Ashes Blow Away

Chapter Five

~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Five: An Argument and an Unexpected Visitor~~~~~~~~~~

I try to be nicer to Peeta after the engagement, I swear I do. It's just hard. And it gets harder when he moves in. We get on each other's nerves a lot.

He tends to do a lot of baking in the kitchen, which annoys me quite a bit. After a screaming match between us, it is settled that he will do all of his baking in his old home, in that kitchen.

One night, when he is painting, he says, " I really hate you."

" No you don't," I say, shaking my head.

" Yes I do."

For some reason, this upsets me more than usual. Usually, I would either leave or ignore his comments, but today, I just can't.

I stand up. " You don't."

" I do," he says firmly, turning to face me now.

I walk over to him, stamping my feet as I go. I shove my hand in his face, pointing to my ring. " Is that why you proposed, Peeta? Are you marrying someone you hate?"

In an instant, I am slammed up against the wall, and Peeta's face is inches from mine. " You are a liar. I would never marry you."

I struggle underneath him. " Let me go!"

" No!" He yells out. " Snow says I have to kill you! He says you're going to hurt my family!"

" Your family are dead!" I say, grabbing his fingers which are digging into my upper arm.

" Did you kill them?" He screams.

" No." I take a deep breath of air. " Snow did."

He lets me go and steps back. " I love you, real or not real?"

" Real," I say.

He sinks into a kitchen chair, holding his head in his hands. A long minute passes, and I'm left clutching the bruises on my arms, before he says, " I'm so sorry Katniss."

I do not make a move to comfort him. " I don't see how this will work Peeta. I love you but. . . if this is going to work. . . we're going to have to try harder."

" I'm fine," he says, looking up at me. " We're fine.

" It's not fine, Peeta!" I snap. " You've tried to kill me three times this week."

He stares at me, open mouthed. " Well. . . it was months ago when your sister dies and you still scream about that."

All the air leaves me and I cannot breath. I can't believe he would say that.

" You know what!" I hiss. " You can keep your stupid ring. I'm going to sleep at Haymitch's tonight." My voice is dangerously calm now.

I pull off the ring and throw it across the room. It bounces off the cabinet and lands beside Peeta. Before Peeta has time to say anything, I am outside, running across to Haymitch's 'home'.

I throw the door open without knocking. Haymitch glares at me, taking a swig of liquor. I look at his face, at the bottle, and then at the goose on his lap. I stamp across.

" Give me that," I say, snatching the liquor. I take a long, deep drink of it, my eyes watering and my throat burning. I pull it away from my mouth, and cough and splutter. Haymitch takes it from me, an amused smile on his face as he looks at me.

" I suggest you don't do that again," he pauses to take a drink, " it's my last bottle."

" Peeta and I got in a fight," I tell him.