Katniss's POV
I make it outside just before the waterworks begin. I walk to the very edge of our yard and fall down facing away from the house. Did he just say that he wishes he had strangled me? Did he really say that? I can't believe he would say that. Peeta, who's been in love with me since he was five, wished I was dead. This must be another one of his spells from the tracker jacker venom hijacking, right? But he hasn't had one of those in like three years. I look at the trees lining the end of our yard. Some are tall and green, some are short and fat, some lean in the wind, some are dead, some have leaves everywhere. Trees are like people, they're all different but they can live in harmony. When I'm studying a tree with red and orange leaves, despite it not being autumn, I noticed that the sky is becoming dark and stormy. Peeta's probably concerned. Let him worry, I think. Serves him right. There's just one problem. I'm starting to get kind of hungry. I can't go inside though. After all those years of starving, you can make it, I remind myself. Thunder rumbles in the distance. Let him worry about you, I think.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up the man they say murdered three
Strange things did happen here
In the hanging tree
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree" I sing softly to myself.
I can hear Peeta's loud tread coming up behind me. "Katniss," he says softly.
"I don't want to hear it."
"Katniss, please. Just listen to me."
"You said you wished I were I dead," I sob. A flash of lightning hits the sky.
"I didn't say that!"
"Maybe not exactly but…" The wind begins to roar and rain falls from the sky. Another rumble of thunder hits our ears.
"Can we please talk about this inside?""
"No," I say sternly, still hurt.
"Listen, baby," he says, sitting next to me.
"Peeta. I don't want to hear it. I just want to be by myself for a little," I say, turning away from him.
"I love you, but I just—"
"I said I don't want to hear it!"
"Can I just say it? You don't have to listen," he pleads.
"Fine."
"Katniss. I love you with all my heart. I always have. I just, I felt like you've been acting really weird lately. And instead of talking it out like the grown adults we supposedly are, I freaked out and we got into this mess. Can you forgive me?" he says.
Silence. I don't say anything and neither does he for a long time.
"Well, yeah. I guess you can be forgiven."
"Really?"
"Well sure," I say. "But I'm still mad at you."
"I'm sorry."
"Me, too," I sob. "Oh, Peeta! I love you, and will always love you, my boy with the bread."
"Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, gets a happy ever after," Peeta jokingly says to me. I lean on his shoulder and smile despite the storm. "Should we go inside?"
"No, that's okay. I kinda like the rain."
Don't worry, I'm still not done.