Ch. 9 (SC POV)
I stared into the flames and swallowed the rest of my drink from my glass. Stupid, that's what I was. She tried explaining and I had to have it in my head that I was right. She didn't owe me an explanation for the way I've treated her. I sighed and stood, pouring myself another glass of whiskey. Only this time it was a bit more difficult because my hands wouldn't stop shaking, how many have I had? 5…maybe 6 I can't even tell anymore. Insistent knocking came from the door and I slowly made my way over hoping it was her. My hops were crushed though when my door opened to reveal Cinna standing there looking about ready to wring my neck.
"What do you want?" I asked taking a large gulp and moving aside so he could come in. He took in my appearance and shook his head.
"I was right, you're just as bad as she is." My head snapped up when he said she. Did he mean Aven? I mentally smacked myself, who else would he mean?
"You've seen Aven?" I asked collapsing in a chair and he sat across from me.
"She showed up at my doorstep bawling her eyes out. How could you possibly think she loves Finnick?" I slapped myself and let out a groan.
"I know it was stupid." He nodded.
"Did she tell you the full story?" I swirled the whiskey around and watched it, not wanting to meet his gaze.
"Just that he saved her from being raped." He nodded but I knew there was more he wanted to tell me.
"Did she tell you who from?" I shook my head no and he sighed.
"Your precursor." Heath had tried to hurt her?
"Seems like the only way I'm going to get the full story is from you." He nodded and sat forward a little bit.
"It's not a pretty story." He warned and I waved my hands.
"Just tell me before I change my mind." I said and he took a deep breath before starting.
"You know what normally happens to victors." I nodded.
"They…are given…to Capitol citizens." He nodded and continued.
"If they're legal age, which Aven wasn't mind you, but Finnick was." I didn't like were this was headed.
"Okay so far I'm only angry with Finnick." He held his hand up for me to be quiet.
"Haymitch pulled every string he could so she wouldn't be brought back until she was 16." At least the old man had some common sense in him.
"So what she came back again when she was 16?"
"With her tributes, she was with Finnick and Catherine when Heath showed up. Saying he paid for her. Haymitch and I couldn't do anything, technically she was legal age. The only way she couldn't go with him is if someone paid more than him."
"Which Finnick did." He nodded and it still didn't help the anger I felt towards him.
"But Heath wasn't willing to let her go. He grabbed her by her hair and hauled her to a room. Finnick followed and well…the poor guy took a tumble through the window." A sadistic smile made it's way to my face and I made a mental note to thank Finnick later. "He took her back downstairs and told Haymitch and I what happened. Ever since then he's made a habit of showing up and making sure she's okay."
"He was just looking out for her. And I got angry about it. God I am an idiot!" I yelled and sat my head down on the table.
"Yes you are, but you don't need me to tell you that. …Does she know about Ethan?" I stiffened and shook my head.
"No, and I wasn't planning on telling her." I said through clenched teeth.
"So it's okay for you to know her secret but she can't know yours?" I shook my head fighting down tears.
"Ethan is dead, so there is no secret." I said standing and putting my glass in the sink.
"She at least deserves to know the real reason you would've married Chara. Not because you had been with her for ten years, but because you had a son with her." I gripped the counter tightly as tears streamed down my face.
"And then I can tell her how I can't bring another child into this world just for Snow to kill them. And hurt her, is that what you want?" He shook his head and clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"It's going to hurt her more if Chara tells her."
"Chara's been hanging around her?" I asked straightening up a bit and wiping my face.
"Her car was parked not far from here, probably watching, waiting for her to be alone." I nodded and grabbed my coat.
"I gotta talk to her." I mumbled and he nodded and grabbed my arm giving me support as we walked to his home. He pointed to a room and I walked in quietly, seeing his sleeping peacefully. I hated to wake her up but we really needed to talk about this.
"Aven." I said shaking her gently and she woke. Her eyes getting wide when she saw me before wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Why're you here?" She asked pulling away and wiping a tear from her face.
"To apologize, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you." I said stroking her cheek with my thumb.
"You thought I loved Finnick." She said biting her jaw and I shushed her.
"I know, and I'm sorry.' I said kissing her head.
"You came here at three in the morning just to say sorry?" I averted my gaze and took a shaky breath.
"No, there's something else I needed to tell you." I said pressing my forehead against hers.
"What?" Her words barely a whisper.
"I wouldn't have married Chara just because we had been together so long." I said and she looked at me with confusion. "I had a son with her, his name was Ethan."
"Was?" Her breathing caught and I nodded.
"Chara had Ethan when I was 23, things had been going downhill for a long time but then he was born and things were okay for awhile. Then Heath started this big thing where he decided he wasn't going to do what Snow wanted and he got all the gamemakers involved with it. The same years you were in the games Snow killed Ethan, and he did it with a smile on his face. Chara blamed me constantly, saying it was all my fault. And eventually I ended it with her because she was right, it was my fault." Aven shook her head and wiped away my tears.
"It's wasn't your fault, it was Heath's." She said with a kiss and I was glad I had her back.
"We can't have kids Aven. Lord only knows what Snow would do to them." She pulled away with a sad smile.
"I know." She said simply but I could see the pain flash through her eyes.
"I wish things were different." I whispered in her ear pulling her close.
"Me too, who knows maybe it will be." I laid down beside her and kissed her forehead.
"Maybe."
