𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐄 ▸ HUNGER GAMES [ 1 ]

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN -

Cato leads us down the spot-lit path towards a glass domed hothouse. Inside, the vivid greens of trailing foliage coupled with the rich purples, reds, and oranges of more exotic flowers blossom into a riot of colour. All of it is illuminated by bulbs hanging from the panes above, bathing the plants beneath them in a soft glow. Amongst the bulbs, silvery wind chimes twinkle in the breeze.

The effect of it all together is almost ethereal. If I could not see the towers of the Capitol all around us I could believe we were somewhere else entirely. I soon find that the buildings are easy enough to ignore. Tonight I may, just for a moment, be able to forget about everything that isn't the boy holding my hand and the vibrant explosion of greenery around us.

Every tug of his fingers around mine strikes a chord in my chest, a fluttering in my stomach. The feeling is strange and alien and I'm not sure whether I want to throw up or shriek with delight. I've never felt anything like it, and I know exactly where it has stemmed from. Couldn't be more certain if I tried.

"My dad told me all about this place, but I never thought it would be anything like this." Cato breathes. I follow him over the threshold of the greenhouse and the two of us marvel at the sight, the bright blooms opening on contact as our hands brush past them.

"I wouldn't have thought your dad could find somewhere so pretty enjoyable." I say, and Cato laughs quietly. "Rooftop gardens aren't on the list of things I expected Darius Hadley to be interested in."

"He's actually really into plants." Says Cato, running his fingers along a bright purple vine laden with suspended fruits, plump and shining. "You should see our backyard at home, he asked the Capitol to provide him with some decent soil, so he doesn't have to work with the tough stuff."

The ground back in 2 is hard packed and devoid of almost any nutrients, so not much really grows there. Sometimes native trees and shrubs pop up along the roads, ones already regulated to the mountainous habitat, but any attempt at gardening for hobby ends up being discarded pretty quickly. 

"You should come and see it sometime, he's done a good jo......" Cato begins, but presumably he trails off once he realises what he's implied. That there is a possibility of both of us returning to 2 alive. I'm suddenly dispirited by the fact that Cato will never get to take me to see his father's garden. He may get the chance to show somebody else, another girl in the future captivated by his dazzling smile after I am long gone, or perhaps I will be the one to visit alone. But going together will never be an option.

For a moment, there is just silence between us, nothing but the subtle tinkling of the chimes and the rustle of leaves as the wind whistles through the gaps in the greenhouse roof. He let go of my hand somewhere between the door and the climbing purple tree, but the faint brush of his fingertips against mine sends sparks shooting through every nerve in my body.

Cato lets out a soft breath and shakes his head. "Damn it. Damn all of it."

Then his hands are sliding under the curtain of my hair to cup the back of my neck, thumbs brushing my cheekbones, pulling me close into him as he ducks his head towards mine. And he is kissing me.

I'm frozen to the spot, awestruck and unable to process anything at all. My mind has gone completely blank, fuzzy and distant as his soft lips press against mine. Just as my eyes flutter shut and I seem to regain the ability to move he pulls away. I can't stop the tiny whimper which escapes my throat at the sudden loss of contact. Embarrassment floods through me but when I open my eyes again I'm sure he hasn't even noticed it.

Cato Hadley is staring down at me in a way I never imagined anybody could. The kind of looks reserved for people like Loren and Glimmer and Aviva Grigson, not for me. Never for me. I can't breathe.