The Determining (11 page)

It seemed too simple to work. “What if my father rigs our test?”

Drew’s forehead creased as hurt filled his eyes. “If you don’t want to marry me, say so. I would understand.”

“No, I do. I want to marry you.” She squeezed his hand. “I just wish it didn’t have to be … like this.”

He turned from the window, looking at her. “I know the timing is awful and I don’t have a ring, but will you marry me, Charlotte?”

Charlie considered the proposal. She always thought she and Drew would get married someday, but not this soon. Not because of the sword hanging above their heads, propelling them into action. They didn’t have any assurance this would work. But, she needed to decide. Would saying yes be worth the backlash?

She looked into his warm brown eyes. The love she saw disarmed her. The tears she’d fought back now slid down her cheeks.

“Yes.”

“Miss Grey.” Carlton, Margaret’s driver, gave Charlie a polite nod as he looked into the town car at her.

The urge to command him to close the door and take her back to the townhouse was overwhelming. Stepping out of the car signified that she’d accepted her father’s vision for her life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But, with no other options left, she had to step forward, even if it was grudgingly.

Crisp fall air greeted her, the breeze playing with the few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. The sun attempted to warm her skin, but it lacked the necessary strength. She turned to Carlton.

“I’ll meet you back here at four.”

He nodded, his face remaining stoic. “Have a good day, miss.”

She thanked him and started toward her first class before her brain convinced her to get back in the car.

Her eyes took in everything as she crossed campus, but she was careful to keep the look of slack-jawed awe from her face. Though the campus was new, it had been built to resemble the prestigious universities of the Old World. She was used to stark, sleek buildings. There brick structures more closely resembled the old churches. White pillars and cobblestone sidewalks made Charlie feel like she’d taken a step into the past.

“Charlie!” The voice pulled her attention away from the setting around her. She spotted Drew hurrying toward her, messenger bag slung across his shoulder and hair still wet from a shower.

She slowed and waited for him to catch up. The moment he was close enough, her hand wound about his. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to class?”

“What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t walk you to class on your first day?” He squeezed her hand.

The word
fiancé
made her uneasy and she couldn’t pinpoint why. “I’ll feel bad if you’re late.” She glanced down at her phone, checking the time.

“Don’t worry about it.” A frown pulled his mouth down. He glanced at their hands. “You aren’t wearing the ring.”

A month had passed since she’d agreed to marry him. Last week he’d presented her with a ring: two silver bands twisting around one another, nestling a small round diamond between them. It wasn’t flashy and her mother would turn up her nose at it, but Charlie liked it well enough. She’d slipped it onto a chain, which hung securely around her neck.

In three days, if everything went according to plan, the ring would move from her neck to her finger and neither Richard nor Margaret would be able to say anything about it.
If
everything went as planned. Charlie didn’t want to hold on such a slim chance, but every time she looked at the ring she couldn’t escape the hope that washed over her. This
had
to work.

She touched the cool metal through her shirt. “I’m wearing it, just not on my finger.” The frown remained on his face. “I have to keep it hidden from my parents. We can’t risk Richard finding out and trying to stop us.”

Drew’s jaw clenched. “I wish we didn’t have to be so secretive. I want our parents to celebrate this.” He ran a hand through his hair, his nervous tick.

They’d reached her first class and stopped by the building’s steps. Charlie faced him, taking both his hands in hers. “We can celebrate with your family once the Compatibility test is over.” Rising up onto her toes, she brushed her lips across his. “Now, get going or you’ll be late.”

He slipped one hand around her waist and pulled her closer, capturing her in another kiss. This one held all his frustration and made her arms break out in goose bumps. His tongue danced with hers, making her toes curl with pleasure. His other hand caressed her cheek. When they finally broke apart, she was out of breath and her lips were tender.

The tension in Drew’s face had obviously lessened. “Have a good day.” He walked away before she could reply.

It took her a moment to bring her focus back from the kiss. She glanced around, conscious of how public their display of affection had been. No one seemed to have noticed the kiss, much to her relief. Shaking the moment off, she faced the brick building and took a step forward.

The beginning of her end.

Two days into University, and already the professors had inundated her with papers. Seeing the workload, Charlie regretted opting for the six-month graduation program. She’d anticipated the rigorous pace, but wished the classes were more enjoyable. After a few days, she decided it would be enough to just get through.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, cutting into her thoughts. Drew’s name appeared on the screen.

-Are we still set for tomorrow morning?

Charlie smiled at the text. She could picture Drew pacing in his apartment, the anticipation eating away at him.

-I’ll see you here at 10:00. Stop pacing and go to bed.

She set her phone down, returning to her paper. Her fingers flew over the keyboard attached to the tablet. The click of the keys helped her settle into a rhythm and soon she lost herself in the flow of writing.

When the phone vibrated again, Charlie jolted in her seat. She tried to ignore it and finish her thought, but it vibrated continually, indicating a call rather than a text. She picked up without looking at the caller ID.

“I thought I told you to go to bed,” she teased.

“It’s Ruth.”

They hadn’t spoken since her coming-out party and didn’t know what to say. “I hadn’t expected to hear from you,” she finally responded.

“I’ve been a terrible friend. I should have called after the incident at the party. But, after what happened between us …” Ruth trailed off. The remorse in her voice threatened to chip away at the protective wall Charlie had thrown up after their fight.

“Well, I’m fine.” Charlie’s words came out clipped.

“I’m glad.” Heavy silence filled the empty space between them. Ruth broke the silence first. “I’m sorry for how I reacted to the dance. I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have blown everything up.”

The apology melted the last of Charlie’s anger, leaving behind an ache in its place. “It’s okay. We’re both under pressure”

“You’re a better friend than I deserve.” Another silence fell between them. “So, what happened after the gunman disappeared?”

The woman posing as a medic flashed into Charlie’s mind. “Nothing. I talked to the Guard and went home.” The lie rolled off her tongue.

“Have you heard anything from the Guard since?”

“I’m not being kept in the loop. My father knows something, but he hasn’t said anything to me. They’d tell me if I were in imminent danger, I hope.”

Ruth’s questions were beginning to make her uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell if this was Ruth’s awkward attempt at conversation or if she was digging for information.

“I’ve asked my father, but he hasn’t said anything either,” Ruth confessed.

“How like them, keeping information from us.” Charlie tried to sound joking. “I guess we’ll find out more when the general population does.”

“I’m sure.” Ruth didn’t sound convinced. “What else has been going on since the party?”

“I started classes this week. Right now I’m just trying to keep my head above water,” Charlie offered, wondering how she could cut the call short.

“You’ll do fine. You were always good in school. Anything else new?” Ruth probed.

Ruth’s persistence set Charlie on edge. “I have plans with Margaret tonight.” She couldn’t keep suspicion from entering her voice. “Something about prepping me for the flow of suitors she’s expecting.” Another lie. “If I don’t go talk to her soon, she’s liable to drag me out by my hair.”

“Oh, okay.” Ruth sighed into the phone, her heavy breath crackling in Charlie’s ear. “I know you’re in Portestas and I’m stuck in California, but don’t be a stranger. If you ever need to talk, I’m only a phone call away.” Her obvious desperation struck a chord with Charlie. Ruth was up to something.

“Thanks. I’ll remember that.” She didn’t try to hide the suspicion in her voice.

“Sure. Good luck with your mom.”

They said goodbye and Charlie set the phone down, returning her attention to the tablet. She sat there, staring at the screen, suddenly exhausted. She couldn’t write anymore of her paper. Powering down the tablet, she crawled into bed.

Her thoughts wandered back to the Determining. It seemed like a lifetime ago. How could it only have been a little over a month? Things felt different now; everything looked upside down. Ruth had morphed into a shadow of her former self. The comfort Charlie once found in her vanished, leaving behind the remnants of a close friendship turned to uncomfortable acquaintance. The parents she thought she knew had become the authors of her own personal nightmare.

Drew felt familiar, but even that relationship had changed. Her pending marriage to Mason had set a time limit. If it weren’t for the time constraints, would they even be getting married? Charlie didn’t know.

She’d begun her relationship with Drew as a way to anger Richard. Date the poor boy and flaunt it in his face. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. As they got older, she just assumed they’d end up married one day. But not now. Not when everything felt rushed, desperate.
Is Drew really the man I want, or am I using him again, this time to save myself from Mason?

Absentmindedly, she reached under her shirt, pulling the ring out. The cool metal warmed at her touch. Wallowing in her problems wouldn’t solve anything. Drew believed in the system and, this time, she would too. If they were meant to be together, their Compatibility would tell them.

Charlie rolled onto her side and fell asleep holding the ring tightly in her hand. Images of Drew and Mason permeated her dreams, but she slept on, trapped between her last two options.

Drew arrived at Charlie’s door precisely on time. Ruth would say it proved he was predictable, safe, like it was a bad thing. Charlie chose to think of it as reliable. From the second he stepped through the door, she could sense his nerves, which only served to heighten her own anxiety.

“Are you ready?” Drew tapped his hand against his leg as he shifted from foot to foot.

“Yes, but I’m nervous.” Charlie played with the ring as she examined him, her future husband, and her heart skipped a beat. Whether from excitement or dread, she couldn’t tell.

“It’ll be fine. There is nothing to be nervous about.” Drew tried to reassure her with a smile, but the waver in his voice negated any calming effects his words might have had.

She captured his hand, cutting off its nervous drumming. “This is our future. If there was ever anything to be nervous about, this is it.”

He leaned in, pressing a light kiss on the edge of her mouth. “Everything will be fine.”

Charlie couldn’t tell if his words were meant to convince her or himself. “I hope you’re right.”

Drew didn’t hear her. He headed to the door, opening it for her. “Do you want to take a cab or walk?” he asked once they stood at the bottom of the stoop.

“Walk.”

He nodded, taking her hand as they headed down the street.

Traveling on foot was the safest option. Richard had people monitoring her chip at all times. She couldn’t hide where they were going, but spending credits on a cab would put up a red flag. When her chip logged where the cab had taken her, their plan would be over. Every move she made today must be perfect. She couldn’t do anything that might alert the security team.

To get to City Hall, they walked through a shopping district. The stores lining the streets carried high-end merchandise, catering to Charlie and the other wealthy residents living in the area. Drew tensed as they passed a posh jewelry store displaying outrageous promise rings in its window.

Charlie squeezed his hand. “Don’t do that.” He turned to her with a puzzled look. “Don’t look at those rings and compare them to the one you gave me. I love my ring more than any of those oversized monstrosities.”

“I love you.” He kissed her on the cheek, obviously conscious of the crowds around them.

She wanted to press into him, to deepen their kiss. But it wasn’t safe for them to be so affectionate in public. Not yet. She returned the chaste kiss before whispering, “I love you, too.”

Charlie watched some of the tension fade from his face. He took her hand, squeezing it gently. “Let’s go.” They continued down the street toward the City Center, both still affected by the passionate kiss.

The streets of the City Center were completely blocked off to vehicles, making the district quieter than all the others. Rather than the blare of car horns and the rumble of engines, the bustle of the crowd permeated the district. Businessmen and woman packed the streets, creating a mass of suits and clacking high heels. Charlie looked at their faces as she and Drew walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. Every person she examined sported dark circles under their eyes and a sickly pallor.

One woman in particular caught her attention. She stood about a head shorter than Charlie, but she had the same wavy light brown hair. She couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than Charlie, yet she walked with a weariness seen in the elderly. In an instant Charlie saw herself in this woman’s place, beaten down and defeated. This was her future, and it made her stomach drop. Picking up her pace, she pulled Drew toward City Hall.