Almost At The Top- Book Four in the United Series

Chapter One

Max's POV:

We made our way out of Illinois and into Missouri.

I caught Ivan looking at me hundreds of times but I brushed it off. I try my best to ignore him, to pretend he isn't even there, and it's working. Sometimes I wish I could pretend that what he did never happened, but it's not nearly as easy as pretending that Ivan isn't here.

I walked alongside Conrad and he told me all about our life on Earth. We've been to tons of places- to Rome, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Germany, Palestine, Paris. We've lived in the United States for a long time and once, in Wisconsin, the Mogadorians almost captured us before Number One died.

We stopped to camp out for the night near the border of Missouri and Illinois. It's risky being so close to Illinois, but at least we're not too close to Chicago.

Conrad and Sandor volunteered to take watch for the night but I can't seem to fall asleep. I'm a few feet away from everyone, even John. I guess I get a bit uncomfortable around everyone after resurrecting so many people.

I close my eyes and can hear Conrad and Sandor whispering about cool technology they've used so far on Earth. Geeks. 

I sigh and give up on trying to fall asleep. I quietly sit up and glance at Conrad and Sandor. Their backs are on me and I can see a few acres of forest to my left, so I get up and quietly sneak away into the woods, hoping no one saw or heard me.

I walk a few feet into the forest then lean my back on a tree, listening to the crickets chirping and from time-to-time, an owl hooting.

"Max?" I hear someone call from behind me. Dam it, I think. Someone did see me.

I turn around to see Ivan cautiously walking towards me.

"Are you alright?" He asks me calmly. I clench my jaw in anger.

"Fine," I answer coldly, looking at the ground.

Ivan purses his lips and walks in front of me. I still don't look at him, and I don't want to, but it's not my choice. Ivan softly takes my chin in his hand and lifts my head up to to look at him, then skims my cheek with his thumb.

"Max, I'm sorry about what I did." Ivan apologizes to me, so I do the reasonable thing. I shove Ivan away from me, his hand slipping from my face.

"Max..." Ivan trails off, his voice cracking.

"You betrayed us," I tell Ivan, my teeth gritted and my voice stone cold. "You're lucky Nico and I don't tell everyone else what you did."

"Why don't you? Why don't you just tell everyone what I did? Adam or John will gladly kill me, or they'll just send me back to the Mogadorians. Either way, I'll be out of your way. So why don't you tell them?" Ivan asks me and I quickly look away from him. I don't know why Nico or I haven't told anyone what Ivan did yet. It's true, what he said. If me or Nico tell the others what he did, he'll be away from us in no time. It'll be one less problem for me.

"Well?" Ivan asks me and I look back up at him. He takes a few steps towards me and I sigh.

"I don't know, but if you don't leave me alone I'll tell everyone," I threaten and Ivan glares at me for the first time ever. He takes a step towards me so our faces are only inches apart.

"Is that a threat?" Ivan asks me coldly and I glare at him. Of course it's a threat, and I take my threats very seriously.

"What if it is?" I ask him with just as much coldness as him. Ivan clenches his jaw and his hands coil into fists. At first it seems like he's going to attack me but instead he sighs, relaxing his body and closing his eyes. He turns around so his back is on me, then takes a few steps away from me. He turns around, his eyes open, and he's no longer glaring at me.

"You know I can't stay mad at you, Max. At everyone else it's easy, but you..." Ivan sighs again. "I don't think anyone can stay mad at you for long." I look down again.

"Max, I really am sorry," Ivan tells me, taking one more step towards me and I shake my head.

"I'm going back to the others, Ivan," I reply and I'm about to take a step towards the others when Ivan places his hand on the tree I'm standing in front of. He places his other hand on the other side of it, trapping me between himself and the tree.

I bite my lower lip and look at Ivan again. He's looking deeply into my eyes.

"Max, I love you, and nothing's going to change that. No matter what you do, I will never leave you," Ivan says to me.

"Haven't you already?" I ask him. He looks down for a few seconds before looking back up at me.

Ivan and I stay in that position for what seems like an eternity. It's not long before I finally snap back to reality and shove Ivan's arms away from me. I try to turn away but Ivan pins me to the tree by my shoulders.

"Let me go, Ivan," I order Ivan, who shakes his head.

"Not until you forgive me for what I did," Ivan replies. A blast of anger bursts inside of me. I try to tackle Ivan to the ground but he pushes me back. He looks surprised and shocked at what I tried to do.

"Max, please..." Ivan begs and I can hear a tint of desperation in his voice and hidden in his shining coal black eyes.

I open my mouth to speak until a familiar voice calls out to me.

"Max?" I turn around and see John looking from Ivan to me. "What's going on?"

"John..." I trail off, for some reason not finding the right words. Ivan looks at me, his face filled with desperation.

John looks at Ivan and glares at him. "What did you do to her?" He asks Ivan, looking furious. Ivan looks at John and lets go of my shoulders.

"Max, what did he do to you?" John asks me softly and calmly.

"N-Nothing. We were just talking," I lie. John nods his head and I can tell he bought it.

"Come back soon, okay?" John tells me and I nod my head. John turns around and heads back, leaving me alone with Ivan again.

Ivan looks back at me, confusion and gratefulness in his eyes.

"Uh, thanks," Ivan says. Without another word I turn towards the others and head back to them, a few streaks of light shining in the sky, and this time, Ivan doesn't stop me.

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Well, whatcha think? Is it a good start? Or is there to much 'Max and Ivan' going on?

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