Chapter 5

The Break

…

It has been seventeen days since I found out about the engagement ring Peeta had bought me and the grand proposal he had thought up. He has not said a word about getting married or the number of kids he wants or anything involving a proposal. The guilt that has begun to build in me these past few days has become unbearable. I am slowly deteriorating. I have to tell him I know. It is no longer a choice, I must tell Peeta. I had talked to Marcus the other day about telling Peeta I knew and all Marcus did was give me a scolding. I hung up on him and haven't talked to him since. My head was pounding, so much shit was going on.

I couldn't take it. The guilt was too much. I had to tell him.

I didn't care anymore if I gave him his chance or not to make his grand gesture. He was Peeta, I would marry him if he asked me to in the middle of the ocean during a hurricane while I was puking up my guts. He was Peeta and no matter how perfect or not his proposal was I would say yes. The longer I waited this out the worse it would get. And if Peeta was to propose I wasn't sure I would be able to act surprised either. I sucked at acting, at lying, at the whole pretending ideal. I had to tell him and that's all I was certain about right now. I didn't know what would happen when I did, but I knew I had to.

…

"Katniss." I heard I concerned voice say from somewhere unknown. "Katniss?" The voice repeated.

What? Wondering who was calling me I let go of my feet, standing up straight to see Annie looking at me. "Katniss, you okay?" I looked to her confused. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Why wouldn't you be," she laughed, "Kat, you've been bending over holding onto the balls of your feet for dear life for about the last ten minutes." Quickly looking around the beach, everything had changed from what I remember it being just seconds ago. More than half of Annie's morning yoga class had disappeared or were in the process of making their way off the beach. The sun was a little higher in the sky. A few beach goers had pitched their umbrellas and laid out their towels. And Annie, herself was standing in front of me, her straw mat rolled up under her arm ready to leave before I was.

"Sorry," I mumble stepping off my mat, rolling it up and tucking it under my left arm before grabbing my canteen from where it sat in the sand before me.

"Sorry," I repeated, "Ready to go?" She nodded her head.

Making out way off the beach Annie nudged me with her elbow. "You okay," she asked, "You've been a little off these past few days."

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, "Just got a lot on my mind. Summer is going to be in full swing next week or so and I need to make sure the bar is A-Okay. And some other shit."

"Other shit?" She questions.

"Yeah," I say nodding my head, "Haymitch and Marcus… don't really want to talk about it. Plus I gotta tell Peeta something which is kind of freaking me out."

She looked at me with one of her classical concerned motherly expressions. "Do I want to know?"

"No, probably not. And anyway it's not something I really feel like sharing."

Nodding her head, we walk in silence to the car. Even once we're in the car neither one of us say a word. It isn't till Annie pulls up to the back stairwell behind the bar that leads up to my flat that she spoke again. "You're not breaking up with Peeta are you?"

"No," I say, "God no Annie, I'd be an idiot to do that… I just hope he doesn't break up with me when I tell him something."

She nods her head as I let myself out of the car. "Well, good luck then Katniss," she says before putting the car in drive, "But I would say you'll be okay, Peeta loves you too much to let you go."

…

Today I was going to tell Peeta; today was the day I was going to tell Peeta about the ring. It was decided, written in stone and all. It was nearing nine now and any minute Marvel would be here to help out with the Saturday night crowd plus it would give me a few moments with Peeta to talk. As I slid a beer across the bar toward a dark haired man in exchange for a couple dollar bills, I felt something quickly and quietly poke my sides causing me to jump. Letting out a surprised squeal, I turned around to see Rye looking to me with a devious smile.

"Marvel is here darling," he said as he filled pitcher with beer beside me at the tap, "He just walked into the kitchen and should be out any second."

Nodding my head, I untied the black apron from around my waist and tucked it under the counter. "I'll be back in a few." Walking back into the kitchen I gave Marvel a wave. "Hey, when you can, help Rye behind the counter could you? I'll be right back."

"Sure thing, Kat," he said with a nod. Then through the kitchen and out into the bar, I spotted Peeta sitting in a booth with his dad. Here goes everything.

"Hey," I say walking up beside the booth I slid into the open seat beside Eric, "Can I borrow Peeta for a moment, Eric?"

He gave me a smile. "Cost you a kiss." Peeta stood up from his spot across the booth as I kissed Eric on the cheek before sliding out of the booth myself. "Thanks Eric, we need to spend some time together."

"Lunch soon," he stated like we always did for our annual "family time."

"Yeah," I smiled. Then taking Peeta by the hand I led him through the bar, into the kitchen and to the hall that led to the back room.

"You okay," he asked, "You're shaking."

"I'm shaking," I began only to look down to see my hands trembling. I nodded my head. "I have to tell you something," I began only to stop myself causing the hall to fall silent.

"Hey," Peeta said rubbing him hands up and down my arms, "You can tell me anything you know, were in this together. Remember, always." I nodded my head again. "I- I know… I know about-" And then there was a tumultuous crash interrupting me as I talked. Pausing to hear what was going on there was another crash. Following my instinct, I pulled away from Peeta running through the kitchen and into the bar to see Cato's fist connecting with Marvel's stomach causing him to fall to the floor.

What the hell was going on?

"Hey," I yelled pushing through the people whom had crowded around Cato and Marvel, "Move it!" And as Cato sauntered over toward Marvel who was struggling to stand up I pushed through the crowd stepping in front of him. "What hell are you doing Cato?" I say tall and sternly.

"Nothing," he said through his teeth, clenching his fist, "Just step aside and in no time I'll be gone."

Did he think I was going to let him beat the shit out of Marvel like he did with Shoe-Be Joe a few summers ago? He had to be stupid to think so. Opening my mouth to tell him to go, he grabbed my arm I assumed to push me aside, but the moment he touched me my knee came up in contact with his groin.

"Ahhh," he groaned keeling over. Knowing it would take a few moments for him to recover I turned to Marvel to see Rye helping him off the ground and blood trickling down from the now cut under his now forming black and blue eye. "

Get him cleaned up and then back to behind bar," I say to Rye before pointing to Marvel, "You stay in the kitchen and wait for me. We need to talk."

Back around, Cato was now standing as strong as he could be. Grabbing the front of his shirt I tugged him toward the front door. Once we were outside I let go of his shirt. "What the hell was that," I practically scream. He grunts pulling a cigarette from his pocket along with a lighter.

"None of your business."

"It became my business the moment you decided it was okay to beat up on one of my employees, my friends in my bar," I say taking the cigarette from his lips and stomping it out with my heel, "So what was that about?"

"Nothing," he mumbles refusing to look me in the face.

"Cato!"

"He slept with Glim," he shouts at me, "My girl, he slept with my girl!"

Taking in what he was saying I asked. "Glim? As in Daisy Glimmer?"

"Yes!"

"Cato, she sleeps around with everyone," I say, "And if you just beat the shit out of Marvel because she's a slut; and has been sleeping on and off with you, Marvel, Shawn, and god-knows-who-else and you were too stupid to see it then I gotta say I'm ashamed."

Grumbling and grunting he asked, "How long?"

"Um, ahh, three days," I say after a little hesitation, "And I'm being nice about this 'cause I kinda feel bad for you so don't complain."

"Okay. That's fair," he nodded his head, "Three days, maybe I'll see you Wednesday then."

…

"Hey." I heard from behind me only to see Peeta's hands take the cases of beer from mine and set them neatly under the bar counter with the other cases. "You're good. The bars closed. Rye is gone. Marvels alive. Cato is on probation for three days. The bar is in tiptop shape. Let's take a break." I nod my head leaning against the counter.

Pressing my palm to temple I say. "I still need to talk to you."

Peeta smiles, "I'm here."

"Okay," I say taking in a few deep breathes, "I know- know about the-" I stop myself thinking if I should go through with this, with telling Peeta about the ring. Is it still the right thing to do? I have no clue, but…

"You know about what," Peeta presses. "The ring," I nearly shout, finally breaking, letting it all out, not knowing what all that is or what was with my emotional outburst. "I know about the engagement ring, Peeta! It fell out of your jacket that night of the hospital when you went to go get us coffee... It fell out and it was there and I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know about the ring and the proposal... Don't kill Marcus, he told me about it all, he kinda… he had too. It was there. And it sounded wonderful, perfect..."

"Katniss," he says interrupting me, but I don't allow him too. I have hit my breaking point and everything that had been building in me for the last two weeks is now finally coming out. It was as if I had hit a point of no return, it was all being let out now. "Everything sounded, would have been perfect. The ring was gorgeous and- and the grand gesture was really romantic. But any proposal by you would result in the same answer… And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I didn't want to ruin it for you… I'm sorry…" By now tears have begun to cascade down my cheeks and in attempts of wiping them away with the back of my hand did no use. Peeta stood in front of me silent. He was breathing silently, shocked maybe. We stayed like this for what seemed like hours. But then watching as Peeta shoved his left hand into his back pocket pulling out the familiar black velvet box I had seen just weeks ago he set it down on the bar.

"It's yours," he said.

"Peeta-" But he cut me off.

"No, it's yours Katniss, made for you, you should have it," he says backing up, "And- and… I guess I'll see you around." Then like that he was gone and it was just me.