Chapter Fifty Three

The key to Finnick's house was given to Annie the next morning. Thanking Mags as she sat at the woman's kitchen table, Annie looked toward the window where the rain was still coming down heavily. It had not stopped all night. Her ideas of going down to the beach for a bit had been dashed the moment she had awoken. Looking at the key in her hand now, Annie wanted nothing more than to get over to Finnick's house. With the rain coming down like it was, she relished the idea of curling up with a book.

Once Mags had let her leave, Annie dashed up the road to Finnick's house. Letting herself in, she carefully placed the key on the table by the door, and then headed into the living room. Looking around, she hesitated for only a moment before going over to the window and pulling the heavy curtains back. Pleased with the rather lovely view of the garden, Annie smiled. This would do nicely.

Moving into the kitchen, Annie set the kettle to boil while she went to choose a book from Finnick's bookshelf. When she had selected one that intrigued her sufficiently, she set about making herself a cup of tea before carrying it and her book into the livingroom and to the couch. Sitting down and getting comfortable, Annie shifted when she realised that she was sitting on something hard. Reaching down, she pulled out the remote control for the television. Figuring she would just have a quick look before she got to reading, Annie clicked it on.

She was met with a screaming crowd. Annie tilted her head. "The wedding of the year!" An announcer was exclaiming, "Anybody who is remotely important is here today!" Annie just watched. The camera was focused upon guests arriving at this wedding. They would get a good look at each of the outfits, and then if the person was apparently important or interesting, one of the program's hosts would give them a brief interview. She watched as a woman with bright blue hair was spoken to, and then the camera moved on. Annie's breath caught in her throat when she got a glimpse of bronze hair, and then she was looking at Finnick. The camera gave them a wide shot of him standing beside a woman with shoulder length lavender coloured hair. Annie looked him over; he was in a pair of exceedingly tight pants and a shirt that hung open halfway down his chest. She blinked, not at all his chosen style.

"Finnick Odair," The female host standing before the camera now moved a little closer to him.

"Good Morning, Tirah." Finnick greeted her with a smile.

"And Claudia Vellora…" Tirah made a show of looking them over, "Don't you two make a striking couple…?"

Annie watched as Claudia Vellora linked her arm through Finnick's, pulling him closer, "Oh, I know." She said, smiling widely at the camera, "Don't we look wonderful together?"

"You sure do." Tirah smiled again, "So, Finnick, are you enjoying your time in the Capitol at the moment?"

"I always do." Finnick answered silkily, and Claudia chose that moment to go up on her toes and press a kiss to his cheek. Annie dropped the cup she had been holding, barely noticing tea go everywhere. She was unable to take her eyes off the screen. She watched Finnick settle his arm around the woman's waist, still smiling brightly. Maybe it was true. Maybe he did enjoy getting away from the District. He would be able to go to fabulous events with all of those beautiful women. Everything stopped when Finnick turned slightly and Annie caught sight of the necklace he wore. The tibia shell necklace she had made. Her eyes filled with tears, watching him. All of a sudden she saw it for the pretence it was. How could she have thought that he wanted this? It had been a stupid thought and she felt terrible for even thinking it, even for a moment. As she watched him, Finnick raised a hand to the shell, touching it absently. In that instant she knew the reason he was wearing it. It was for her. He was telling her that even though she may see him there among all of those people and he may appear to be enjoying it, that she still had a claim on him. That he was still hers.

Silent tears fell from Annie's eyes and traced hot down her cheeks as she watched. Claudia had taken Finnick's hand when Tirah had finished with them and walked him slowly toward the doors of the building behind them. Not wanting to see any more, Annie turned the television off and just sat there for a few minutes. She didn't want to know. She just wanted him home. Looking down, Annie finally noticed that she had spilled tea all over the carpet. With a sniff, she got to her feet to get a towel to clean it up. At least it wouldn't stain.


Finnick tried not to rub his jaw. All the forced smiling for the cameras was really starting to hurt. Claudia held his hand tightly as they chose seats for the ceremony, and he tried to see how many people he recognised. It did not escape his notice that he was receiving some unhappy looks from other people who paid for his time every so often. It was always the same. They liked to believe that he chose to spend time with them; that they were the only ones. Every time they were reminded that he could belong to anyone with enough money it shattered their delusions and they didn't like it. Apparently the looks had not escaped Claudia's notice either, as she linked her arm through his possessively and rested her head against his shoulder as they waited.

He didn't know the couple getting married. He'd heard their names before and he thought he had maybe seen them at an event or two, but he had had nothing to do with either of them. Watching as they joined hands and stared lovingly at one another, Finnick supposed that they really were in love. This whole wedding had become a media circus, and the couple were clearly high profile in the Capitol, but this didn't seem fake. They way they looked at one another appeared genuine. He stiffened in his seat when Claudia ran her hand over his arm as the other moved to his thigh.

"I think…" she breathed in his ear, "That you and I should sneak off for some time alone during the reception…"

Keeping his eyes on the ceremony at the front of the room, he nodded. It was bizarre; watching this couple, who appeared to genuinely love each other, get married while sitting beside Claudia. The juxtaposition of the real and the false only made the hurt of having to do this all the more raw. Watching them, he wanted more than anything, to be with Annie. The thought of sitting beside Annie, holding her hand, as they watched two people commit to one another in this way was something that sparked desire within him. A moment like this was something he dearly hoped that he would be able to share with her. He clenched his teeth as Claudia's hand moved higher up his thigh.

"I can't wait until they're done…" She whispered.

"You probably should." He replied, his tone low.

"You're right." She nodded, "It's so quiet at the moment…"

Finnick just blinked.

When the ceremony was over and the guests began milling out into the large hall, Claudia took every opportunity to show Finnick off to just about every person in the room. By the end of being dragged around by her as she greeted everybody she knew, he was well and truly over the whole thing. He understood that he was a status symbol, that he was there to make her look good, but he was pretty sure he might just head-butt the next person he was introduced to.

"So, Finnick…" Claudia simpered, pulling him over to the bar and getting some wine. "Is this not the most spectacular wedding you've ever been to?"

"Looks like they spent a bit of money on it." He replied honestly. This venue would not have come cheap.

"Do people even get married in District Four?" She asked, sipping at her wine. Finnick blinked and looked at her.

"Yes…"

"Oh, nice." She gave a dismissive shrug and put her empty glass on the bar. He fiddled with the glass she had handed him before taking a sip. When she gave him a pointed look he finished it off quickly. "You know," she said, moving closer, "They won't be feeding us for at least an hour…" She ran a hand up his arm to his shoulder as she pressed herself against him. Finnick nodded.

"I assumed as much."

"Come on," She breathed, stepping back and pulling him along by his hand. She led him out a door at the side and into a long hallway.

"Do you know where you're going?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Wherever we want." Claudia replied, "Nobody will be coming back here."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, really not enjoying the prospect of someone coming across them.

"Yeah, in here…" Claudia opened another door and pulled him through. Looking around, he figured they were in one of the rooms that the wedding party had used to prepare themselves. There were flowers and plates and cups on a table in the centre of the room, chairs all over the place. Claudia pulled Finnick toward herself as she backed up against a sideboard by the wall. Lifting herself, she sat on it, her back against the adjoining mirror. "Come on…" She breathed, placing his hands on her. Finnick ran his hands over her slowly, watching as she tilted her head back to the mirror, her eyes closing. He shook his head almost imperceptibly. There was nothing he wanted more right now than to walk out the door and never see this woman again.

Claudia's hands were quickly undoing his pants as she spread her legs, making space for him to move closer. He did so as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and before he knew it she had begun working him with her hand. He fought the revulsion that washed through him as he caught sight of himself in the mirror, Claudia wrapped around him. He didn't want to do this. "Here we go…" she whispered, "Nice and hard…" Shame flooded Finnick. His body should not be responding to this woman, no matter what she did to him. He didn't want her. He had no interest in her. She wasn't Annie. The thought of Annie had tears pricking at his eyes. What would she think if she knew what he was about to do? He had told her that she had a claim on him. That he was hers. He was not meant to tell someone that and then go and fuck someone else. She did not deserve that. She deserved somebody who was entirely hers, who could give all of themself to her. He wanted to be that person.

"Do you need help?" Claudia asked impatiently.

He met her gaze. "In many ways." He replied flatly. She glanced expectantly down at him. Finnick let out a slow breath. He knew that if he didn't do this, someone he loved would pay for it. He didn't have a choice. Taking hold of her hips, Finnick pulled Claudia to the edge of the sideboard as he positioned himself appropriately. Catching sight of himself in the mirror again, he looked away in disgust before clenching his teeth and forcing himself roughly into the woman who had no claim on him. She let out a startled cry and raised a hand to touch his cheek, but Finnick caught her wrist tightly in his hand and brought it back down, pinning it to the mirror. She would not touch him. Adjusting himself quickly, he took hold of her other wrist as she raised her hand. Bending both of her arms around behind her back, Finnick took both her wrists in one of his own hands and held them there as he thrust again. Claudia grunted, trying to free her hands, but Finnick held tightly. Pushing her back, he dragged her hips further off the sideboard to improve his angle and increase the force behind his thrusts. She moaned wantonly, her legs tightening around his waist.

"Forgive me, Annie." Finnick groaned, baring his teeth as he began to thrust more quickly, setting a rhythm that Claudia matched with her cries. She had apparently given up trying to free her hands, and Finnick used that hold he had on her to keep her pinned as he drove himself into her. If he had to fuck this woman, that was what he would do. He would fuck her. She would get no tenderness from him. No emotion. She had no right to that. Only one woman did, and the next time he saw her, he would make sure that she knew it.