I will always stay with you

Chapter 11

"What the hell is this?!"A shrill voice screams from the doorway. 

"Crap" Peeta mutters and we pull away from each other. I rub my sweaty hands on my pants and Peeta steps in front of me just like when the mountain lion attacked us on our hike. "Mom, this is Katniss my girlfriend. " He says taking a deep breath and standing taller. 

"Well, Katniss welcome to my bakery" She sneers. "My name is Alma and I assume you already know my son. Now if you will kindly leave the room while I deal with him" she says glancing at Peeta and rubbing her hands together as if in preparation. Peeta swallows and I see his adams apple bob up and down. 

"Actually Mrs. Mellark, I will be staying here with Peeta, if you don't mind." I say and Peeta gives me a look. I can see it in his eyes he is terrified, but I won't let her hurt him. 

"Actually I do mind" She practically growls. 

"Well to bad" I growl back at her

"Very well, you can watch" 

"Watch what?" I ask in mock stupidity. She just smile a smile dripping with disgust and walks towards Peeta who is still guarding me with his body then raises her hand. I grab the take the back of Peeta's shirt and shove him behind me just in time. The blow comes to the side of my face and I don't even flinch. She reels back to strike again but I grab her hand and say "You will not be touching either of us again today or any other day" And with that I take Peeta's hand and walk out of the store. 

When we get into the car I flip down the mirror and see that a bruise has already formed. Peeta just looks at me stunned. 

"I can't believe you just did that. Why did you do that?" he asks almost angry. 

"Peeta, I'm not going to let her abuse you anymore" I state. He gives me a blank look and then thrusts himself at me. He grabs my face in his hands and crashes his lips to mine. I don't even hesitate but lock my mouth to his. I jump over the seat and into his lap our legs entwined. He pauses and whispers "thank you" then continues. He kisses me all over, my neck, jaw, down my arms and the top of my head. I grab at his hair and cling to him kissing him in all the places he kissed me. 

We pull apart after a couple minutes and I climb back into the driver seat. My face hurts. A purple bruise has already formed where Alma hit me. Peeta reaches out and gives my Bruise a small kiss. "I still can't believe you did that." he mutters. "Ill take care of you like you took care of me when we get home" he promises. 

"OK" I smile at him and drive us home. When we get there I have an idea. "Peeta, you should stay with us until we do something about your mother. Also, why hasn't your father gotten a divorce?"

"I honestly don't know why but I can't let you do that, she would probably just hunt me down or something insane like that and put your entire family in danger."

"Well I can't let you stay there any more. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew that was happening to you." I say. 

"Let's just get that bruise dealt with" He says brushing me off

"No! Peeta we have to talk about this. I care about you too much to let you stay there." I say desperate. 

"And I care about you too much to put you in danger."

"Please, just try for one week and if it doesn't work then you can go back"

"Fine. One week, but if anything happens I am going right back there." 

"OK" I only agree because I think it is the best I will get out of him now but there is no way in hell I am letting him go back. I make  promise to myself right then and there to protect Peeta even when he doesn't want me too. Even if it means doing things against his will. 

I call Peeta's dad and tell him the situation hoping he will understand. he does and agrees to drop some things off at our house for Peeta. I tell my mom that he is going to be staying even though she doesn't answer or even acknowledge that I said anything. 

When Peeta's dad drops off the clothes and toiletries I thank him and he apologizes profusely for his wife's behavior. 

"I don't get you"I tell him annoyed. "Why don't you just get a divorce?" He just looks at the ground, mumbles something inaudible and walks away. "Ugh" I groan and make my way back inside too Peeta who is hiding from the world in my room. 

I knock and open the door. "Here is your stuff you can change in the bathroom through there and just ignore Prim's stuff" He moves toward the bathroom but I grab his hand. "Peeta, please don't be mad. I just want to make sure you are OK and I know you think it's your job to protect me, but there will be plenty of chances for that later and I really hope you won't resent me for this later." I finish and take a deep breath. 

"Katniss, I'm not mad , I promise and I won't resent you I just don't like the idea of putting you even in possible danger. It makes me hate myself." He says. I walk up to him and close the door to the bathroom behind us. 

"Oh Peeta, please don't hate yourself, you are too perfect for that." I say, my heart breaking into a million tiny pieces. A single tear falls down his cheek and I take his face in my hands looking up into his beautiful eyes. 

"I'm not perfect, you are" he mumbles "and I love you for it" he realizes what he says and looks terrified for the split second before I can say, 

"I love you too. I love you Peeta Mellark. I love you so much!!" I am laughing now, he picks me up and spins me around and we say it together in my bathroom over and over again. "I love you, I love you, I love you"