The Selection (The Selection, #1)

by Kiera Cass

“America, if you loved an Eight, I’d want you to marry him. But you should know that love can wear away under the stress of being married. Someone you think you love now, you might start to hate when he couldn’t provide for you. And if you couldn’t take care of your children, it’d be even worse. Love doesn’t always survive under those types of circumstances.”

“But no matter what, I want you to be loved. You deserve to be loved. And I hope you get to marry for love and not a number.” He couldn’t say what I wanted to know—that I would get to marry for love and not a number—but it was the best I could hope for.

It bothered me, but I knew I couldn’t hold it against them in the long run. We couldn’t afford the luxury of wants. We had needs.

She was just kind.

It was over, and I knew that. But you don’t love someone for almost two years and then turn it off overnight.

Maybe some people could turn it off overnight.

him, I went back to those adoring faces. I put my smile

back on, bigger than ever, and started waving.

He’d put me here, and I would just have to...

If I came back used and unwanted, he’d still be proud of me.

Everyone here looked like a One. I looked like a Five in a nice dress.

Yeah, Mom, I’ll just keep telling the prince that he has absolutely no shot with me and offend him as often as I can. Great plan.

Lots of times when girls cry, they don’t want you to fix the problem, they just want to be consoled,” I advised.

“Oh, yes. She’s still here,” Maxon said, not letting his eyes wander from Gavril’s face. “And I plan on keeping her here for quite a while.”

In my experience, true love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

“Maxon, I hope you find someone you can’t live without. I really do. And I hope you never have to know what it’s like to have to try and live without them.”