Chapter 25- Best Laid Plans

LadyMadisonSchreave- You are so sweet! I so appreciate all your comments! In regards to the sequel, I think it'll be a little before I start it because I'm incredibly busy with school. I don't have a set deadline, but I hope relatively soon (maybe before the end of 2020?)

BlissfulBillie- hehe it's a doozy

DBZfanLou- thank youuuuuu

Virtue01- thank you so so much! I love that you love my work :)

Guest 1- honestly me too… but after this chapter

Aubreylovesthegame- all of your comments make me smile so much because it's exactly how i react to reading books & fanfics lol

Lady Ellie of Illea- Welp-its a bit more than 2 wks this time, but anyway, i think this chapter explains a lot about America's reaction!

KMlovesFanfics- of course I remembered! Maxerica abolishing the castes is one of my favorite storylines and I've been planning this for SO LONG that its kinda crazy that you all read it now

Lady Ellie of Illea (pt2)- girl i did not think of it negatively, but thank you so much for your second review! It made me smile so much. I love love love fluff and im so happy y'all love it too

Deblanchard24- thank you thank you; i really really appreciate it

Vrinda123- ;)

Lady Ellie of Illea (pt3)- hi love! Sorry this took so long imma explain!

Alrighty ladies and gents, I am back with another update. I would apologize for not updating since August, but I'm not sorry, so… I won't. Just wanted to let you all know that I am a senior in high school this year and I have so much schoolwork and college applications due and a bunch of other commitments so BC is definitely not my priority right now. I'm only able to update because I needed a de-stress second so I finished this chapter. I'll probably disappear again for at least another month (?) so I have all my college apps done and can really write the best finale for BC I can. Thank you all for sticking around. I will always be grateful for you and feel so incredibly lucky that y'all love to read what I write. Please enjoy Best Laid Plans. It's a big chapter emotionally but I think it's definitely worth it.

Sooooo, without further ado…

Chapter 25- The Best Laid Plans

There was a pit in my stomach. My legs wobbled beneath me and I leaned on the arm of the sofa. Maxon took a step forward. I threw up a hand. Maxon froze. The pain in his eyes was a knife to my heart. But I couldn't say what I needed to in his arms.

"Are you insane?" I asked slowly. My hands shook. I folded them together, squeezing hard. Like that would stop the inevitable. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. "Maxon, he will kill you. That's what you told me. He will kill you."

I watched the war behind Maxon's eyes. He took a hesitant step forward. I stayed deathly still. He leaned against the arm of the other sofa-a perfect mirror to myself.

"America…" Maxon whispered. My eyes stayed fixed on him. His own met mine, pleading. "America… You went hungry. You said there were days when you chose between food and electricity."

He paused, as if waiting for me to say something. I didn't. He sighed. "I started talking to my more discreet advisors later that day."

"That was months ago." I murmured. He nodded slowly and leaned forward, resting his forearm on his knee.

"I wanted to tell you the moment I thought of it. And then you wanted to make that your philanthropy project and all I could think of was that I needed more time. And you couldn't be involved."

He glanced at the floor. My brows knit together. "But you could? Maxon, you aren't king." I couldn't keep the desperation out of my voice. We had fought tooth and nail to be together. We were finally happy. I couldn't lose him just before our happy ending.

Maxon chuckled darkly. "I'm his heir, Ames. There's nothing he can do to me that he hasn't already."

I stiffened. "What does that mean?"

Maxon looked up startled. His eyes clouded for a moment before he nodded. "I guess I would've told you eventually. You've seen it already anyway. And… well…"

My eyes narrowed. Maxon shrugged his shoulders, a blush creeping up his neck. I covered my mouth almost subconsciously. My mind summoned that memory: Maxon's shoulder bloodied and the old lashes carved deep into his back. I stood on shaky legs and crossed the room.

Maxon pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me. "I'll be fine, darling. We'll be okay. I promise."

I shook my head against his chest, pulling away from his embrace. "No… no, Maxon. You can't promise that. Don't let me believe you can."

Maxon's eyes met mine. "Then let me promise this: he will not touch you. And no matter what happens, you will be the best queen Illea has ever had."

Ice flooded through my veins. I shook my head, wiping away the tears before they could fall. Maxon would die before he let anything happen to me. That wasn't the part that surprised me. "Maxon, how many are mine?" I whispered, swallowing hard.

He looked down, brow furrowed. His eyes were glassy when he looked back up at me. They cleared after a second, but I couldn't get that image out of my mind-Maxon's distant, lifeless eyes. "I would take a million more for you, America." Maxon reached for my hand. I didn't take it. Instead, I stood and crossed the room again.

"And where would that leave me, Maxon?" I blinked away tears. "You almost sent me home because you thought I was reckless. And you couldn't stand the thought of losing me. Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks that was just a little hypocritical, Max."

Maxon stayed silent.

"God, Maxon, do you even care?" My voice broke. "I could've lost you. I still could. And you won't even say anything."
I shook my head and sank into one of the plush armchairs facing Maxon. I buried my face in my hands, defeated.

Maxon's shoes clicked against the floor as he approached slowly. I didn't look up. He stopped and knelt in front of me. "America, please look at me."

I sighed and glanced up. Sometimes I forgot how much I loved his eyes. Maxon's eyes were pools of warmth. Somehow, his eyes had always felt like home. I breathed in shakily and Maxon took my hand between his. His lips almost grazed my knuckles.

"My father told me that he was teaching me a lesson. To be quieter or smarter or bolder or a better listener. The lesson itself didn't really matter-he just decided what he was most angry with me about. Before I met you, I didn't think there was a lesson at all. But I did meet you, America. And you showed me what it meant to live and to fight for something. You gave me a reason to fight. I will never regret fighting for you-for us."

Maxon bit his lip and looked deeply into my eyes as if to convey the depths of his love for me. And that he really would take a hundred more lashes for me if I only said the word.

"But" Maxon hesitated slightly, "if you really think it's too dangerous, say the word and it's over. My father has never given my mother more than a semblance of power. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I want to be nothing like him. This will be a marriage of equals. I promise you that."

I sat frozen for a moment. Maxon's face spelled out his nerves in a book only I could read. I would never know how I got so lucky to fall in love with him. He was too damn good. He cared too much and worked too hard and I loved him for it.

"Please be careful," I whispered. "I look terrible in black."

Maxon laughed and kissed my hand. "God, I love you, America. I love you so much. I hope you know that."

I smiled and pulled him to his feet. "I could never forget, Maxon. I love you too."

He leaned down and kissed me tenderly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Maxon smiled against my lips. "Do you think they'll miss us?"

I laughed and pulled away. "Considering you planned this entire party for us, it's probably a little odd that we're not there."

Maxon groaned. "Why did I do that?"

"Something about a wedding, I think?" I grinned. I leaned forward to kiss Maxon again. "I can't wait to be married to you."

"Neither can I," he murmured. Maxon wrapped his arms around me, settling low on my back. "My father already cleared us two weeks for our honeymoon."

I leaned into him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "Tell me more?"

"I'm taking you to an island we own and we'll be blissfully alone. Even the guards give us a wide berth." I could hear Maxon's smile. "We'll get to swim in the ocean and cook and do anything you want. And no one will bother us."

I hummed my approval. It was perfect. We could just be us-Maxon and America-and nothing more.

Maxon pulled away reluctantly, a smile still playing on his lips. A thought flickered in his eyes. He sobered. "I'm sorry, America." I frowned, brows furrowed. "For not telling you. I realized I never said that and it should have been the first thing I said."

I took his hand and squeezed. "I understand, Maxon. Eliminating the castes… Maxon, it's a dream. I'm just worried about you. You do big, amazing, good things and it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. But you have to promise me to be so careful, Maxon. I need you here. I need you to be here to marry me and meet our children and celebrate birthdays and Christmas and everything else."

Maxon's relief was palpable. "What did I do to deserve you?" He asked. Our hands twined together and Maxon brought them up to kiss my hand.

I smiled, shaking my head. "We should get back to the party before they send out a search party."

Maxon laughed. He let go of my hand and offered me his elbow. I leaned into him as we walked. Somehow, that was how I knew it would be okay: walking back into the party leaning on each other.