Falling For You

Chapter 17

We're only a week in, but already so much has happened. Nathaniel is dead. He died on the first day. Peeta told me he walked straight into the bloodbath. He was smart enough to know that he would die, but I guess to him dying right then was better than giving the capitol the show they wanted. I can't tell for sure if it was any better to just give up, but it wasn't my choice to make. A sound from the television catches my attention and I turn to it, intending on turning it off, but I stop. It's Caesar, talking animatedly about some surprising turn of events that have occurred. Now that they've only got a handful of tributes left behind they're playing more and more reruns of the highlights of the game, making it nearly impossible for me to avoid watching them. It shows Brooke on screen, just as i'm starting to walk away. It's dark, maybe midnight, and her face is illuminated by the firelight. She looks around, checking to see if the coast is clear, then begins to pack up the careers stuff. Peeta told me they'd made an alliance with her, but I didn't think they would keep her around this long. They must've really trusted her. I remember Peeta saying that all the careers were dead, but I didn't ask how they died. My stomach drops as I realize what she's doing. She takes as much as she can fit in her bag, then pulls out a knife. It's almost as if she's moving in slow motion as she carefully climbs on top of each of their sleeping bodies, careful not to wake them or any of the others, as she slits each of their throats. She keeps mumbling apologies to the dead bodies as she does it, tears streaming down her face, and I can't tear my eyes away. By the time she gets to the last one she's sobbing so loudly she actually wakes him up. The cameras zoom in on their faces as their eyes lock, just before she plunges her knife into his throat, letting the blood splatter over her already covered face and body. She tries to wipe the blood of her face and hands but she just ends up smearing it everywhere, along with her tears. It cuts off their, and It's then that I notice the tears streaming down my own face. Caesar goes on to talk about how exciting it is and how everyone's rooting for her, but I can't hear it. I'm seeing red as I catch a glance of the shelf across from me holding at least fifty bottles of alcohol. All I really want right now is a drink. I lunge at it and slam it into the wall, shattering all the bottles and breaking part of the shelf. Peeta must've heard it from the other room because he's right there next to me, trying to pick me up, but I keep fighting him. I can feel the glass digging into my legs and arms as I thrash around trying to get away from him, and I eventually stop resisting. He pulls me away from the bloody scene i've left on the floor and into the bathroom. He sets me down on the edge of the bathtub and grabs a towel. He tries to wipe some of the tears off my face, as a very disturbed capitol worker stands in the doorway, but they keep being replaced by new ones. "Would you like to take her to a doctor?" The worker asks, making my heart skip a beat. I don't want to see a doctor! "No, that won't be necessary. Can you just get me some bandages and maybe something to clean her cuts with?" Peeta asks. The worker nods, and leaves to go get my bandages.

Peeta pulls another piece of glass out of my leg and I wince. He dabs at it with a towel soaked in rubbing alcohol and covers it with a bandage and some ointment. "Is that all of them?" He asks, his eyes moist from crying. "I think so." I look myself over. I'm covered in bandages all over my arms and legs and hands. "Good. Do you want to go lay down?" I nod, I've stopped crying and now i'm just tired. He carries me to bed and lays me down on our bed, making sure not to touch any of my cuts. "I'll be right back." He leaves and returns with a glass of water. He hands it to me and sits down on the bed next to me. I make myself sit up, and drink my water. I set the empty glass on the nightstand and turn over on my side, curling up next to Peeta. I ignore the pain in my leg as I lay on my side and run my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry." I say, unsure of what else I can say. "It's okay. Just don't do it again, okay?" I nod, feeling guilty. He already has enough to worry about without me hurting myself.

It must be midnight or later when I'm roused by the sound of the door creaking. I hear footsteps and then the bed shifts and I know it's Peeta beside me. He wraps his arms around me and I do the same. I can tell something's wrong and I know immediately it must have to do with Brooke. I don't say anything though, as he kisses my neck and digs his fingers into my thigh. This is nothing like the Peeta i'm used to, so rough and violent. He seems to hesitate for a second, looking at me, trying to decipher my facial expression in the darkness. "She's gone." He explains himself. It's all he has to say to convince me. I nod, pulling his face down towards mine and kissing him with as much force as I can manage. I'm so angry at the Capitol for killing her. So frustrated with myself for not trying harder to save her. And my hormones are out of control. It's all I can do not to rip Peeta's clothes off right now. Instead, I pull away, long enough to pull my nightgown off. I kiss him again, just as intensely before, putting all the emotions i've felt in the last week into our kiss. He takes the rest of his clothes off and mine and before I know it, he's inside me. I arch my back, holding onto the sheets so tightly I'm afraid they might rip. Both of us moan, almost in sync, as he continues to slam his body against mine with more force than I imagined possible. It's almost too much, but I don't tell him to stop, instead I grab a fistful of his hair, pulling him into a kiss with an equal amount of force.

A/N: I wanted to include more of The hunger games in this but I decided it just didn't fit with the chapter so idk what I'm gonna do about that. Maybe I'll write some one shots from Peeta and Brooke's pov and publish them at the end of this book. Also the next chapters going to be back in district twelve but I have no idea what to write about so if anyone has any ideas that would be really great if you could comment them.