Maxon & America - Short Stories After The One

The Fight

Maxon's POV

"You kept her letter?" America asked, an icy glare on her beautiful face as she held up the letter Kriss had given me that one night.

"I--yes, I suppose I did. I'm sorry, America. I really didn't do it on purpose. It must have just gotten lost in my piles of paper, and ended up being kept. I can get rid of it now if you'd like, my dear." I really hadn't thought it'd have been a problem. I thought of it as a memento from the Selection days; she thought of it as my carelessness in misplacing a letter.

"No. I want to read it first." She read it, her eyes narrowing with each word. I don't know why she's so upset. It was just a letter from months ago. She knew she had my absolute devotion. If that's what this is about.

"That sounds really sweet, Maxon. A love letter.  How often do you exchange these lovely notes?" America asked, a small hint of fury in her eyes.

I was beyond shocked. Send Kriss love letters? For goodness' sake, I made America my wife two months ago! I was not that kind of man! I was NOT my father.

"America, I... I--what? You are overreacting so much! I just accidentally kept a letter from a past Selection candidate--"

"The one you almost picked. You almost picked her. You were so close to marrying Kriss. Don't deny it!"

"America, what has gotten in to you? You know I wouldn't have been absolutely happy with Kriss. I've only ever had eyes for you. Maybe I was close, but fate would never have let that happen," I said passionately.

"Ah, so fate wouldn't have let that happen! But you would have been completely happy to marry her. 'Kriss Schreave'. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" America yelled, completely out of her mind.

"America, I do not know what's come over you, but you are obviously not well this morning, so my butler will escort you to the hospital wing. Now. I think you are delirious," I said, trying to match her fiery stare. But I couldn't. I loved her too much. We had been in a bad place that week... but that was no excuse for her behaviour. 

But my expression softened when I remember our first fight, when things had gotten physical. That made her more special to me, even though I didn't realize it at the time.

"Maxon," America said, her voice drowning out all my thoughts, "answer me this; how often do you think about Kriss?"

And with that, she stormed off. I stood there, absolutely stunned. All this over a stupid piece of paper..?

I snapped back to my senses and ran over to America, stopping her by touching her shoulder tentatively. She looked back at me, her face hard as stone as she gazed into my eyes for a few moments. Then her face relaxed and her eyes filled with tears.

"Maxon, I--"

"Don't say a word. I understand," I said as I gently pulled her in to kiss her. I looked at her. "My America, what got into you? You know you're the love of my life. Yet..."

"Maxon, I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. I just... I guess there are a lot of duties to becoming queen, and... I don't know. I just snapped under the pressure, and decided to stupidly take it out on you, the sweetest, most loving, most adoring, overall best man in the world. Forgive me? Please?" She searched for an answer in my eyes.

"Only if you add hottest to that list," I said with a smirk.

"Done," she said immediately as I unexpectedly carried her to my bedroom, laughing and kissing her all the way.