The Epilogue - Katniss and Peeta

Truths.

*Willow's POV*

My dad doesn't move from her grave for hours, and I don't stick around. The sight of her burial was enough to make anyone sick, let alone staying and staring at it like she'll somehow appear.

My mother is dead.
There is no 'coming back' for her.

I wish she would've stayed. I wish she would've done something about her feelings so that she could be here with me today.

But of course, she couldn't—because I wasn't enough for her to stay.

I've never been enough for her.

I'm shaken from my thoughts by the sound of my door opening, but I don't have to face the door to know it's him.

"Are you awake, sweetheart?" He asks quietly, and I nod my head in response. I continue staring out my window towards the sunset, taking in the orange sight.

"My dad's not home yet." I remark, my voice trembling as I remember the sight of her grave.

"I know." He sits down beside me, and his hand finds its place on my shoulder—moving back and forth.

"Flynn," I start. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything." He tells me, and I hesitate before asking. I sit upright, finally facing him.

"Why aren't you upset about her passing?" I look down at my hands, and my hair falls into my face, shielding my face from his eyes."I mean, am I just taking it too hard?"

"I am taking the loss hard." He says, reaching up and tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I just don't like showing my emotions."

"That doesn't make sense," I remark quickly.

"You wouldn't like my reason for hiding them, love." He gives me a sad smile, and I furrow my brow.

What reason?

"Tell me the reason." I demand, and he laughs at me before leaning in and beginning to kiss me.

His lips are warm, and it makes me forget our entire conversation.

I obviously kiss him back, but that's beside the point.

"Flynn," I breathe out, and he gives me a small grin—clearly aware of what he's doing. "Stop trying to distract me."

He presses his lips back onto mine, and I lean back onto my mattress, him leaning over top of me.

"Is it working?" He pulls away for a moment, and I shake my head.

"What's the reason?" I ask again, but he does the exact same thing.

I don't mind his deflecting—it helping me to forget the fact that my mother is six-feet-under.

I also don't mind his hands being on my jawline.

"Flynn." I let out against his lips, and he kisses me once more before reluctantly pulling away.

"It's going to upset you, and I don't want to do that right now." He remarks, leaning on his elbow—still on top of me.

I glare at him, and he looks away before sighing. I look at his golden curly hair while I wait for him to answer my question. I notice how it's slightly damp, and I assume that he showered prior to coming over—due to him also smelling like his body wash.

"I don't show my emotions around you because I don't let myself." He sighs as he answers me, and I look at him in confusion. "I don't want you to think about my feelings because you're already dealing with so much. I'm not important."