The Selection in the Hunger Games

The Arrow - Chapter 21

I tackled Maxon to the ground, the grass softening our fall. The arrow whizzed over our heads. We scampered off the ground, searching for our attacker. It was Rezo, the add in from District Seven. He shot again, this one aimed at me. I dodged it while Maxon rushed him.

"Be careful!" I shouted. We had been so stupid. We had left our weapons with Carter. That's when I heard a shriek to the right of me. It was Celeste. She was close to the pond but was making her way over to us. We were getting flanked.

"Maxon!" He had wrestled the bow from Rezo's hands and was engaging him in direct combat. "They're surrounding us, we need to get out of here!" I shouted urgently, looking back and forth.

Rezo had managed to get him on the floor, punching him mercilessly. Celeste had made it across the field, her knives catching the glint of the moonlight.

I was going to take Celeste's knives, save Maxon, and then get us back to camp. With that false confidence, I charged Celeste, catching her by surprise.

"Maxon was supposed to be with me!" she whined, jumping backwards. She countered with a slash of her knives directed at my face. I bent my knees, dodging them, and hit her with an uppercut to the jaw. I took that moment to wrangle a knife from between her knuckles. I clutched it, holding it sideways in a defensive stance.

"I'm assuming Revo isn't with you?" I asked. I couldn't give in to the urge to look back at Maxon otherwise I would most likely be dead.

"No."

"Some part of you cares about Maxon. Let's finish this fight another time. Let me save him," I pleased. I put the knife down from my face to my side.

She contemplated my proposal before nodding. There was a degree of respect in her eyes. "Okay. But give me back my knife." I handed her the weapon and she turned around with a secretive smile. "Keep him safe."

I rushed to Maxon's side where him and Rezo were still punching each other. I managed to throw Rezo off, grabbed Maxon's hand and we bolted. Rezo chased after us for awhile but soon gave up.

We laid down in a soft patch of grass, panting.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I don't know what I would do if he wasn't.

"I'm fine, how are you? Celeste was there, wasn't she?" He still sounded tired.

"She was. She helped me save your life actually."

"Oh stop," he replied jokingly. "I was not going to die at the hands of someone named Rezo."

I gave him an 'I'm not convinced" hum. He turned over in the grass, eyes light with humor. I didn't realize how close we were.

"If anyone was on the brink of death, it was him," he explained.

"Yeah, right."

I could feel his breath on my lips. I felt myself leaning into him.

"Please do not to yell at me this time." His lips met mine tentatively, testing to see if it was okay. I melted into the kiss, my hands finding themselves in his hair. He deepened the kiss, his arm wrapping tightly around my waist. We pulled apart, leaving us both lightly gasping.

His kisses made me feel so... adored. There was nothing else like them in the world.

"I'm assuming you broke up with Leger? " he questioned. I don't think he could bring himself to say his first name.

I missed Aspen so much it hurt. I hadn't seen who had died tonight and I just hoped it wasn't him. I was also angry that he had dumped me but so glad that he had survived yesterday. I was so confused. Without me saying a word, Maxon understood me. He huddled me in his arms, placed his chin on the tip of my head, and apologized for something he had no control over.

"I know you're still...getting over things. And we are in this...situation. But is there anyway, that this could happen?"

I nodded and a feeling began to blossom in my chest.

**Aspen's secret is about to come out in the next two chapters**

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