When I wake up, I notice that I am still cradled, but also have a major headache, in Nick's arms. I hear something rustling in the bushes and that's when I remember how hungry I am. I haven't had anything to eat since we left the Capitol. Nice Juliet. Hunger angrily pulls at my stomach and I give up and eat five crackers out of the boxand offer some to Nick. He smiles and takes some but I force him to eat more than me considering he's hardly getting any sleep.
My hands still shake and I am still tired and hungry. Since the sun is just now rising, I grab my bow and arrows and stand up. "Do you want to come? I'm going hunting." I ask.
Nick grins. "Sure." I hand him the knife that was in the tree but he turns it away and grabs a sword from under a bush. "I've got this. Thanks though."
I smile and nod. "No problem." We walk a little farther in the forest and by the end of it we end up catching five squirrels and two rabbits. "I can cook them if you want me to." I offer sweetly.
"No that's fine I can do-" Nick starts but stops himself.
"What-"
"Shh." he murmurs. At first I don't know what he's talking about but then I hear the rustling in the bushes. "Get your bow ready." he whispers. I nod and grab the bow, arrow ready to fly. Suddenly a girl comes out of the bushes.
"Why hello there." she purrs, her voice evil. Nick glances at me but I already know how I am going to get into this battle.
"Hello," I say in the same cockey tone. "Might I say, you do not look like the best competition for these games. You haven't died yet? Shocking."
She glares at me. "Shouldn't you be with Blake?"
"No, he tried to cheat on me. Now, enough about me, how about you?" I ask with my bow aimed at her chest.
"Let's see, I'm happy to kill you..and that's about it." she replies, her sword drawn.
"I'm sorry, but that may not happen." I say with my cockey tone still in action. I shoot her and she drops dead in a matter of seconds. "Scan the area really quick." I tell Nick. "Please."
"Are you sure that you'll be okay?" he asks. I nod.
"I'll be fine. Now go." I say shooing him off with my hand. He smiles and walks into the forest. I walk around quietly and then get cornered against a tree. A knife is aimed at my neck and I am weaponless because my bow is dropped to the ground along with my arrows. My eyes widen as I see that Jared is the attacker.
"Hey, princess. Sorry but I need to win." he purrs. I close my eyes and prepare for the death soon to come but it doesn't. Instead, I hear a gasp from Jared and then I see Angie's hazel eyes look down at his neck. A knife is wedged perfectly in his spine and she laughs.
"You see Jared? This is what you get for being a backstabber." she purrs as he dies. When the cannon goes off, she pulls out the knife and whipes the blood off with her shirt. "I better get credit for this when you make it back." she says with a small smile.
My eyes are still wide open, not knowing how to respond. Nick races up behind me. "You okay?" he asks.
I turn to him. "I'm fine."
"Are you-" I cut him off.
"I am perfectly okay." I say, still dazed. "I'll cook it." Nick pushes my hand away as I try to grab a squirrel.
"I've got it." he says sweetly. I stare into his eyes, so brown, so dark.
"Okay." I mutter. I lean against a rock and sigh as I watch him cook the game. My eyes begin to feel heavy and he walks over to me.
"Here," he says handing me a piece of meat. I smile and take it. It's perfectly cooked and still warm.
"Thanks." I say. Nick's eyes stare into mine and don't look away until I stare back. "What?" I ask.
"Nothing." he mutters turning away.
"No there must be something." I insist.
"I was just looking into your eyes and taking in as much as I can before my life ends." he says. I grab his hand and spin him toward me almost violently.
"Do not say that, Nick!" I say harshly. "Please don't say that." my voice is lowered again. He looks into my eyes again.
"Okay. I'm sorry." he says sadly.
"It's okay." I murmur back. He smiles slightly and pulls me in for a long kiss. I can't help but shiver his hands reach mine. When I pull away, he presses the bridge of his nose to mine.
"It'll work out. Everything will." he purrs. I try to smile...I really do but considering that I know he's only saying this to comfort me, I can't do that too well. He can obviously tell this. "Hey, I need you to believe that you'll be okay."
"I don't care about me. I care about you." I say. "With you, my life means something. With you, I have a reason to wake up in the morning. With you, I feel like I mean something. You die, my spirit dies with you." My eyes begin to get a little teary but I need to hold my ground.
"Same with me." he says. Since I'm not sure how to respond to that, I just cuddle up in his arms.
"I know that I say this probably way too much but I love you." I say.
"Trust me, I love hearing that. I love you too." He says with his usual kind and gentle smile.
"Um...don't take this the wrong way but I think I want to leave the alliance." I say. "I mean, I can't kill any of them and the lives are getting-"
"Then I'm leaving with you. You can't expect me to just watch you walk away." he says. "I'm coming."
I close my eyes. "But you'd be so much safer with a huge group of people rather than just me."
"I don't care. So would you." he says.
"Okay." I mutter, knowing that he's probably right. "Then I guess you're coming too." I jot down in the dirt saying that we were going and we walk away. I want to cry, knowing that my best friend Angie will be worried sick but don't knowing that the Captiol wouldn't be as satisfied. Nick tries to carry my bow but I insist on keeping it because I need to be able to shoot at a moment's notice.
The woods are calm today. The wind barely blows on my face and the birds chirp softly. I take Nick's hand and continue walking. Once we've been walking for about three hours, we decide to make camp in a cave. I lay the blanket down on the ground and get bored so I make a rope swing and swing on that while Nick gets some rest.
I eventually walk in the cave and get under the blanket with him. His eyes flutter open and he smiles. "Hey." I grin and cuddle up closer to him.
"Hi." I murmur. He wraps his arm over me and I look at him. His beautiful eyes stare into mine. He pushes me closer to him with his arms and I go willingly.
"So, how was it out there?" he asks.
I smile. "Just like it is at home." He smiles and gently takes my hand.
"Do you think that forever and always is a good phrase?" he asks. I look at him and think about it.
"I guess it depends on who you use it to." I say.
"Well, I can honestly say that I will love you forever and always." he purrs.
I smile. "As I can say the same." Nick's hand raises to my cheek and gently finds its way across it. I slide my boots off and relax myself in his arms. I realize how dark it is outside and turn to him. "Maybe we should get some sleep. I can take the first watch if you want me to."
"No that's okay. I've been sleeping the entire time. I can keep watch." he says. I shake my head.
"No it's fine. I can."
"Just go to sleep, Julie." he murmurs.
I smile. "Is that what I'm going by now?"
"With me, yes. Now goodnight." he says. I smile and give up and close my eyes.
"I love you." I murmur before I fall asleep.
"I love you too." he says.