I can still do this

chapter 27

Cato wants to start after him, I can see it in his eyes, but he doesn't, though I think that's in large part due to the fact that I finally got my hand around his. "C'mon," I say, but he doesn't move.

"Is it really like that?" he says. "What, I overreact and you pull me back to a person?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then what is?"

I hesitate. "Look, you're protective. That's usually great. But you overreacted. So yeah, I pulled you back, because that's what you do when someone slips up. Not because that's what I always do with you. Not because that's what you always need. You're usually the more together one, remember?"

"Yeah," he nods reluctantly.

"That's all that happened here. Except when I lose it, I don't threaten people's lives. I cry."

"I should probably work on that."

"Probably." I hold my other arm out for him, hug him for a second, partially to show him I'm not scared of him, partially because I just like being close to him. "You're working with warped memories," I remind him.

"Right." He lets go of me, kind of nods at something behind me, so I turn to see Silas, who's been standing here this whole time. He looks scared, but resolute; he doesn't move, even when I step towards him.

"Um, sorry," I say uncomfortably. "That was..." There's no way to explain what just happened, no way to excuse it, so I change the subject. "Mom's probably waiting for us."

Silas nods, but he keeps his distance from Cato even more than before. He walks at a distance from the two of us, and keeps glancing over like he's scared something's going to happen. I guess I can't exactly blame him. Cato's still tense, his hand clenched around mine, his jaw locked shut. He's still pissed.

"Do you really think he could convince me to pick him over you?" I say when we're within sight of the house.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"You've gotta learn to trust me."

"I do trust you. I just don't trust him," he mutters with a dark look back where we came from. He holds the door open for Silas and me when we go inside. Once we're in, he stops and stops me, too. "I do trust you," he repeats. "Sorry."

"It's fine," I say sincerely. "I believe you."

He nods, and we go into the kitchen, where my mom's explaining to Silas and Sophia what she's making. I don't know what the actual name of it is, if it has one, or how to make it. Prim and I have always just called it magic water, because it makes any injury feel better instantly, like magic. It's best when Mom mixes the herbs in snow, but it's not quite cold enough for snow yet. So now, she mixes it with a bowl of ice water, stirring it for a second.

To demonstrate its effect, she soaks a rag in it and wipes it over Sophia's eyes and nose; I feel a tug in my gut when I see how Sophia closes her eyes preemptively, then opens them immediately again, pretending nothing happened. Silas manages to keep his eyes open while Mom wipes the water over his scrape. Both of them are tense for a second, like they're expecting it to hurt, then they look at Mom in surprise.

"What's in this?" Sophia asks.

"Family secret," my mom smiles. She's about to say something else, but then she glances at me and seems to change her mind. "Katniss, how about you take care of his back," she suggests, holding the bowl and rag out to me.

"Okay," I say after a second of surprise, because I'm never the first choice to take care of someone who's injured. I get the feeling that there's some ulterior motive at work here, but I can't tell what exactly it is.