Author's Note: Sorry for taking a long time to post! I'll try to update frequently.
Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games or its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.
Katniss's POV
"Hey, you look familiar." He looks me up and down with a smirk." Do I know you?"
I bite my lip to keep from crying.
"I said do I know you?" He asks and steps closer. He pushes my hood down and smirks." Well aren't you a beautiful thing."
When he reaches for my zipper I smack his hand away. I take off running the opposite direction from him.
"Told you." I hear gale's voice.
"Stop it." It comes out in a whisper. I run faster and don't stop until my lungs burn. I run to a deserted area. I can't let Thom find me. He's going to do it again. I know he will. I hear heavy footsteps beside me. I turn and see that it's gale.
"You're a worthless piece of shit." He spits at me.
"Stop it!" I burst into tears and place my hands over my ears.
" Skank." He tells me and I hear the sound of him getting his gun.
"Stop!" I yell and cry harder. It's not real! It's not real! I take off my back pack and get a sharp object.
I place it against my wrist and sink the metal object into my flesh. Gale's voice starts to disappear.
I sigh and cut a few more times, to make sure his voice won't return.
I place the object back in my back pack and let the blood run down my arm. I feel tired. I just want gale to get out of my head!
I hear a loud sound coming from the sky; I look up. Droplets of water hit my face and lightning starts to flash. It looks like I won't be able to go into the woods again.
The rain comes down harder. I make no attempt to hurry up. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and start to walk west.
I put my now soaked hood up and follow a grassy trail. The town starts to appear again but there's so much you can see with all this hard rain.
"Jessica!" I hear someone yell. I walk faster. " Hey!"
I take off in a sprint but don't get far. I'm spun around and see those gorgeous blue eyes.
"What are you doing out here!" He yells over the loud rain.
"Walking." I say.
"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" He asks.
"Yes." I lie. He seems to notice because he pulls me towards his house." Stop it! Let go of me!"
"I'm not leaving you out here." He tells me.
"You barely know me! You can be taking in a criminal!" I yell at him.
"You're not a criminal." He tells me. Yes I am.
"Let me leave." I say.
"No." He says." You can leave tomorrow if you want, but not today." He says and pulls me into his house.
Cool air hits my face and I relax.
"Take off that sweater, it's soaking-" He reaches for it but I smack his hand away.
"No, it stays on." I say.
"It's soaking wet, you're going to get really sick." He says and attempts to take it off again.
"I said it stays on." I mutter and smack his hand away.
"What are you hiding?" He asks in a soft voice. He looks into my eyes searching for an answer.
"Nothing." I mumble and look away, like I did something that might hurt him.
He steps closer to me and I squeeze my eyes shut.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He says in an honest, soft voice.
Why should I trust him?
"I'm not lying, I swear." He says.
Surprisingly, I don't hear gale's voice. I open my eyes and see that Peeta is looking at me with pure sadness in his eyes.
He slowly zips down my sweater and I make no attempt to stop him. I have this feeling that I can trust him. But I can be wrong, because I felt that I loved Gale the first time I met him.
When the sweater unzips, I quickly cover myself up and get ready to turn around.
"Don't, I can help you." Peeta says and places a hand on my shoulder.
"You can't." I shake my head.
"Yes I can." Peeta says and turns me around so I'm facing him." Please let me help you."
I feel his hot breathe hit my lips and I can't help but turn away.
He starts to take off my sweater, and I don't stop him. When the sweater is completely off, I hear him gasp and I know why. I have several bruises, cuts and scars on my arms.
I wrap my arms around myself. I'm really self conscious about myself.
"Did he do this?" He asks angry.
I don't say anything.
"Did he?" He asks angrier.
"Yes." I reply real fast and close my eyes.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He says in a softer voice." I just don't think it's right to treat a woman like this."
I don't say anything again.
He grabs my hand, and I pull away. What's he trying to do?
"I'm just going to clean your cuts. There's not much to do to your bruises except to put ice on them." He says. Prim would say something like that. So would my mom.
I feel my eyes starting to form tears, but I blink rapidly and scowl.
..
"Here's a shirt and some of my basketball shorts." He hands me his clothes. My arms are bandaged up, so are my legs.
"I have clothes." I say.
"They're dirty." He says and places his clothes in my hands." Take them."
"I don't need them." I say and give them back to him.
"Why do you reject help when it's given to you?" He asks and places the clothes on the bed.
"Because." I say. Don't tell him.
"You can tell me." He says softly.
"Because you're going to regret it!" I yell at him and my eyes widen." I didn't mean to yell, I'm sorry."
"It's ok." He tells me." How am I going to regret it?"
"You're going to find out who I really am, and regret giving me help." I tell him." That's how people are."
"You know what, you're right." He says and steps closer to me." People are that way, but you want to know something? When I help someone, I don't regret it. If they tell me about their dark past, I don't push them away out of fear. I just help them move forward."
He takes a step closer to me and grabs my shoulders," I promise, I won't regret it. Do you believe me?"
He's giving me a long stare, as if he's trying to read my mind.
"I don't know." I say honestly. He smiles and says," Well that's a start."
His eyes fill with determination.
"Do you want to take a shower?" He asks me and I scrunch my nose in disgust. Is that the reason he wanted me to stay? So I can take a shower with him?
His eyes widen seconds later and says," Oh! I didn't mean it like that! I meant if you want to take a shower by yourself."
I study him and see he's still panicked.
"Ok." I mumble. He hands me his clothes and says," There's towels in the cabinets. When you get out, there will be dinner waiting for you."
"Thanks." I say seconds later.
"You're welcome." I hear the smile in his voice. He closes the bathroom door after himself. I lock it, to make sure he won't try anything.
I take off my bandages and see that my cuts look better than before. I strip down until I'm naked and hop into the shower.
...
I look in the mirror and see that bruises on my face. I see the scar on my fore head and scowl. I quickly braid my hair, but take it out and put it in a messy bun.
I grab my backpack and take out my make up. Peeta can't see me like this. He'll know I'm a killer if I leave my face like this.
I put on make up until the bruises and scar disappear.
I get out the bathroom and sit down on the bed. I know Peeta said I there would be food waiting for me at the table but I still have my doubts about him. Once, Gale made me a nice meal with some really fancy wine. It was the day after I was about to leave him but he apologized. I ate the meal and drank the wine but then I realized he drugged me.
"If you try to leave again, I will set you and this house and fire." He threatens.
I'm trying to be more aware of things since they're spinning.
I scowl at the memory .
There's a light know on the door.
"Jessica, you alright?" I hear Peeta say.
"Uh- yeah." I say.
"Well dinner's waiting for you." He says.
"About that, I'm not really hungry." I say.
"But you have to eat-" He begins.
"I'm not hungry." I repeat myself.
"Ok, well, goodnight then." He says.
"Goodnight." I say. I get up and lock the door. I push a desk over it and lay down on the bed again.
Can I trust him? No, I can't.
But something in my heart wants me to, and I don't like it.
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. Half the credit goes to Awesomegirl2656 the other half goes to me. Please review and tell us what you thought.