In Another's Eyes

Chapter 3

Katniss

I walk into the house and feel Gale's angry eyes on me. I set down my purse and slip on my rings before he notices and walk into the kitchen.

"Hey, Baby," I say and he glares at me.

"Where were you all night?" he demands.

"I told you on the phone," I reply as I walk over to the coffee pot and pour myself a cup, needing to fight my impending hangover. "I needed some time to calm down."

'More like find a guy who actually makes you feel like more than some where to stuff his baby maker and make sweet, sweet love to him all night long,' I think to myself, but saying that out loud would not be in my best interest right now. Not if I want Peeta's and my arrangement to work.

"Where did you stay?" he asks.

"The Jabberjay Motel," I say. "Like I said, I needed time Gale."

"Alone?" he asks and I feel a lump in my throat that I quickly swallow.

"Of course Gale," I say. "You know me. I wouldn't ever do that to you." He wraps his arms around my waist, not as gently as Peeta would, and turns me around to face him.

"We need to talk about our fight Catnip," he says and I shake my head.

"It's all right," I say. "It was just a little tiff. I'm over it now." He looks me in the eyes and shakes his head.

"I hit you," he says. "That isn't okay."

"You slapped me," I say curtly. "Which is why I left. We both needed to calm down." I act like its no big deal, but the bruise I will have to cover up for school today burns as a reminder as to why I had sex with Peeta last night.

"I'm sorry I asked you for a baby," he says and I shoot him a look.

"I'm sorry I don't want one," I say. "But it's not practical for us right now. I'm a music teacher and you work nights. We don't have the time or the energy a baby needs." He looks at me with the same disgust as last night.

"You could quit," he says and I feel a frown on my face.

"But I love my job Gale," I say and look at the clock and groan. "A job I will be late to if I don't start getting ready now." I walk away from him but I feel him grab my arm, hard.

"Listen you selfish little bitch," he hisses in my ear. "No married woman goes out in a dress like this unless she's looking for someone, not something, to take her mind off things and so help me if I find out if you were with someone last night, I will make you wish you never married me." I pull myself away from him and turn my back to him. I start up the stairs to our room and then look back over my shoulder.

"I already do," I growl through gritted teeth. I hurriedly grab a dress from my closet and a more decent pair of shoes before going into the bathroom and applying the makeup I need to hide the blow I took from him. When I'm satisfied, I let my hair out of its braid and let it fall into its gentle waves.

As I put it into some order with my fingers, flashes of last night reappear in my mind. His fingers running through my hair as he sucked on that sweet spot on my neck. The way they felt as they ran across my most sensitive places. The way it felt to be stretched around him as we made love.

I open my eyes and shake my head, trying to clear my mind. I grab my keys off the vanity and hurry down the steps. I grab my purse and reach for the door handle but Gale stops me.

"I love you," he says and I nod.

"Me too," I say, not even being able to say those words when they mean nothing anymore. He tries to pull me into a kiss that I half heartedly accept and I get out of the door as fast as I can. I drive to the school and as I park out back, I notice one of my friends, Annie Cresta, standing there. As though waiting for me. I get out of the car and she frowns at me.

"Is there a problem?" I ask.

"Finnick and I were at the Hob last night and we both saw quite the sight," she says. I look down at my feet and she sighs. "Look, I know things between you and Gale are rough, but please tell me I didn't see what I thought I saw."

"Gale treats me like crap," I say. "That guy you saw last night made me feel special. Like I was worth more than just someone to have and take care of his kids."

"Did you, did you," she tries to say the words but she can't bring herself to ask me if did what she thinks I did, fearing the worse happened last night. Which is completely true.

"Yes," I say. "And I don't think it was so bad to finally follow my heart and go for something that might finally make me happy." She looks at me with shock.

"You're in love with him!" she accuses me and I shake my head.

"I don't know," I say. "I know I like him a lot and that the very thought of being with him again makes my heart beat faster. But I wouldn't call it love. Not yet."

"You're meeting him again?!" She asks, horrified at the thought. "Katniss, you need to think about what you're doing."

"I have," I say. "Gale just acts like I'm not doing anything with my life if I'm not popping out his children and I want more than that. I want to keep feeling that feeling Peeta gave me last night. That feeling that I matter and that what we were doing wasn't just sex." I look up at her. "It was making love." Annie sighs and takes my hand.

"You really care about this guy huh?" she asks and l look down.

"Yeah," I say. "He makes me happy and I hadn't been happy in a very, very long time. You know that." She nods.

"Finnick isn't going to like lying to Gale," she says. "They've been friends for a really long time. But, I see that this makes you happy and while I don't agree with it, I won't let your secret out." I pull her into a hug and she rubs my back.

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you so much." She nods and pulls away from me.

"Don't thank me for this Kat," she says. "You're only going to get hurt. I recognized the guy last night. Peeta is a married man! This is gonna be really, really ugly."

"I know, but I can't get him off my mind," I say and she nods.

"Because whatever you say, I know how you really feel," she says. "Wether you think it is or not, I can see it in your eyes. This isn't just a drunken fling. You're in love." She turns and walks away and standing there in the parking lot, I can't help but wonder if what she's saying us true.

Have I really fallen in love with the stranger in the bar?

(Song of the Chapter: "She's Not the Cheatin' Kind" ~Brooks & Dunn)