Help Me Make it Through the Night (Everlark Fanfic)

Chapter 29: Face to Face

Peeta's POV

I don't know how to deal with this. Ever since Katniss told me about her run in with Gale, she looks at me the same way she used to look at me after our first games. She looks at me like like I'm wounded. And just like after the games, I've begun to act like it. I've only really left my art room to eat and sleep. I'm just finishing another painting when Katniss comes in with a cup of tea.

"Good Morning Peeta. I missed you at breakfast," she says gently.

"I wasn't very hungry," I tell her taking the tea from her, "Thank you for the tea though."

"No sugar, just like you like it," she says, a small smile playing on her lips,"You haven't gone to the bakery in a couple days. Are gonna go today?" It has been a little while and maybe being away from the house will help take my mind off things.

"Yeah, I think I might. The people need their bread," I say and Katniss lets out a soft laugh.

"Well, go on," she says taking the empty teacup from me and handing me my coat,"I've got everything ready for you downstairs and I'll clean up here. It'll make you feel better." I take the coat from her and she follows me to the door. I quickly put on my shoes and she helps me into my coat. She gives me a kiss and hugs me.

"I love you, Peeta," she says quietly, the stress of the last few days evident in her voice. I gently pull away from her and kiss her cheek.

"I love you too, Katniss. I should be home around dinner," I say. As I turn to leave, I see Buttercup sitting by the door.

"You take care of her today, ok buddy?" I say as I pick him up and hand him to Katniss. He lets out a grizzled purr and nuzzles into Katniss' arms. I kiss her cheek and walk out the door.

The district is quiet this morning, the dirt paths nearly empty. I quietly open the bakery and start on some loaves of bread. Just as I'm taking them out of the oven, the bell on the door rings.

"Mellark Bakery, how can I help you?" I say without turning around.

"I was wondering if you still traded squirrel for bread," a familiar, yet right now unwelcome voice says. I turn around to find none other then Gale Hawthorne.

"Katniss went hunting yesterday, we have what we need," I tell him,"but that's not the real reason you walked in and we both know it Hawthorne."

"So she told you. I figured she would. She was pretty mad at me when she saw me," he chuckles. I look at him with disgust.

"You left her here by herself, with no one but an old drunk and a grizzled cat. But the time I got here she was skin and bones. Greasy Sae had to practically force feed her. She felt so alone. You abandoned her. She thought you of all people was someone who she could trust. When I came home the day she saw you, I found her sobbing in a closet," I tell, getting more and more angry with each sentence.

"Peeta I left her here because she deserved you more than she deserved me. Your the one she needs to survive. I knew that when we talked in Tigris' basement. I killed her sister! I didn't mean to but I did. All for the good of the cause. I would never had been able to live a life where each time I looked into my lover's eyes, I know I killed the one person that was her world. And she never would have married me Peeta. She cares far too much about you to ever have been able to marry me. She loves you more. If she told you she still loves me, it's nothing compared to how much she loves you. You didn't see the tears stream down her face each time she saw the videos of you from the Capital, how hard she fought to make sure that your life was sparred when you were rescued, or how she rolled that pearl across her lips or through her fingers as she watched you in your room in 13. I did and having been her best friend since she was twelve, I knew one thing. She loves you more than even she will ever know. That's why I left her. I'm happy with Katie. We are going back to 2, to her home, tomorrow. This isn't my home anymore. I might come to you and Katniss' wedding because she asked me but other than that, you may never see me again," he says starting to walk away from me, towards the door. He looks back at me one last time.

"Live a happy life with Katniss, Peeta. You both deserve it," he says sadly. And with that he leaves. The bell on the door jingles softly. I stand there, shocked at what had just happened. Never, in a million years, had I thought if I met Gale Hawthorne face to face again, that that is how our interaction would go.

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Hey guys. This did not turn out at all as what I originally thought it would. But it is what came out. I like how it turned out, even though I know some of you wanted a little more of an altercation then the somewhat peaceful conversation that happened. But I put myself in Gale's shoes. I asked myself key questions. Why did he leave Katniss? How does he feel about her loving Peeta, about her marrying him when she swore she never would? And since I believe Gale to be a good person, not the monster that appears in so many others' stories. This is what I wrote. And just like Peeta was, I was shocked at Gales speech. But it is what it is.

I hope it wasn't too short. It took a long time to write this chapter and a lot of emotion went into it. Now I'm tabling so I'm gonna stop.

54k reads is further than I ever thought I'd go. Thanks so much!

Love y'all
Rock. On!
-Kayla