreave, I love you. I love you. And I love you, America Singer. With all that I am, I love you.
Shhh, don't say a word. If anyone hears, there'll be hell to pay. Just let me look at you. And so I obeyed. I stayed there, quiet and still, while Aspen stared into my eyes.
There was something about her.. Even the way she didn't like me drew me in, and I couldn't help but smile.
Obedience was imperative.
Not to worry, darling. I'll see you at dinner. Yes, I thought, but you'll see all of us at dinner.
Instead of worrying about taking, we should worry about giving. We can't stop the take. But we can do a hell of a lot about the give.
Celeste looked like she was ready to break something. I sat there. I kept telling myself that.
What’s wrong? You’re excited to meet the queen, aren’t you? I asked.
Some see a weed; some see a flower. Perspective.
The Angeles air was quiet, and for a while I laid still, listening to the sound of Maxon breathing.
I watched him go and told myself that the only reason I was smiling like that was because the cameras were hidden somewhere, not because of anything Kile Woodwork had done.
I love you beyond paint, beyond melodies, beyond words. And I hope you will always feel that, even when I'm not around to tell you so.
I have a talent for messing things up.
The Best people all have some sort of scar- America Singer, The One.
Intrigued, Maxon propped himself up on one arm to listen. Tell me everything.
I wanted everything from and everything for him, because I wanted every piece of him.
Lots of times when girls cry, they don't want you to fix the problem, they just want to be consoled, I advised. Really? Pretty much.
Forsaking the rules meant forsaking your life.
I didn't want to be royalty. And I didn't want to be a One. I didn't even want to try.
We danced. Remember? I was so proud to have you there, in my arms,in front of other people. Even if you did look like you were having a seizure.
Lord knows what would happen to the country with you at the helm. I laughed along because he was right. I'd probably ruin it. Maxon continued to smile when he spoke. But maybe it needs ruining.
I just didn't expect it. It was asparagus. . . . He literally punched someone over a vegetable.
And who was I? No one, really. Just a girl. But seeing myself through his eyes... I felt like so much more.
It's funny what you hold on to, the things you remember when everything ends.
Was that my voice? Really? I sounded like a five-year-old girl with a smoking problem.
Need someone to talk to? I could tug my ear right now.
I took a steadying breath. Listen, I know we have a full night ahead of us, but I wanted to give you your birthday present.
If your life is as upside down as you say it is, then she has to be here somewhere. In my experience, true love is usually the most inconvenient kind.
Love is the best and worst thing you can ever experience.
It was like they carried the sun inside their souls and let it shine out on everything around them.
And then it was my turn to blink back the tears. It wasn't like I was ever going to replace my mother; but it felt special to be accepted, with all my flaws, by the mother of the person I might marry.
Henri was my opposite in that he saw everything as a joy where I focused on the challenge. Ean, Fox, Gunner … there was an element in each of them that would fall on the other side of my spectrum.
Miss Fiona Castley of Paloma, Three. A brunette with smoldering eyes this time. Maybe my age, but she seemed more . . . experienced. I turned to Mom and May on the couch. Doesn't she seem awfully— Miss America Singer of Carolina, Five.
One of the things that I've learned from the Selection so far is that moving forward means joining your life before coming to the palace with the future that lies in front of you. I'm hoping to make another step in joining those two worlds today.
