maxon

I will never forget your fire. I can't wait to see what you do.

He must love you very much,' Gavril said once I had my footing.I couldn't look at him. 'What makes you say that?' Gavril sighed. 'I've known Maxon since he was a child. He's never stood up to his father like that.

You__e changed me forever. And I__l never forget you.

December 27, 11:00 p.m.My Dear America,I__e never written a love letter, so forgive me if I fail now. . . .The simple thing would be to say that I love you. But, in truth, it__ so much more than that. I want you, America. I need you.I__e held back so much from you out of fear. I__ afraid that if I show you everything at once, it will overwhelm you, and you__l run away. I__ afraid that somewhere in the back of your heart is a love for someone else that will never die. I__ afraid that I will make a mistake again, something so huge that you retreat into that silent world of yours. No scolding from a tutor, no lashing from my father, no isolation in my youth has ever hurt me so much as you separating yourself from me.I keep thinking that it__ there, waiting to come back and strike me. So I__e held on to all my options, fearing that the moment I wipe them away, you will be standing there with your arms closed, happy to be my friend but unable to be my equal, my queen, my wife.And for you to be my wife is all I want in the world. I love you. I was afraid to admit it for a long time, but I know it now.I would never rejoice in the loss of your father, the sadness you__e felt since he passed, or the emptiness I__e experienced since you left. But I__ so grateful that you had to go. I__ not sure how long it would have taken for me to figure this out if I hadn__ had to start trying to imagine a life without you. I know now, with absolute certainty, that is nothing I want.I wish I was as true an artist as you so that I could find a way to tell you what you__e become to me. America, my love, you are sunlight falling through trees. You are laughter that breaks through sadness. You are the breeze on a too-warm day. You are clarity in the midst of confusion.You are not the world, but you are everything that makes the world good. Without you, my life would still exist, but that__ all it would manage to do.You said that to get things right one of us would have to take a leap of faith. I think I__e discovered the canyon that must be leaped, and I hope to find you waiting for me on the other side.I love you, America.Yours forever,Maxon

#NAME?

America, I don't think you can change history." All the same, his expression looked hopeful."Sure we can. Besides, who'd ever know about it but you and me?

I wanted to be his dear, his darling.

It's hard to get a hug wrong.

I was stunned into silence, the way I always was when he touched the sky places of my heart.

We'll when he lets his guard down he's okay. Like when he just talks without checking his words or you catch him just looking at something like... He's really looking for the beauty in it.

Something about being that close to him all the time made my bones feel weak.

...I want it to be as easy as breathing for you to say yes.

He reached up and tugged his ear. And I did the same.

I looked at his face, unsure of how many more of his smiles I'd have.

Need someone to talk to? I could tug my ear right now.

I wanted everything from and everything for him, because I wanted every piece of him.

You__e too beautiful for your own good. Once you leave, we__l have to send some of the guards with you. You__l never survive on your own, poor thing.

I can__ help it." I sighed. "One can never help being born into perfection.