Maybe It Can Be Real

Chapter 31

Peeta then grins at me. "I am so in love with you," he whispers. "You have me in a hole so hopelessly deep I can't get out. But it's the best feeling in the world."

And there he goes with his way of words. His way of words that never fail to make me feel inferior in conveying my emotions, but I adore it nonetheless. I can feel my cheeks heating up in a blush.

I rest my chin on his chest and close my eyes. "And I am so in love with you," I whisper back. Man, was that true.

"Katniss," Peeta murmurs a few silent minutes later as his hand gently brushes my dark hair off my face.

"Hmm?", I reply quietly. I open my eyes and lift my head off his chest to look at him.

He clears his throat. "I still have your present to give you," he says. He's speaking softly.

I sigh. "Peeta, I said you didn't have to get me anything." I don't want anything for my birthday; being with him is enough.

"Well, I wanted to get my beautiful girlfriend something for her birthday. Is that a crime?," he asks in mock surprise, attempting to create a joking mood between us.

My forehead smacks down onto his chest as I groan. He said the wrong thing to try and create a joking mood. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not beautiful?", I ask in annoyance, a sudden change of emotion from where we were just moments ago.

Peeta has told me I'm beautiful countless times in the last eight years. Numerous people in the District and people in the Capitol have told me I'm beautiful. But I've never believed them, excluding two different times: only during both of my interviews before my Games. But that was because Cinna made me look beautiful. It wasn't me being me, if that makes sense. I've never felt beautiful being me.

Peeta sighs too, making my head move up and down with the movement of his chest. "Katniss, why can't you see how beautiful you are? There's so many aspects of you that make you beautiful. Aspects of you that I fell completely in love with."

Tears prick at the corners of my vision, but I lift my head up and wipe them away. This is my day. I'm not wasting it on crying. "Let's talk about this another time," I say sternly. "Cause quite frankly, I don't want to ruin a birthday I'm actually enjoying."

"Okay, so, I want you to get ready to get your present. I'm taking you somewhere," Peeta instructs. I nod my head in confirmation.

****

"Can you please tell me where we're going?", I beg for the thousandth time.

Peeta shakes his head. "Nope," is his simple reply, just like every other time.

I sigh. We've been walking for about 10 minutes, and I'm getting extremely anxious.

Not a minute later, I say, "Just give me a hint. Please?"

Peeta looks over at me, fake exasperation written on his face. "Fine! Here's a hint: we're almost there."

I roll my eyes. "Wow, thanks for the great hint," I say sarcastically.

He smiles cheekily. "You're welcome." I roll my eyes again.

Something off to my left catches my attention. I glance over and my smile grows at the sight of an old friend in a sea of people I don't recognize.

"Sae!", I call out joyfully.

She turns around and a crooked grin replaces the previous frown that was covering her features.