Finding the Missing Piece: Book 3

Chapter Thirty-Four

Katniss POV- (That weekend, 5am)

"I'm going to work. I'll see you in a few hours?" Peeta wakes me softly.

I wake up just as he finishes his sentence, "What?"

Peeta chuckles a little bit, "I'm going to work. Are you gonna come up today?" He asks again.

The words actually register in my head, "I want to go now." I say, sitting up.

I stretch my body and sit there for a second. My wild hair sticking up from sleep. Peeta gently pats my back as I let a few yawns. "Just go back to sleep, Katniss. I'm having to go a lot earlier this morning. You can come in later."

"No, I wanna go now." I say, eerily ready to spend every waking hour with Peeta.

"You're so stubborn." He laughs.

I give him a sleepy smile, "I'll be down in a minute, okay?"

"Yeah." Peeta says, kissing the top of my ratted hair and exiting our bedroom.

I tromp across the floor of our bedroom and into the bathroom. I quickly wash my hair and throw it up into a towel and get dressed. Just as I exit our bedroom, I rip the towel off my head letting my wet hair lose and I walk down stairs to find Peeta falling asleep at the dining room table.

He didn't get much sleep last night, he kept tossing and turning all night.

I sigh.

"Peeta?" I say, approaching him.

His eyes are half open but I can see he's basically asleep. I nudge him softly with my elbow, "Hey, come on." I say nicely.

He gasps and turns around frantically looking at the clock on the wall, "Oh, I'm sorry. Come on." He says, leaping up.

I laugh silently and follow him out the door and into the car. A few minutes later, we make it to the bakery.

"Okay, just stay with me today. I don't want you near her." Peeta murmurs into my ear as we walk arm in arm into the bakery front.

As soon as we walk in, there she is.

She looks me over then continues doing whatever she was doing.

I glance at Peeta who looks hurt. He looks at me and shakes his head and we walk straight past her and into the kitchen. Peeta's brothers are not there, which I am kind of glad.

They came to our wedding but ever since their girlfriends were so rude to me, I haven't really felt like being around them. It's been weird, I guess. I don't see his dad so he's probably off doing something.

"Here, you want to help me or do you just want to watch?" Peeta gives me two alternatives.

I shrug my shoulders, "Where are your brothers? And your dad?" I ask curiously.

Peeta gets a panicked look on his face, "Uh, actually they are out of town for the weekend."

My heart drops and I immediately feel anger.

"What?" I ask angrily.

"They aren't here." He mumbles.

He knows I am furious and he knows why too.

"Peeta, if I didn't come you would be here all alone with her." I say, a little too loudly.

That's when Peeta's hands clasp over my mouth and he pulls me close to him, "You need to be quiet." He says sternly into my ear.

I nod and he let's me go.

"I don't want you here with her alone. What if I had stayed home today or I didn't come until later and something happened?" I whisper to him.