Going Back To the One Chapter 10
Me: Rewrite… rewrite… rewrite… rewrite…
Oh, hi! I had a teeny tiny case of writer's block, even though I know how everything happens in this chapter beforehand so that's why I'm a little bit late in updating.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I FANGIRLED AND CRIED WHILE WRITING THIS. I JUST FELT SO BAD FOR SO MANY CHARACTERS AND SUDDENLY WISHED I COULD END THE STORY RIGHT NOW WITH A WEDDING BUT I CAN'T.
I WAS SCREAMING LIKE AN IDIOT WITH TEARS IN MY EYES AND MY PARENTS WERE ASKING ME: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" AND I'M LIKE: "I'M A WRITER!"
NOW EXCUSE ME WHILE I SPAZ OUT.
Happy Reading!
o-o-o
Maxon's POV
"M-Maxon?"
I stare into her eyes, biting my lip so my tears are held back. I feel so bad for taking this opportunity to take in her eyes, her hair, her face… I can't remember when the last time I was mesmerized by her beauty like this was.
The image of the fresh wound on her shoulder sends a wave of guilt over me. She is breathing heavily and she sounds like she is in so much pain.
And I have no idea on how she can just pass her pain onto me. Tears sting in my eyes. Biting my lip isn't enough to hold them anymore.
You have no idea how much I missed you, I wanted to say. Instead, I apologize.
"I'm sorry, my dear," I give her a small smile, remembering how much she hated me calling her that. "I shouldn't— I shouldn't have let you go." My voice is breaking. "Please, please forgive for hurting you…" My voice turns as serious as the look in my eyes.
"It was my only way of assuring you'll be kept alive…"
Her lips part slowly as if she had something to say.
I silence her with a kiss.
This is the wrong time, the wrong place, and definitely the wrong situation for something like this but I don't care. It's like I've been thirsty for a thousand years and only one single kiss was enough to quench it.
I pull away hesitantly and grin. I kiss her again. But this time… something feels wrong. She isn't kissing me back.
"Maxon!"
A hand is on my face and she pushes me away.
America pushes me away.
My heart shatters at the sight of her pained face.
I gently touch her cheek. "What's wrong, America? D-Did I hurt you? I—"
She slaps me in the face.
I touch my swelling cheek and cringe at sudden sting. Staring with my widened eyes, I feel disbelief overpower the physical pain.
"S-Stop it!" America hisses. "Touch me again and I swear I will not hesitate killing you." The venom in her voice is too strong for me to ignore.
I laugh like an idiot. Well, maybe I am one. The laugh comes out like a groan and I sound so pathetic right now. "Very funny, America. I get it," I say, even though I don't. "The stress and the pain are getting to you." I touch her uninjured shoulder gently. "I'll take you back to the palace and I promise I will protect y—"
A pain resonates in my stomach and all the air inside me escapes. I clutch the part that her foot kicked and groaned.
I hear a snap and America explodes. "What is wrong with you?" She asks, anger burning in her eyes. She wipes the ghost of my touch her shoulder like she was touched by a leper.
"For a girl, there is nothing more repulsive," she spits out, "than being touched by a guy she hates."
I grab her cheeks and give her face a squeeze. "No, America," I counter. "You don't hate me… you don't… I know that during our time in the Selection that you loved me. Even if it was just for just a short moment, I sensed that you felt something for me."
"I'm sorry to break it to you, Prince Schreave," she's using my last name, indicating our widened distance. "That short moment is long gone. You love Kriss now and you two are going to get married soon. So am I."
"Wait… what?"
"I'm engaged, Maxon."
America's POV (in her LIMITED and OPINIONATED point of view)
I never thought Maxon was so insensitive.
He told me he was in love with another girl, told me off that I always shut him out and kicked me out of the palace. Now he's touching me like all that didn't happen.
I had to break his heart so that I'd get over him. Telling him I hate him, slapping him in the face, kicking him in the gut, rubbing it in his face that I'm engaged and that he has to marry Kriss instead of me…
Why isn't it working?
"You're lying," Maxon says, his tone scaring me. "Take that back right now!" I lean on the wall, quivering. "Listen to me, America. I never— I never meant any of the things I said." His hands are on both my shoulders yet I'm too scared to move or flinch. His eyes are burning. "I don't love Kriss. If you hate her I'll gladly despise her for the rest of my life. I have only loved one girl, and that's you. You don't understand why I had to let you go but—"
I cut him off. "But that's just it Ma— Schreave. You already let me go and I don't love you anymore."
He punches the wall beside me and I squeak and keep quiet. The wall rattles behind me and I look at the corners of my line of vision, searching for a way out.
Maxon leans closer. My eyes grow as large as the full moon.
I close my eyes and bite my quivering lip. I'm panicking. What is he going to do?
When nothing happens, I slowly open my eyes. His warm breath tickles my cheeks and he's so close, so close… His eyes show so much misery I could feel the guilt eating me off.
Our lips connect.
His kiss is short but filled with a feeling I don't quite understand… like he's been longing, craving for me for such a long time. I resist the urge to wrap my arms around his neck, which was partly easy because of my worsening exhaustion, and think of Aspen.
Think of our times in the tree house.
Think of our first dance together.
Think of our moments in the palace.
Think of your future marriage.
Think of the way he says—
"I love you…" Maxon whispers in my ear. Reluctantly, he leans away from me. The anger in his eyes is gone but the sadness in it remains.
He runs a hand through his hair and he looks at the floor and anywhere away from me. The stray strands of his hair cover his eyes but I can see his tired smile.
"I didn't stand a chance, did I?" He asks. I look at him, confused at what he just said. "No matter what I say or what I do, Aspen is never going to leave your heart."
My heart feels like it jammed itself in my throat. "How did—?"
He looks at me painfully. "What?" His smile looks like it hurts. "You think that wouldn't find out about you, in my own palace? I must've been unaware by how much you underestimated me."
If he had known, then… is that what he meant by saying hurting was the only way of keeping me alive?
"Yes," he answers like he just read my mind. "I begged my father to let you leave the palace instead of killing you. And… that guard. He still has his job too."
I'm breathing so hard. The thoughts in my head were whirling into one big tornado and I can't concentrate on anything. "If you loved me," I stare at the wall. "Then why did you keep me alive? Why did you keep Aspen alive?"
He exhales loudly. "Don't say I loved you, America." He demands. "I love you. I never stopped."
I hear a suppressed scream and something hitting the wall. I turn my head and see that I was wrong.
Someone hit the wall.
Sir Moods, the place where Maxon hit him still red, has a grip on Maxon's collar. The poor prince was being pushed on the wall, his face turning blue from lack of air.
It takes all the energy I have to get on my feet and run to them. I grab Sir Moods' arm and start helplessly pulling him away from Maxon. "Get off him!" I scream.
He glares darkly at me and takes his grip off Maxon's neck. The prince falls to his knees and I see him rub the red marks on his neck. Sir Moods holds my shoulders and pushes me. I hit my head on hard, wooden shelf of a book case and I fall on the floor. My vision blurs and I know that I won't be conscious any longer. I watch Sir Moods pull Maxon up. Maxon accepts numerous fists and kicks in so many places I'm surprised he's still standing.
The sight of his blood dripping from his lips and the bruises on his face make me feel anger that burns me to the bones. "D-Don't hurt him…" I hiss softly.
My eyelids droop and I faint, his worried brown eyes staring at me the last thing I see.
Maxon's POV
((A/N: I am not good in writing fight scenes so forgive me please.))
He hurt her.
That monster hurt her.
Ignoring my sore throat and heavy breathing, I get up and pull his shoulder, making sure he faces me. I throw my fist at those evil gray eyes. He touches his bruised eye and kicks me in the stomach. The pain from America's kick is still there. I let out a scream and fall back. The man grabs my arm and twists it to my back, making me scream even louder. I run back and slam him against the wall. His grip on me is gone and I make my way towards Ameri—
His firm hands grab my shoulders and he pushes me onto the wall. I drop on the ground, groaning. The impact made me feel nauseous and dizzy. He kicks my side and I cough loudly. He does it again to my head and other parts of me and blocking his kicks with my hands doesn't seem to make things better. I feel the crimson slide down my cheeks and I don't think I have ever experienced this much physical pain before.
I groan loudly as the man stares at me with eyes as dark as an abyss as he sits me up. I feel a small prickle on my shoulder that grows more painful as he pushes whatever he put through me harder. Blinking the sun spots from my eyes, I see that a dart was dangling on my shoulder. It looks like the dart Kriss was shot with.
The man pats me on the head mockingly. "Sweet dreams, Your Highness," he says. That's all he says before he walks toward America and carry her in his arms. Sleepiness overcomes me and I stifle a yawn, too tired to stand up and get her back.
Then everything went black.
o-o-o
Aspen's POV
My dream has ended up being my worst nightmare.
I slipped into the plane to Carolina when I heard that the prince was coming here. I was so excited to see America again, even if we couldn't have a decent conversation, just the pleasure of having our eyes meet was enough for me.
The rest of the guards and I came here the second we were told that there was a rebel attack in the school. The left building of the school was in flames, the smoke graying the blue sky.
I was stationed at the school's parking lot, even though I begged that I would join the team that would search inside the building so I could have better chances in finding America.
But right now, I don't know if I can call myself lucky or not that I was stationed here.
From the back door of the school, a man with gray hair comes out. He was injured in many places but seemed undisturbed as he was carrying a body with him. One closer look at the body I realize that the body is America.
Running, I take my gun from my belt and point it at him. "Let her g—"
A firm hand silences me and I whip my head back. A rebel, with two more companions, is holding a gun at my neck. I look for any help around and see all the other guards fighting other rebels. His two companions take each of my arms and the rebel with the gun walks in front of me, smiling at his success of detaining me.
The man carrying America notices the noise and runs towards the white van parked near the exit gate. It looks like an ambulance.
A stolen ambulance.
"America!" I scream her name. I elbow the rebel to my right and kick the remaining one where it hurts.
I have to get to her. I have to save her. I have to—
A bullet goes through my foot and I fumble. I am on my knees and I squeeze my ankle, trying to get the bullet out. Giving up, I stand up and sprint towards the van. As I was a few feet away from America, the rebels grab hold of me again and I watch the gray-haired man throws her on the bed like she was useless luggage and closes the back door. The engine starts and I resort to flailing my arms and legs in the air.
One of them puts the butt of the rifle on my neck. "Stop moving you little wench! Unless you want me to put a bullet through your neck."
I feel punches on my stomach and I can't breathe. The rebel with the gun punches me in the cheek and kicks my side. The two others continue his work for him before the van arrives in front of us. I collapse on the floor, coughing out blood. A rebel steps on my head as hard as he can.
A foreign voice joins us. "I told you not to go too far."
The rebel with his foot on my cheek laughs. "What's wrong with having a little fun?"
"Whatever," the other voice replies. "Just get in the van. I have the girl."
The rebel raises his foot and laughs. "Thanks for the entertainment, officer."
They drive away and I fall asleep.
o-o-o
Me: Wow…
I made 3 people lose consciousness, made 2 guys get beat up and lose the girl they love, made America say that she'll kill Maxon and burned a school building all in one single chapter.
Next chapter will be a fun chapter, for me anyway, probably my favorite. No, nothing too romantic but I was planning the next chapter for so long I can't believe I'm writing it already. If I actually used titles, then the next chapter's title would be: THE FACEOFF BETWEEN MAXON AND ASPEN!
Yeah, so review and wait for the next update, kk?
Bye-bye!