Wow. I don't even know what to say other than that. Honestly, you guys are so mind bogglingly amazing that I honestly don't think I will ever ever ever be able to thank you enough. Your reaction to the whole Roberto/Maxon thing has been so dang cool that every day I've had a smile on my face pretty much all the time. None of you have ever met me in person, so you wouldn't truly realise how much that means to me. I'm (unfortunately) in school and it's really not a happy place for me, writing is a sort of escapism and your amazing reviews make such a difference to my day. You turn what was an awful day into a great one, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that.
I have received so many votes for this that I can't believe how lucky I am, but I've been taking a running tally from when the voting started, and the result is one I'm both amused, terrified and baffled with. It was a draw. I counted all my reviews three times, must to make sure, but I'm very sure that I'm right. I was overwhelmed with the amount I received, I even got loads of private messages that I counted as votes, it was ask exciting for me! As it came to a draw, I've decided to see how it goes. I'm going to keep writing, and let the story decide where it wants to go, I have no plans yet, but your reviews really help shape what I write, so please do tell me what you want. I still can't get over how awesome it all is.
The result was exactly even, meaning you guys had fallen in love with a character that I created, a figment of my imagination, every bit as Keira Cass' a epic characters. That render fails to blow my mind, and I will never quite wrap my head around it, but wow. Just wow.
On a separate note, I reached 100 reviews in the middle of this voting challenge, which to some might that be that amazing, but to me, over 100 of you having an opinion on something that I created, I will never be able to thank you enough.
This story was always just a way to hide from the awful time i was having at school, just one person reading it and having an opinion they wanted to share on it was something that made me giddy with excitement, but over 100? That was more than I could ever have dreamt of or imagined, and you guys really are helping to pull me out of a dark place. Thank you. Thank you so so much.
Please, if any of you are ever feeling down or upset about anything, talk to me. Message me whenever, any time of any day, I'll be here for you like you all unknowlingly were for me, I owe you endlessly for how much you helped. I still have dark days, but every review I get or favourite or follow, they bring me light for a while.
Anyway, enough waffling! Please, read and enjoy, I really hope you love this story as much as I do.
It felt like I was breaking. My every bone was shattering, but the pain was dull compared to my chest. My chest was burning with an icy heart, like he had taken his hand and pulled out my heart, and I was watching him crush it slowly, with excruciating pain.
"Maxon, please don't-" I was trying my hardest to control the shaking in my voice but it was gradually taking over me. Maxon cut me off, brushing my tears away.
"America I love you. I love you to the end of the earth and to the moon and beyond. I will love you from day to day, year to year, god, I'll love you forever. I promise you that I will love you every moment for the rest of our lives and whatever lies beyond that. I promise to cherish our every minute together, like it is the most precious jewel on this earth, to me, you are the most precious thing on this earth. Just please, don't marry that man. Give me a chance to earn your forgiveness,or at least try to deserve it."
His speech sent shivers down my spine, his every word making my skin tingle.
"Maxon I gave him my word, I promised. The same promise you made to Kriss, those are promises we can't back out on." He frowned at the mention of Kriss, and sighed, it was as if he had forgotten she existed in these few moments together.
"I can sort something out America, I'm the heir to the throne of one of the biggest countries on this earth. If there's a solution to this, I can find it." He smiled softly at me, and all the feelings I had felt for him before came rushing back. I was overtaken by a sudden rush of love for him, and before I knew what I was doing I was stepping into his arms, hiding amongst his body.
"Maxon what do we do?" I said softly into his chest, I was leaving tear marks all over his shirt, but he didn't seem to care, or realise.
"I don't know America, but I will think of something." He tipped my head upwards and leant forward. He removed my tears with whisper soft kisses, which would have made my knees buckle were it not for his arms around me. The sweetness of the situation only made me cry more, and I started to protest.
He did the only thing he could to silence me. He kissed me. His lips were tender and loving on mine, and in that moment every problem in my life flew away in the Italian breeze. I was just here, and every inch of me was his, I was America, just America here with Maxon, and so head spinningly in love with the man kissing me that I forgot everything.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, twisting my fingers in his hair, and he deepened the kiss. His tongue met mine and he moaned softly at the back of his throat. This was everything I wanted, just him and me. Maxon picked me up gently, and carried me towards the bed.
He pushed me down onto the bed and climbed on top of me, kissing down my neck, leaving burning scorches where his lips met my skin. I drew in a ragged breath and met his eyes, sparkling with love and excitement.
Maxon blinked slowly, closing his eyes for several seconds before climbing off me, distancing our bodies. I kept on trying to breathe, my lungs struggling to cope with the burning love inside me.
"We should probably stop," Maxon said, smiling softly at me. I laughed lightly, I don't think I'd ever felt so free and myself.
"We probably should... You should probably go see Kriss, she'll be worried." Maxon grimaced at Kriss' name, but nodded. He moved forward again and kissed me once on the lips, before turning and leaving my room.
I sat back on the bed, and put my fingers to my lips, what had just happened? Did this mean he would break up with Kriss? Did I need to break it off with Roberto? What was wrong with me? One minute I was so ready and happy to marry another man, and then I was kissing Maxon! My heart was still thundering in my chest, and I could smell him on my pillow, and I inhaled the scent deeply. With him around me, I knew I was safe. Even if being with him was the most dangerous thing for me, I knew he would treasure me, he would look after me.
The door opened slowly and I struggled to arrange myself. May walked through, beaming from ear to ear.
"Oh America! You're so lucky, prince Roberto, he is perfect! It's the most romantic thing I've ever heard, gosh, you should have heard him at dinner, he wouldn't stop talking about you! Oh I do hope you marry him, it's all so exciting!" Her voice was high and over excited, but I prayed that her eagerness and giddiness stopped her from noticing how flustered I was.
I wished so desperately that I was in love with Roberto, and not Maxon, but the world worked in strange ways, revolving on its axis, I suppose my axis was Maxon. I couldn't change that.
I slept dreadfully that night, tossing and turning every minute,trying to work out Maxon's intentions. Did he want me to marry Roberto? Obviously not, he'd made that clear, but what was he going to do. It occurred to me he hadn't actually made any promises, just told me he loved me and kissed me. Maybe love was a promise, but I was unsure whether Maxon knew that or not; whether I should keep the promise. I decided that in the morning I would carry on as normal with Roberto, play the fiancé, and wait for Maxon to make the move. That made sense.
In the morning the Italian sun was beaming through my window and I couldn't help but smile despite my confusion, I would enjoy myself whilst I was here, and with beauty like that all around me I couldn't help but love Italy.
May picked me out a dress to wear that matched hers, and I honestly think I had never looked so pretty. The dress was ocean blue, fading into the green of seaweed, twisting and twirling, drawing in every shimmer of light and reflecting back off me. I looked like the sea, like a mermaid of the sea that was having a holiday on the earth, and I couldn't help but love it. I left my hair down and wavy, to match my mermaid plan. I looked above all these people, glittering and shining, but never on their level. A comb of pearls was placed on my head and I smiled at my reflection. Time to make Maxon drool.
Me and May walked to breakfast together, chattering endlessly, before we found the door May believed to be the entrance to the dining room. They were pulled backwards, revealing a long table with Maxon, Roberto and Sam sat together at one end, Kriss and Nicoletta sat at the other.
"Here she is! My beautiful fiancé!" Roberto boomed from the other end of the room. I walked over to them quickly, grinning at Nicoletta, as May took a seat next to Kriss. I giggled at Roberto as he pulled me towards him, and he kissed me on both cheeks before pulling me onto his lap and planting his lips on mine.
The kiss was sweet and tender, and butterflies stirred softly in my stomach. They weren't the violent and passionate flutters that I got when I kissed Maxon, but they were gentler, nicer maybe, they made me feel safe. Roberto made me feel safe. I realised I was blushing and pulled back slowly.
"Ach! My beautiful girl you blush at our kiss!" Roberto roared with laughter and kissed both my cheeks again, picking me up and planting me on the chair next to him. The chair next to Maxon. Maxon's face was bright red, his jaw twitching furiously, and he was watching me, trying to catch my eye. I tried to avoid him, but when I looked up, he was the first thing I saw, and it was hard to ignore that.
His eyes were alight and burning, was that jealousy? I held his gaze for a couple of seconds, smiling politely and then looking back down at my breakfast. "America," Maxon said evenly, his voice very controlled. "You are looking particularly pretty today." How was I supposed to respond to that? I tried my hardest to put on my most regal voice to thank him, and started again with my breakfast when Roberto put his arm around me again, pulling me towards him.
"My America is always beautiful, you would know that Mr Schreave, but no, you had your chance with the perfect woman and you let her go, you are a silly man." I hid in Roberto's chest as he spoke, and I couldn't help but smile. His protectiveness was charming, and the passion in his voice when he spoke sent shivers down my spine.
Maxon stayed diplomatically silent, considering Kriss was at the other end of the table, though her and May were in an intense discussion on wedding dress'. I finished my breakfast shortly after that, and excised myself, kissing Roberto again before leaving, wanting to prove to myself that I really was engaged to him, that this wasn't some crazy dream. Roberto was mine for now, this perfect specimen, and until Maxon told me how he felt I could enjoy the happiness in my life.
It occurred to me then that Roberto didn't have to be temporary. I could choose Roberto, I could marry him and very easily live happily ever after with him in Italy, my dream land. I would be happy, more than happy, I would believing the perfect life, and I would be very much in love, with a man that loved me endlessly. If it was that simple, what was stopping me? What was stopping me marrying Roberto today?
Once more, thank you, I will never be able to thank you enough, but I'm going to try :) your reviews mean so much to me, as does this story, but I hope I'm creating something I can please people with, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. However you feel about my story, tell me. And thank you. Thank you so much.