When Peeta enters his home with a heavy sigh, he finds Finnick sitting in his living room.
"Hey, how did it go?" Finnick asks him, referring to the land Peeta went to buy from Katniss earlier.
"Fine. I bought the land with no problem." Peeta says and then lands on the couch with a heavy thud.
"And Katniss? Is she more relaxed around you now?" Finnick asks and Peeta shakes his head.
"No. She's still very serious and barely even looks at me." he sighs again.
"Why are you wasting your time with her Peeta? Find someone else, there are dozens of women in Twelve." Finnick laughs.
"I know. But no one is..her. But you're right. I've considered it too. I've been invited for dinner tonight at the Everdeen's. If Katniss continues with this attitude, I will thank Miss Diana for her..kindness? And I'll return to District Eleven and the ranch. Here in twelve I've got nothing else to do."
Finnick doesn't respond as Peeta's maid tells him a man is waiting to see him. It's Marvel. As Finnick retreats leaving the two men alone Marvel sits down and starts talking.
"My mother told me all about your deal." he says.
"She shouldn't have told you. We both agreed that your father could not know about this, and even less Katniss. She knows nothing right?" Peeta asks.
"No. Nor does my dad. No, he actually really likes you. The other day he was talking about you non stop, Peeta this and Peeta that..exclusively he said that he thinks you're interested in my sister and he was happy." Marvel says.
"And what did your sister say?"
"My sister is weird. She doesn't like to show what she's feeling. But she was smiling when my dad said that." Marvel lies. "Obviously the deal you made with my mother, is still on! We don't want Katniss or my father to know that you will pay our depths in exchange of..well you know. Because they'd get really angry." Marvel continues.
"I'd say this is more an agreement than a deal." Peeta says.
"Yes of course. These things are natural among us..successful people." Marvel laughs.
"Successful people? Did your mother tell you I'm not a successful person as you say?"
"Oh you say that because you're a bastard, but no one knows that in Twelve, don't worry."
Peeta nods sarcastically. "I understand. So, your sister and your father know nothing, right?"
"Nothing." Marvel repeats.
"Good. Because I would never want her to marry me for money." Peeta says.
"Nor does my sister. Do you know Sebastian Moore?"
Peeta shakes his head.
"No? He's Katniss's ex fiance, he belongs to a very important family in twelve, and still, my sister ended things with him because she didn't love him. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that if my sister is with you, it is not because of your money. We're not like that. If my sister is with you, it's because she feels something. My advice is that if you really care for her, be patient. She'll correspond to you."
"And aside from this Sebastian, is there any other man in Katniss's life?" Peeta asks.
"No! Look I don't know what type of girl you think she is but, my sister loves no one. Yet." Marvel lies again.
X
"You are an ungrateful selfish person Katniss! You don't care if we end up in misery!" Diana yells as Katniss immediately refused to marrying Peeta.
"No! I'd very much like that actually, It would make my love with Gale finally possible!" she yells. "I'm sure that my dad will understand me. He would support me, because he would never let me sell myself, just to save him from his depths. And I'm going to tell him right now!" Katniss moves towards the door but Diana stops her again.
"You won't tell him a thing!" Diana grabs her daughter.
"Don't touch me!" Katniss pushes her away and runs to the hall, calling for her father while Diana follows behind her.
"Katniss listen to me!" Diana yells.
But as soon as Katniss enters her fathers office, she immediately notices him struggling, holding a hand over his chest in pain. He was having a heart attack.
Diana calls for Lavinia while Katniss kneels next to her father, screaming.
"What are we going to do mother?" Katniss cries.
Slowly Charlie's eyes open and he murmurs something incomprehensible.
"It's okay dad, you'll be okay." Katniss says and proceeds to call their family doctor.
X
The next morning Diana visits Peeta as she wants to let him know, she is officially agreeing to his offer.
"Good morning Miss." Peeta politely walks in.
"How are you Peeta?" she says.
"Good good. Please sit down." he offers. "And you?"
"Well to be honest I'm very sad and worried because last night Charlie almost had another heart attack."
"I'm very sorry."
"It's not the first time. A year ago the same thing happened and luckily this time we didn't need to hospitalize him, but he is still very delicate." Diana tells him.
"I imagine you came to cancel tonight's dinner plan. But, there was no need for you to come all the way down here, you could have just called me." Peeta says.
"No of course not. The dinner is not off." She laughs. "Obviously Charlie will not be present but I, my sister-in-law and my son Marvel will accompany you. And of course Katniss."
"Perhaps it's not a good idea that I visit if Mr Everdeen is sick."
"The thing is he himself asked me to invite you. Charlie thinks that as sick as he is, well everyone else in the house needs to eat dinner, and he's right right? Besides you are practically part of the family by now." Diana says.
"What are you talking about?" Peeta chuckles nervously. "Don't you think you are going a little too far by saying things like that? One thing is our agreement and another is the reality. I haven't even talked to Katniss about my intentions. We are not friends and especially not dating. It is very likely that your daughter will never accept me."
"Peeta I know that she is crazy about you." Diana lies.
"Did she say that?"
"Not with those words. But it takes just one look to see just how exited she is about tonight's dinner. Well, she even asked me what dress to wear.."
Peeta nods in surprise. He thought the girl hated him.
"Your son was here and he told me that Katniss was about to marry a man, Sebastian?"
"I'll be honest with you Peeta. To me, Sebastian was the ideal man for Katniss. But she didn't love him. And you know what's the funny thing? Katniss decided to break things off with him, right after she met you! Look Peeta the reason I'm here is because I need help. You know my son, he is still very young and with Charlie being so sick, I consider you as the man of the family. Unfortunately I need help. We need a very large and important amount of money to pay for our home insurance.." she says.
"What do you want, advice?" Peeta asks.
"Aside from that..well you know you did agree to.."
"..To pay for your depths yes. But after marrying Katniss. And that has not happened yet. Perhaps it never will. It could be possible that your daughter likes me yes, but maybe after getting to know her, I might realize that she is not my woman. One never knows."
"You like Katniss right? I can assure you that you cannot find a better girl than here in twelve. She is gorgeous, polite, from a good family."
"I agree. But those are not the things I look for in a woman."
"Well aside from that she is kind, generous and good. And she has her thing."
Peeta laughs. "Look lady, if I take care of your economical problems now, Katniss will feel obligated, forced to marry me. And I don't want that. No man wants to buy the love of a woman. Well I don't anyway."
"Katniss doesn't know a thing about our deal. And she never will. I promise."
"Let's do this. For the sake of your husbands sickness, I will loan you the money for the insurance."
"Thank you."
"But. You will need to give me the scriptures of your home again. If I marry Katniss, you will get them back and we will go back to our agreement in witch I pay for all of your depths. But if not, it will be a simple negotiation as if you would've asked for a loan on the bank. But I warn you. If I find out that Katniss knows about this, I swear that I will not marry her and I will give up on everything."
"Well I truly don't understand why you are acting like this. I promised not to tell her a word."
"You're promises mean nothing to me. Just like your moral. I know perfectly well what you are doing lady. You are selling you're daughter!" he yells.
"Wait a minute, have some respect! How dare you say that to me?"
"It's the truth. And believe me, I wasn't expecting anything better from you. I never saw you with a good eye, but I never imagined how far you would go. You are using your daughter to get your hands on the money my father left me, because he did not give you a penny!"
"Very well. I'll admit that Benjamin was never too generous with me. Especially after everything I did for him." Diana cries.
"Yes of course. You two were lovers. But if there is anything that I am sure of, it is that you were with him for his money!"
"I will not allow you to speak to me like that Peeta! Don't act innocent because you are no better okay? Let me remind you that a couple of weeks ago you were just a simple servant cleaning kitchens. And now, that you have all this money. You are dying to get yourself a little wife from a good position. And who better than my daughter Katniss who is from one of the most important families in District Twelve. A perfect plan. For a bastard like you. Don't you think? I'll have the scriptures ready for you Peeta." She says before walking away without a goodbye.
X
Peeta cancelled the dinner himself. He told Finnick that he was disgusted with what he had gotten himself into. Disgusted by the way Diana was ready to sell her daughter as if she had been an object. He didn't want to have anything to do with the Everdeen's again.
"I'm sorry Peeta but in the end you started this whole mess. And besides Diana is still going to sell Katniss to some rich man. At least you are a good guy and you actually care for her." Finnick had told him.
This made Peeta rethink his decision. After all after everything Diana and Marvel told him, he was convinced she liked him back. And that is why a couple of days later he found himself in a car, on a way to a party Diana had invited him to. He didn't recall the hosts name, Snow maybe? He wanted to see if Katniss really felt like that towards him.
Katniss was wearing a tight green dress that made her grey eyes glow. Her hair was in a loose braid. Before she had gotten to the venue, her mother had reminded her on how they're problems are getting bigger and on how it was time to act. So although inside she felt like crying and screaming, with a broken heart, she still held a smile that made her whole face glow when she saw Peeta enter the room, wearing a dark blue tuxedo. Katniss could feel Diana's eyes on her. Pushing her forward. Forcing her to ruin her life. To do it for her father.
Peeta found himself very surprised when Katniss walked up to him with a smile.
"Good evening Peeta. I was waiting for you." Katniss says with the most seductive voice she could. She felt sick to her stomach.
"Really?" he smiles back.
Katniss nods. "Although I wasn't sure if you were even coming. I um, would like to talk to you.." She takes a look around the room filled with people with fancy dresses and tuxedos. They were all drinking expensive Champagne. "..but not here."
"Yes of course. Let's go." Peeta chuckles.
Katniss takes his hand and smiles at him as she locks eyes with him. Grey on Blue. Then she pulls him away with her.
X