Chapter 5:

Aquila: Garden of Hesperides

Weeks had gone by and I had successfully avoided Wizard City. I turned Promethean less than a week ago and honestly, nothing felt different. Over the weeks, I spent a lot of time exploring the small world of Aquila. Sure, the entrance to Wizard City was just up a few steps. But I loved a challenge. I sat on the ledge of a fountain in the middle of the garden and took in the beautiful surroundings. It was so serene here, I couldn't ever imagine it being a monument of war. The gate from Wizard City shook and someone stepped through.

Aiden. I stood up from my spot on the fountain and walked over to him, "What are you doing here?"

"Look, I know I'm the last person in the world you want to see."

"Actually, your brother may win that award."

"That's exactly why I'm here."

I turned away from him and began walking away from him, "I don't want anything to do with Max. Please go away."

"Paige, wait!" Aiden grabbed my arm and stopped me from leaving, "Max is going crazy looking for you."

"Oh, so now he's looking for me? Well, tell him to climb over the huge pile of girls and one night stands, maybe then he'll find me. But even then, I wouldn't talk to him, because honestly, I don't give a shit about him." I ripped my arm from Aiden's grip and sped away from him.

"What did he do to you?" Aiden yelled.

"He broke me. And it took just two days."

"He cares about you Paige." Aiden neared me again, but this time, didn't try to hold me still.

"If he cared so much about me, he wouldn't have flaunted girl after girl around me. Just stop trying to be the good messenger boy, I'm not going anywhere."

"You do realize that no matter how much distance you put between yourselves, he's still always going to be your soulmate."

"How could I ever love him if I can never trust him? He's always with a girl, Aiden. Always."

"He's trying to forget about you."

"There's nothing to forget."

"He told me about that night two years ago."

I froze, "You had to mention the one thing I have worked so hard to forget?"

"He kissed you and for him it meant everything, but I'm starting to think that maybe it meant everything to you. You're just too afraid to admit that there's a powerful connection here."

"There is no connection between Max and I. I told you Aiden, I never want to be near him. I'll be happier just moving on from my life and never thinking about him again."

"You are so stubborn and single minded sometimes." Aiden shook his head, "He's miserable. Maybe you should think some more on visiting him." I shook my head and walked away from him. I walked through the gates of my house, "Maybe you should talk to him Paige." I turned around and looked at Isabella, who was standing a few feet behind me.

"You heard all that?"

"Yeah, and I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of Aquila heard you. I think you're being a little too harsh on Max."

"He's the one who's always with other people."

"Have you even talked to him about this since you found out? Come on Paige, cut him some slack."

"How can you tell if talking to him is going to work? You and my brother practically just fell in love. Your story is one of those sappy 'love at first sight' stories."

"It really wasn't. But, you know what, things do just happen. You might be surprised by what happens when you go see him."

"Fine." I walked past her and through the gates again, "Oh, marry my goddamn brother already will you? I think he may go insane if you don't." Isabella laughed and walked away once I made my way back to the Wizard City gate.

It took me less than twenty minutes to get to the entrance of Storm Row. I looked up at the huge metal gate, and then at the short guy, decked out in storm designed gear standing in front of the gate. "Can I help you? Need fires put out or something."

"Har de har har. Like I haven't ever heard that one before." I smirked at him and flicked my red hair off my shoulders, "I'm actually here to visit Max RainHunter, is he in his home?"

"Yeah, he hasn't left since his Exalted ceremony. Door number is three-thirteen." The guy, handed me a small card before the gate opened with an awful beeping noise. I thanked him and stepped through, instantly greeted with the smell of sea salt and cold ocean air. I walked quickly on the metal bridge and followed the doors all the way until I stopped in front of three-thirteen. I slid the card into the slot where a door handle would usually be and I was instantly transported to his house.

I spun for a few minutes before landing on a hard grated floor outside. His house was of course, in the middle of the ocean. I muttered profanities at the thought of cold ocean water and walked off the ramp onto the soft, wet grass. There wasn't much outside, but I decided to look out here first. I walked across the yard to a cave, which held a pool of water and a hill just beyond it. "Max?" I called out, in hopes of Max magically being somewhere in this vicinity. No answer. I walked up the hill and out of the other side of the cave which was a small ledge dangling out over the ocean. Max sat against the cave wall, soaked with from all the tidal waves that were splashing up onto the ledge. "Max." He turned his head slightly, all emotion had been drained out of him. I walked over to him and tried to get him to stand up, but he kept sitting back down. "Goddammit Max. Just because you're a diviner does not mean you are invincible from colds and other illnesses this water could give you. Get up." He groaned and tugged himself up. I helped hold him up since he was obviously weak and walked him to the nearest entrance into his house. "Is there a fireplace in your room?" He nodded and pointed me towards the very back room, which was the biggest. I helped him sit down on the couch in front of an Azteca fireplace. "You're an Azteca fan? Isn't its aura kinda flamy?"

"What can I say? I have a thing for fire." He chuckled weakly.

"So I've heard." I sat down on one of the chairs next to the couch and looked at him, "Why were you just sitting out there like that?" I looked over him, his body shirtless and just loose pajama pants covering his lower half.

"I don't know." I laughed and grabbed the blanket from the back of the chair I was in and laid it over him. "I'm sorry I was such an ass."

"You should be."

"And I am. You have no idea how sorry I am. I want to spend the rest of my life making up for it."

"That's quite a commitment."

"I want to make every part of this work. I want to be with you and no one else."

"Well it's hard to tell when you're always wrapped up in gorgeous blonde diviners. Sorry to inform you of this, but I don't think I'm your type."

"And how exactly would you know my type?" He asked.

"I figured it out by seeing you with a different girl every three weeks. They are all blonde, mean warlords, egotistical and diviners. Every single one of them."

"Maybe so. But they aren't my type."

"Then what's your type?"

He slowly stood up and began walking over to me, "Well, she's rambunctious, hot headed, stubborn, hard to deal with, fiery," I felt my insides heat up as he inched ever closer to me and began towering over me, "Beautiful, kind-hearted, caring, funny, sarcastic and mine." He breathlessly finished talking and pressed his lips to mine without a second thought. He wrapped his arms around my waist as I moved my arms around his neck and put my legs around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, Max pulled us up and supported my thighs with his hands. "You're perfect."

I jumped down and peered up at him, "We still have things to talk about."

He kissed me again, "I know, but right now I'm freezing."

"Right, sit down." I demanded and he obediently sat on the couch. "You'll be lucky if you don't get sick."

"If I get sick, you're going down with me." He teased and pulled me into his lap. "I promise that from now on, it's always going to be just you. You're all I'll ever need." I smiled and snuggled closer to him. "Aren't you going to get hot?"

"I'm not really made of fire, I just like thinking I am." I replied and wrapped the blanket around the both of us as we sat, watching the flames dance in the fireplace.

~~:~~

The next morning, I woke up enveloped in Max's arms and tangled in blankets. I aggressively, but quietly, kicked the blankets off of us and looked back at Max, who was still sound asleep. I pulled out of his grasp and began to wander around the house. Every window was basically another underwater adventure. I'd seen everything from clownfish to sharks eating clownfish. It had been quite the adventure, but I ultimately found myself sitting on one of the big Azteca couches in the living room and reading a random book I picked up from the coffee table.

It was about twenty five minutes until I heard footsteps coming into the living room. I peered up from the book and saw Max walking over to me, still shirtless. At this point, I figured he was just too lazy to put on a shirt. He was beyond having to try and show off. "Morning." I said and moved over a bit so he could sit down.

"Glad to see you made yourself comfortable." He chuckled and kissed the side of my head.

"I can't live here you know. I have a home."

"Well, who says you can't make this your new home?"

I set the book down and turned to face him on the couch, "I just moved into that huge empty house with my brother, his fiancé and her best friend. Kinda rude to say, 'thanks for letting me live here for four weeks, bye!' Besides, I still have school."

"School doesn't resume for two months. And I'm already going to be really lonely during that time." Max made a pouty face, causing me to laugh.

"No. You need to get out there, get a job and I'm not going anywhere. I'll just be living at my brother's. At least for a little while longer."

He sighed, "Fine. And I do have a job, by the way."

"Well I doubt you have it anymore since you apparently haven't left your house in over a week and a half."

"Well, I actually start today, so I guess I better get ready to go." He dramatically stood up, "Sure would be nice to come home to my beautiful girlfriend."

"I'll come by after I take care of a few things." I walked over to him and looked him in the eyes, "But I'm not moving in. I don't want to take all of this too fast."

"Whatever you say." He winked at me, "I'll see you later."

I stood still as he slowly retreated down the hallway. So much for not giving into him and never wanting to see him again. I had to admit, just being with him felt absolutely right.

Smiling, I teleported to the Commons with hopes of finding Ashton. Yes, I still had things to finish with him. I didn't like how I've left things hanging, he's been my best friend for years and I want it to stay that way.

When I got to the Commons, I quickly walked behind the buildings off to the left of the Ravenwood tunnel, where Ashton always hung out. Which, like normal, he was there, sitting down and watching the daily drama the Commons had to offer. I sat down next to him silently and watched for a few minutes also.

"It was always him. Wasn't it?" Ashton finally asked.

I peered over at him and sighed, "Yeah."

"How did you not figure it out at that party a few years ago?"

"I don't know. It may have been that I just wasn't ready to find him yet."

"And now all of the sudden, you are?"

"I don't know."

"It seems like you don't know a lot of things."

"Well what do you expect me to say?"

"I want you to say that he's not the one. That he isn't your soulmate and that now you understand who really it. I want you to say that your soulmate is someone who cares about you and would do anything for you and knows everything about you and loves every single thing about you.—"

"You want me to say that you're my soulmate." I whispered. Ashton looked at me with clouded eyes and nodded. "It doesn't always end up the way we want it."

"I know." He stood up and walked farther into the enclosed corners of the buildings. I followed him, still doing my best to keep my distant. "What happened to us? We always promised we would be together forever."

"We grew up. You're my best friend. Isn't that enough?"

"No. Not for me, it may be enough for you, but being just your friend isn't enough for me. I'm in love with you Paige. I've been so in love with you for seven years and you always blow me off and brush me to the side. Why be with him when I'm here. I will always love you more than he ever will."

"Why do you keep telling me that Max will never be able to love me?"

"Can't you see? He's incapable of loving someone else besides himself. That guy is so self-absorbed and high and mighty. When he was in school he literally had at one point, every girl in Ravenwood on his arm. And we always used to joke that the day he found his soulmate, we would pity her so much because she'd be stuck with an egotistical manwhore for a husband. Guess you're that girl. Congratulations, you're going to have a life with the one thing we hated our whole lives. Just forget him and give us a shot."

Ashton stepped closer and closer to me, his dark demeanor glowing. "Ashton, please, stop." He shook his head and closed the small distance between us.

"Just try." Ashton forcefully shoved his lips on mine and kept pushing for more. I tried to push him away, but he tightened his hold on me and continued kissing me. I refused to kiss him back, "Kiss me back Paige." He mumbled and tried kissing me again.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I looked over to the small opening between buildings and saw Max, who was about to explode. "Get your hands off my girlfriend."

This simply made Ashton tighten his hold on my wrists, causing them to grind in pain. I let out a scream as the pain grew, "Ashton, please let go." Ashton forcefully dropped my hands and I instantly ran into Max's arms.

"Let me see." Max whispered and softly brought my arms up so he could look at my wrists.

"Stop acting like you actually care about her Max. Just cut the shit." Ashton spat.

Max looked up from me and glowered at Ashton. "For the record, I care more about Paige than anyone else in the whole world." His jaw clenched as he angrily bit back the rest of his words.

"We'll see about that."

Max started forward, but I put my hand on his chest and peered up at him, "Let's just go." I whispered and Max reluctantly agreed. Max led me to the Arena hospital so he could 'fix up' my wrists which were now black and blue. I honestly don't think there's anything you can really do for wrists, but better be safe than sorry.

"Sit up here." Max said softly and motioned to the counter was. I tried to climb up, but miserably failed thanks to my wrists and hands being in so much pain. He noticed quickly and pulled me up on the counter in one swift move. "I'm not the kind of person he says I am." Max whispered while gently examining my arms. "I used to be, but I haven't been that person in a while. What you saw the last week of school, that's a guy I had planned on never being again, but I was scared I was going to hurt you somehow. So I tried to block myself from you—"

I brought his head up to look at me, "I know you aren't that guy anymore. You're still complicated, and I don't know if I'll ever get you all figured out, but I'm complicated too."

He chuckled, "Maybe we can un-complicate each other together." Once he finished wrapping my wrists in some gauze, I put my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a short kiss.

"By the way, when did I officially become your girlfriend?"

Max buried his head in the crook of my neck and laughed, "I assumed after everything that's happened within the past twenty-four hours, we'd make it official." He kissed a trail up my neck and ended with a needy-passion filled kiss.

"Let's go home."

A/N:

I originally planned to end the book here, but I decided to make this book about 10-12 chapters long! I love these characters a lot and thought I should give them some more time together before I end the book. Also, I have written out a playlist for this book, if you want it on here, I can post it at the end of the book!

~Savvy~