I hear Prim behind me as I head out the door. "Where are you going, Katniss?" I turn around and see her looking at me with innocent doe eyes.
"I'm just going to Peeta's house. I need to talk to him." I hug her tightly and walk out the door. I have to walk in the snow to reach his house and it soaks through my shoes. I knock on the door and by the time he opens it my feet are going numb.
"Hey you don't have to knock, you know."
I walk through the door as I say, "What if you didn't want me here?"
"I always want you here, Katniss." He looks at my face and says, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"No it's okay. Peeta, I came here because I do want to be with you. I do love you, really and truly. I've just always been scared of the Hunger Games and never wanted to start a family."
"So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that we should get married our way, not their way."
"They wouldn't like that and your mother definitely wouldn't approve."
"Which is why we don't tell anybody. It doesn't even need to be official. Even Haymitch wouldn't approve."
"So, you mean like a toasting? What brought this on?"
"Yeah, and my nightmares changed. They're like yours now. I lose you and I can't take it."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't hold you to it anyway." The way he looks at me nearly drives me to tears. He's so caring and sincere, I can see it in his eyes.
"Peeta, I don't deserve you. I never could."
"You deserve someone who loves you and I do love you. To tell you the truth, you deserve better than me."
I shake my head and the tears fall. "No, I don't. How could I when I hurt the people I love so much? When I've hurt you so much?"
By now I'm sobbing and he takes me in his arms. "Hey, don't cry," he whispers into my hair. "What hurts me is when you're hurting. It's okay."
I nod, but I can't seem to stop the tears. I lift my head and see that I've soaked his shirt. I place my hands on his shoulders, pull myself up on my toes, and kiss him. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me back. He pulls away and rests his forhead on mine.
"I love you so much," he whispers and kisses my nose.
"I love you too, Peeta. I hope you know that."
"I do now," he says and soon after we are married.