Always

Chapter 21

Katniss P.O.V.

That night, I can't sleep. I'm mad at my mom, but I can't help to wonder if she was telling the truth. Maybe I'm not cut out to rule a country. After all, I am only eighteen. But then again, so is Peeta. But it's like Mom said, it's the women that have no business ruling in the government.

I shake my head a little to clear these thoughts. I remind myself of what Peeta said earlier. If Peeta has that much confidence in me, then surely I'll be able to do this. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and eventually drift off into a peaceful sleep.

When I wake up the next morning, I find that I am alone. I walk downstairs hoping that Peeta will be in the kitchen cooking breakfast. To my disappointment, he's nowhere to be found. I get ready to go back upstairs and look for Peeta when I hear a door shut outside. I look out the window and see Peeta coming across the yard towards our house. I go to open the door for him and when he steps inside, I raise my eyebrows at him. He mimics my expression before he speaks up.

"What?" Peeta asks, still mimicking my expression.

"Where's my breakfast?" I ask.

"Aren't you going to ask what I was doing outside?" Peeta asks.

"I will after I get some breakfast," I say smiling. Peeta laughs as he shakes his head at me.

"Fine, I'll go fix breakfast. You go upstairs and get dressed. You little pathetic thing you," Peeta says as he kisses me. I go upstairs and get dressed and when I come back down, Peeta has breakfast fixed just like he said he would.

When I smell it, I know exactly what it is. Cheesebuns! I immediately walk over to the table, pick one up, and take a big bite. Peeta looks at me and smiles.

"Are they good?" Peeta asks.

"Of course!" I reply as I finish it off. Peeta laughs a little as he walks over to me. "So now that I've finished breakfast, what were you doing in the other house while ago?"

"Cleaning it out," Peeta replies.

"Why?" I ask. "Can't Mom do that?" Peeta sighs and I know what's coming next.

"She left early this morning," Peeta says softly.

"Sounds just like her," I say. "Running away when I need her most. Just because things don't go the way she wants them to."

"I know," Peeta says as he wraps his arms around me. "It's okay," he whispers as he kisses the top of my head.

"At least I have you," I say as I look up at Peeta, wrap my arms around his neck, and give him a big smile. "And as long as I have you, I have all that I need."

Peeta leans down and kisses my lips. We pull each other in even closer, If that's even possible. When we break away, we rest our foreheads together. Peeta starts to kiss me again, but the phone interrupts us. I sigh in annoyance and Peeta laughs.

"I'll be right back," he says as he starts up the steps.

"Please hurry," I beg, not wanting him to leave.

"I will," Peeta says from the top of the steps. I sit on the bottom step and wait for Peeta to come back down. When I hear heavy footsteps upstairs, I stand up and immediately ask Peeta what's on my mind.

"Who was it and what did they want?" I ask.

"It was Paylor and she said that she'll announce her resignation Monday," Peeta says as he comes down the steps. "The vote will be on Friday." I nod my head.

"So Friday you might be President Peeta?" I ask while smiling. Peeta looks at me and playfully rolls his eyes while he starts laughing.

"That's so cheesy Katniss," Peeta says as he walks over to me. I wrap my arms around his neck and his snake around my waist.

"I think it's cute," I say as I kiss him. I lean my head on his chest and we stand there in silence until I decide to speak up and ask the question that's been on my mind. "When did Mom tell you that she was leaving?" Peeta chuckles a little.

"I knew that was coming," Peeta teases. "I woke up this morning to a door slamming. I went outside to see what was going on. She said she knew where she wasn't welcomed and that she was going back home. She said she heard the hospital was reopening anyways. That's all she said. Then she left."

I look at him and my mouth drops open a little. "What did she mean she's not welcomed here? Just because of what happened last night she thinks she's not welcomed here? That was her own fault," I say getting angrier by the second.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to stop her Katniss. I didn't know what to do," Peeta says with true regret in his voice.

"It's okay Peeta," I say as I give him a light kiss. "There's nothing you could've done. She would've left no matter what," I say as I look up at him.

We find ourselves staring into each other's eyes, and the biggest part of me wishes that we could stay this way.

Forever.