"You love me," Peeta says, meeting my eye. "Real or not real?"
I breathe in deeply and my eyes dart away. I can't stand to look him in the eye right now. I can't afford to bring either of us any more pain right now. Neither of us would be able to bear it, and I don't want to be responsible.
"Katniss," he says, desperately. "Real or not real?"
"I don't know," I whisper, drawing my knees up to my chest and hugging them.
"What do you mean you don't know?" he asks, panicked. I see his fists clench, more out of frustration than anger, and his eyes become wet. "The whole point of this… Game is so I know what's real and what isn't, and you're throwing an indefinite at me? Just tell me the truth, Katniss, do you love me?"
"I don't know!" I protest, just as frustrated as he was. "I did love you, and more than anything I want to still love you. But I loved what you were before. When you started screaming about how I was a mutt, I got scared. And I know it wasn't your fault, and that it's not fair of me to blame you for something that the Capitol did, but…"
"But what?" he asks, quietly.
"I want to love you," I say. "But I can't say that I do because I can't get either of our hopes up."
"That's… Upsetting," Peeta says. "Not because you might not love me. Well, actually, it's plenty because you might not love me, because I think I'm figuring out how to love you again. I just really don't like uncertainty. I don't know what would hurt more; you not loving me or thinking there's any chance you could."
"I'm so sorry," I say, wiping away a tear I didn't realize had fallen.
"I understand," he says, standing to leave.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"I'm not sure," he admits, walking away.
"Stay safe, okay?" I say.
There's no response as he leaves, but I'm sure he'll be okay. He wouldn't do anything rash.
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-Haley/Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived