The Hunger games - I'm still breathing (Everlark)

Chapter 17

I wake to the gorgeous smell of bread wafting up the stairs. I smile thinking about last night's events. The sunlight beaming through the open window makes me feel just as warm on the outside as I feel on the inside. I stretch my arms up until I get a satisfying crack from my back. When I turn my head to the side, I see a single yellow Primrose lying on the pillow next to me. I pick it up and slowly run it over my lips, allowing the smoothness of the petals to relax me even more.

"Morning, Prim," I whisper to it.

I get up from the mattress and slip on Peeta's dressing gown that I find hanging on the back of the door. I pad down the stairs with the flower in my hand and stand in the kitchen doorway, watching Peeta at work. My cheeks can't seem to stop themselves from reddening at the sight of him after last night.

"Morning," I say, staring shyly at the ground.

He whips around at the sound of my voice and shoots me one of his winning smiles. My face automatically responds to this and grins back at him. My grin gets even wider when I notice the flour that covers half of Peeta's face.

"Morning, I made you cheese buns for breakfast. Those are your favourites, real or not real?" he asks.

"Real," I say, making my way towards him. "Peeta?"

"Yeah?"

"You have flour all over your face," I say, in a serious mocking tone.

He grins, stops what he's doing and turns to face me. I guess what he's about to do two seconds too late, when his hands are cupped around my face. I squeal and laugh as he trails kisses over my cheeks, my nose, my head, leaving his remnants of flour behind.

"There, now you have flour on your face too," he smiles down at me, giving me one final kiss on the lips.

I giggle to myself and give him a playful push away from me.

"Thank you for my Primrose, it's beautiful. Is it one of the ones that you grew down the side of the house for me?" I ask, filling a bottle of water and placing the flower inside it.

"Yeah, they've just started to burst with life," he replies.

I put the bottle in the middle of the table and have just sat down when I hear a knock coming from the front door. Peeta looks over at me with a questioning expression and shrugs his shoulders. We don't get many visitors here.

"It could be Haymitch," he suggests, grabbing a towel and wiping his hands.

"I'll get it," I say. I have a pretty good guess as to who it could be.

My suspicions aren't proved wrong when I open the door and see Gale stood on the gravel path. I knew he wouldn't leave so easily without a fight. He has a sheath of arrows slung over his back and a bow in his hands.

"What do you want, Gale?" I ask, quietly.

"Will you come hunting with me?" he asks, flashing me a small smile.

"Who's at the door?" Peeta calls out from the kitchen, before I can give Gale an answer. When only silence meets him, he comes trotting down the hallway and stops short when he sees Gale.

"Gale wants me to go hunting with him," I say to Peeta.

"Oh," he says, moving closer to me. "You should go, I bet that would be nice."

His voice sounds strained and I can hear the hurt seeping out in it. When he smiles at me, I can tell that it is forced.

"I can't go, my wrist still isn't fully healed," I explain to them both, as well as to myself. I can't go to the woods with Gale, it will only bring back bad memories. I'm afraid of what Gale is going to say to me, I'm afraid to be alone with him again.