9. Visitor.

A discordant melody resonates from my piano. The pain in my heart releasing into the air through music. A soft knock at the door jars my fingers into the keys.

"I've got it!" I call tiredly up the stairs. I open the door to find the blue eyed boy from my childhood. "Peeta, what do you want?"

"Katniss told me what happened." He looks sad. That's when I realize, I'm not the only one who has been affected by what she did.

"Come inside." I step aside as he walks in the front door. "Are you okay?"

He smiles gently, his eyes still holding sorrow. "I saw them too… Not as bad as you saw them."

I lead him to the lounge room as he tells me what he saw. He walked in while they were still asleep, Katniss gripping tight to Gale's hand, her good cheek resting on his arm.

"I woke her up and told her to go to bed. Then I went back home to get some fresh bread for the Everdeen's. When I went back over Katniss was gone and Gale looked shattered. I thought he was still just in pain…"

"Katniss wasn't in bed."

"I know," he whispered. "She followed you."

"And I screamed at her." Tears pricked at my eyes. "I told her she ruined everything."

"I didn't even know you knew Gale." He said raising an eyebrow.

"He used to sell me strawberries."


"Strawberry?"

"I would love one." I smile at him as he produces a berry from his bag.

"Can I ask you for something else first?" he stands again and steps closer to me, placing his free hand on my waist and holding the strawberry between us.

"Anything" I whisper.

"Get it yourself?" he places the strawberry between his teeth and winks.

I get on my tippy toes and bite off half the berry. He smiles and eats his half before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.


"Strawberries?"

"Yeah, kind of like how you gave Katniss that bread." I look away, absentmindedly clutching my own fingers.

He places his hand on mine. "You know he loves you, right? When I saw him, he was shattered. He kept mumbling how he had to make things right. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on his way here now…"

A knock at the door interrupts our conversation.