Thanks for everyone who read my last chapter! XOXOXO Mockingjay04 glad you liked the chapter and aren't I just the sneakiest little thing? I was unsure if anyone would figure it out and I don't know of anyone that did before this chapter. Keep reading and enjoy this next chapter! Meg-sters52 do you really like the idea? I was so unsure if I should or shouldn't but I'm glad you do! babysister1997 yeah I tricked you! Hehe I was hoping no one would notice and I was right! But why would I do that to America? That would be awful! Panda-Crazy-19 of course it's gonna be cute! I'm glad you like the idea and I hope you keep reading! Erin: I am not Kiera Cass, she is so much better at writing than me! I just coincidentally love cake. And to answer your question do you want to do a fanfic of my fanfic? Is that what you're asking? If so then of course! Idk I know you're a guest but that means a lot! Why don't you get an account? Create some of your own marvelous fanfiction, it's so much fun! may96 thank you so much for following me and my story also for having it as a favorite and giving me a review! Thank you so, so, so much! lilythemermaid (aka avoxmermaid) you got an account! I hope you write some of your own fanfiction for me to read! And I'm sorry you weren't happy about America being pregnant. But you did see how I sort of explained it a bit and made you feel the character instead of just reading about it. Night250 thank you for adding me and my story and one of your favorites and following me and my story! I'm glad you enjoyed the story so much! rjme1006 I'm glad you see it that way! It makes me feel better to know that the whole pregnancy wasn't a bad idea. And you're right, it will be more interesting. I think that's all for the 'Thank You's', please enjoy this next chapter!
Love Smashleigh
Chapter 31:
"Come in!" his voice rang in my ears for a few seconds. Should I tell him now, like his Mother suggested? I mean what's one more week gonna do right? No! No, I can't do that. Not to him. "Hello?"
"Maxon?" I ask through the door. His footsteps echo softly on the other side. "Can I talk to you?"
He jiggles the handle. "America are you alright?" he asks when I don't let go.
"Y-yeah." I stutter. Damn my treacherous voice. "But uh-"
"Darling I won't speak with you through the door." he sighs.
After a few seconds I ease the door open and am face to face with him. He gives me a small smile before stepping into my room. "No, no, no." I say and drag him into his. "You can't see anything in there."
He chuckles. "I forgot you had dress fittings today. How'd they go?"
Now's my chance. Tell him. No! Tell him! No! It was like my head was gonna explode. "They went fairly well." I said finally.
A small gleam of disappointment passed through his eyes. Did he want more details about the dress? I don't know why he'd be disappointed.
"Is that all?" he asks softly. When I don't answer he steps closer. "America, tell me."
He knows he just wants to hear me say it. I knew he had been eavesdropping. It was too much to hope that I could wait to tell him when I was almost three months in.
"Apparently you already know." I say sadly. Now it's time for me to be disappointed. "I wish you could've let me tell you when I was ready and not try to pry the information out of me."
"Pry it out of you!" he burst suddenly. I cringe from his sudden anger. "Don't you think I have a right to know?"
"I just told you I'd tell you when I was ready!" I yell back. Hopefully no one would eavesdrop on this conversation. "How the hell do you think I feel?"
"You would've waited another week America! What were you going to torture me with this…this thing?" he snapped.
Thing? Is that really all he saw it as? A thing? "Oh." I say softly, placing a hand protectively over my stomach. "Is that really how you see it?"
His face softens a bit but the anger lurks in his eyes still. "Well obviously I was to think otherwise?" he asks.
I shake my head. He doesn't understand does he? "That's not what I mean!" I scream at him.
The door to my room burst open and the Queen strides in. She comes to my side immediately and glares at Maxon. "She's in no condition to fight." she hisses softly to him. "Or don't you care?"
"Great now you're against me too?" he asks rhetorically. "What else is going to happen?"
"No but you should think about the stress you're putting on her and the child." she replies curtly.
"What about me?" he exclaims. "This affects me too!"
"Sometimes, Maxon, you need to put others before yourself." she sighs.
His mouth opens and closes but no words come out. She brought up a very good point. Not once did Maxon realize, in our conversation, that this wasn't about me or him. It was about the child.
"I need some rest." I tell them both softly before walking into my room.
"America…" Maxon says, but I don't turn. "America?"
I shut the door behind me and let the tears slip down my cheeks. It made my heart ache to shut the door on him but I needed him to understand that this was serious not only for him.
"Miss, are you alright?" I hear Lucy asks.
I open my eyes and see all three of them standing around me. Dear God did they hear any of that conversation? Please, I hope they didn't. "I'll be fine." I tell her. "Just tired."
They nod but don't push me further. Of course they heard, an outburst like that was surely overheard. I just wish I could've been the ones to tell them too. But they don't say anything as they silently help me undress. In the mirror I see that I have grown a little broader now that I know. So I have put on a few pounds around my waist but everywhere else was normal. Perks of being pregnant, I thought to myself.
"Goodnight, Lady America." Anne said as she slipped the nightgown over my head.
I met her eyes in the mirror for a second. "Goodnight."
"Alright can I ask you to come down the aisle one more time?" Silvia asks from the altar. She's been helping me plan this for months now and tomorrow would be the big day.
"You alright?" my Dad asks me softly when we reach the foot of the aisle.
My family arrived the other night, after Maxon and I fought. No one wanted to disturb me so when I saw them at breakfast the next morning I was shocked. May was the first to rush up and hug me, then my Mom, then Dad. Kenna, Kota, and Gerad would join us later tonight, when all three could come together. After they all were around me I'd tell them of course. I couldn't keep something like this a secret, especially from May.
"America?" Maxon whispered. I noticed I somehow made it to the altar and my Dad was handing me off.
"Oh!" I said feeling the blush spread to my cheeks. "Sorry."
Silvia sighed. "Lady America please relieve me from having a heart attack tomorrow."
I offer her a small smile. "I'm just a little distracted. Sorry."
"Sorry Father." Silvia whispers to the priest before he begins, again, the long ceremony for which I stand about ten minutes waiting for him to finish.
"Are you alright?" Maxon whispers so softly that I barely hear him.
When his fingers brush mine I feel the heat rise in my cheeks again. "I'm fine." I say softly. "Like I said, I'm a little off today."
He sighs. "America please tell me what's really wrong."
"Excuse me I'm trying to conduct a ceremony." the priest whisper hisses to us.
"Sorry Father." we both say in unison.
Out of the corner of my eye I see May try to suppress a smile. Her contagious little giggle makes me smirk. "Lady America, please, behave." Silvia pleads.
I bow my head again. How can I help it? I'm bored. I'm distracted. And we've run through this almost twenty times today! Not to mention what standing is doing to me. I feel like my legs could go out from under me any second.
"Can we just please hurry?" I feel myself blurt. Mine as well finish it now. "I feel close to collapsing."
Maxon turns to me quickly. "Are you tired? Do you want to sit down?" he asks quickly.
"I think we're good for the day anyways." the priest says shutting his book. "How about we just call it a day?"
He sounds more frustrated than he looks. Maybe I pushed one too many buttons today. "I'm really sorry." I say to him before sitting in a chair set up for tomorrow.
With a nod of his head he leaves us and Silvia lets out a frustrated groan. "It's hopeless! Hopeless!"
"Now Silvia…" the Queen says.
"I'm sorry Your Grace." she says softly. "It's just stressful that's all."
"I understand and no one could've done a better job then you." the Queen says smoothly. How does she do that? I'll never be able to do that.
"Thank you." Silvia says breathlessly. Note to self: Silvia loves compliments.
"America, are you alright?" Maxon asks sitting next to me.
"Am I alright? Which I do you mean Maxon?" I whisper so no one can hear us.
"Do you really want to go there now?" he hisses back.
"Sorry but your context is unclear." I tell him.
"Damn it America." he says. "I'm sorry okay?"
"Maxon I'm not looking for an apology. I'm just disappointed." I say.
"Then what the hell do I have to do to make you happy?" he asks exasperated. "I will not have you unhappy tomorrow."
"It's not an apology I'm looking for, or anything else." I tell him. "You hurt me when you said those words the other night. That was not the man I loved that night. I know he's in there." I place my hand on his. "But where?"
He folds my hand between both of his. "America I'm here." he says sadly. "Did you not realize how difficult that was for me? I wasn't thinking straight and all these ideas popped into my head that…" he swallowed hard. "God I can't even mention them."
I look up into his eyes. Their dark brown pools make me melt and the warmth I've missed for the past week fills my body. "I'm sorry." I tell him. "I know it must've been hard but you did try to pry the information out of me."
He sighs. "It was wrong for me to do." he apologizes. "But I should've let you on your own time."
"There's nothing we can do now." I tell him. "Except start over."
"Start over?" he asks baffled.
"Forget it ever happened." I clarified.
He nodded. "I'd like that. As long as you're happy for tomorrow."
"Of course I'll be happy!" I say, shocked. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm marrying the man I've waited for. Should I not be happy?"
He smiles. "I never said you'd not enjoy it." he soothes. "I just thought you'd still be mad at me."
"I would never mope on our wedding day!" I exclaim.
He places a light kiss on my cheek. "Good." he says. "Because I don't want an unhappy bride." Then he leans in and whispers, "Or wife."
The word sends shivers up my spine. Wife. Princess America Schreave. Dear God this country better get ready for a nightmare!