Burrying the Past

Chapter 15

Peeta's POV.

"You sure you can't stay any longer?" I ask Ted, who is leaving the house.

"No, Peeta. I really can't. I have to go back to Lizzie and the wedding isn't going to plan itself on his own." Ted says, digging his hand on his pocket searching for his car key.

"It's shit that I'm your best man but I can't help you plan the wedding." I grumble, pouting slightly.

"I know you do, but between you and me, I'm not really going to do anything with the wedding planning. Lizzie gets kind of bossy, I doubt I would have any sort of choice in the matter." Ted says, whispering the last part. I chuckle "That sucks."

"But if you really want to do something for the wedding you could always play a few songs on the piano in the ceremony." Ted suggests.

I almost immediatly shake my head. Does he still remember that? Ifiggured he wouldn't remember. It feels like ages since the last time I played, although it's just been a few months. The truth is that I'm terrified of playing it, mostly because it brings memories of my old life. Something I'm trying to avoid, since thinking of the past brings me this unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach that ends up transforming in anxiety and fear. "I don't play anymore." I say a little to quickly, trying to close the subject.

Ted nods in a way that makes me believe he was already expecting this answer from me. "Shame." he says resting his hand in my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "You were out of this world." I look down, not wanting to face him and not sure how to react to his compliment. Deep down I feel as if he disaprooves my behavior towards this subject, which most likely is true.

Ted pats my shoulder "Well, I'll be going then. See you soon." and with that he gets in the car and leaves. I wave at him from the front lawn and turn around, where Katniss is staring at me witha smile.

"Hei!" I say pecking her lips.

"Hei" she greets casually "Hope you don't mind my heavesdropping.". I shake my head, giving her a halfhearted smile. "What's that about the piano you were saying? I didn't know you play." she pipes, turning around walking towards my front porch, with me following behind.

"I don't. I used to." I correct her, trying to change the subject.

Katniss turns around and smirks at me "Shame, because I have a thing for musicians." she says seductivily. My face hottens and I get goosebumps thinking of the way Katniss' statement sounds so suggestive.

I chuckle amd we both come in and walk to the kitchen, where Haymitch is (to my great surprise) reading a culinary book.

"What are you doing?" I ask him suspiciously because something isn't right. Haymitch doesn't read, or cook, for that matter. Haymitch closes the book rather agressivily and eyes me with annoyance, while wearing a surly expression.

"Nothing of you business." he says obnoxiously.

I raise my hands in mock defeat "What got into you?" I joke. He scowls and Katniss tries to supress a giggle beside me. I look at her and smile. "So, Haymitch, is this your dirty secret? Prentending to not know how to cook so that you can have chinese every night?"

Haymitch glares at me, and I immediatly understand he is either grumpy or I shouldn't have came in the room in that moment. "I was going to make your birthday cake as a surprise but now I don't think it's worth it anymore." he grumbles.

I chuckle "Correction." I say as a matter of fact "You were going to try to make my birthday cake, and, my birthday isn't even until next Saturday."

"Well, it takes time to bake a cake! We need to have everything planned out before actuallu starting! And it's not like anyone would actually use the cake. It probably would end up in food poisioning." Haymitch defends himself. I roll my eyes at him. It seems impossible that he doesn't know how to bake a cake. When I was working at the bakery I would bake two or three cakes a day, in a slow day that is. But I guess it's not like that with everyone, I mean, my parents did own a bakery so...