• Forever •

Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

When I wake up I turn over and see Peeta is not next to me, but instead a note on his pillow.

Katniss,
Good morning beautiful! I'm sorry I wasn't personally here this morning when you woke, but Effie ushered me out so I couldn't see you before he wedding. I can't wait for you to become mine forever!
All my love,
Peeta

I knew today was the wedding but I guess reality hit me in this moment because I get super excited and can't even fathom that it's my wedding day.
I become aware of the murmur of voices coming from my basement. I quickly get up and pad downstairs to see everyone and start my wedding preparations.

"Oh Katniss good morning!" Effie says a little too brightly for me.

"Good morning everyone." I say.

In my kitchen is Effie, my mother, Johanna, Annie and my prep team.

"Are you ready for today?" My mother asks.

"I couldn't be more ready." I say smiling.

"Well let's get you ready then." Effie says dragging me up the stairs. "The wedding is in less than 6 hours!"

I start by taking a bath and then my team waxes my entire body. They then paint my nails a soft, barely noticeable shade of pink. They've just finished blow drying my hair when I hear a loud commotion coming from downstairs.

"I need to see Katniss right now! It's an emergency!" I hear Haymitch yell.

Seconds later he's running up the stairs and bursting through the door to mine and Peeta's bedroom.

"Katniss, Peeta is having an attack. A bad one. Please come with me." He's says desperately.

What? Peeta hasn't had an attack in a while. This wedding must bring back horrible Capitol memories of our fabricated marriage.

I'm about to follow Haymitch out the door when Effie stops us. "No!" She says. "Peeta can not see Katniss before the wedding!"

"Please Effie," I beg, "I have to help him."

She contemplates for a moment. "Fine. But 10 minutes, that's it."

I follow Haymitch outside and into his house where I see hair gels and combs scattered on the floor along with an unconscious man Effie has hired to prep Peeta for today.

"What happened?" I ask Haymitch.

"I guess he had a horrible memory of something and he almost killed him." He says gesturing toward the unconscious man on the floor.

I hear something shatter upstairs. I run as fast as I can to reach him before he hurts himself.

I check all the doors and finally find him in one of the spare bedrooms.

"Peeta?" I whisper.

He turns around and stares blankly at me.

"What do you want?" He spits at me.

"Peeta, please it's me. Katniss. It's our wedding day remember?" I ask.

He laughs at me. "Our wedding, please. Why would I marry you? I hate you and you hate me." He says.

"No Peeta I love you! Please come back! Please!" I say desperately.

I walk over to him and cup his face in my hands, kissing him gently, but passionately. At first his muscles are tense and his arms lay limply at his sides, but as I deepen the kiss I feel his arms slowly wrap around me and his body starts to soften as he begins to kiss me back.

I pull away panting, regaining my breath.

"I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?" He says immediately caressing my face.

"No, but I don't think the man downstairs that was doing your hair can say the same." I say jokingly.

"Oh my god I'm sorry you had to come over here." He says.

"It's okay, I'm glad I did. I don't think I could bear not to see you until two o'clock today." I say taking his hands.

"We aren't supposed to see each other." He says.

"I know but do we ever do things the normal way?" I ask him.

He chuckles before he says "No I guess not."

"Alright well we only have three hours and as you can see, I'm in no way, shape or form ready to get married." I say.

"Katniss you could walk down that isle in sweats with your hair matted into clumps, and I'd still want to marry you." He says.

"I love you." I say leaning into his chest.

"And I love you." He says leaning down to kiss me. But before his lips can reach me Haymitch barges in.

"Oh...sorry to interrupt, but Effie will rip my head off if Katniss doesn't get back in about 30 seconds." He says.

"Okay I'm coming." I say.

We walk down the stairs and Peeta leads me to the door.

"I'll see you in three hours." He says dreamily.

"I'll see you in three hours." I repeat.

He leans down and kisses me. It's short but sweet, enough to last me three hours until I'm his forever.