Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 11

6 months later

"Don't," Taiya complained as she flinched away from Seneca when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Tay," he said quietly. "You've had enough."

"You're not the boss of me," she slurred as she drank her next shot.

"Hey," he said soothingly as he tried to hold her hands, only for her to yank them away. "I know you're struggling, but this won't help you. Trust me."

"You don't know what I need. You don't know me."

"Yes, I do," he replied.

"No! You..." Taiya began angrily before being cut off by Johanna.

"Can't you just let her do what she wants tonight?" she snapped at the man angrily as she stood in front of Taiya, blocking her off from Seneca.

Taiya turned back to the bar and dropped her head into her hands. Seneca watched her sadly. "I just want to make sure she's ok," he said quietly.

"I'm with her, she'll be fine," Johanna rolls her eyes as she signals the bartender for another drink.

"Getting her drunk isn't helping," he tried to reason and Johanna snorted.

"Of course it is. The more you drink the number you get."

"It's not a good coping mechanism. Just let me help," he pleaded.

"Don't you think you and your kind have done enough?" Johanna growled, grabbing Taiya's hand and pulling her away.

*********************

"How ya doing Annieeee," Taiya smiled as she fell down onto the couch beside the girl.

"Taiya!" Moxie chided. Moxie had been sitting on the couch with Annie all night, trying to coax the girl up to greet people. But Annie was not stable. She hadn't been since she returned from the Games. She'd sometimes close her eyes, cover her ears and whimper, other times she randomly start laughing or fall into a stupor.

Snow had been careful with his wording that day Taiya had realised. He promised District 4 would have a victor. He didn't specify who. The dam in the arena had broken, flooding the entire forest. Only Annie had the swimming skills to survive, she was incidentally made the winner. At least that's how it appeared to the rest of Panem. Only a few victors and Snow knew the truth of how that dam broke. It had resulted in the disgrace of Hamlet Gaul, the Head Gamemaker who had immediately been fired. Leaving the role open for a successor, who was quickly named to be Seneca Crane. Seneca had done his best to help her cousin and friend in the Games, but now that he was Head Gamemaker she resented him. He would be in charge of overseeing the deaths of 23 children each year. It was disgusting.

She'd done her best to push him away. But the attachment and adoration he'd developed for her over the years stopped him from leaving her. He was understanding and tolerant of her moods, which only annoyed her more. It'd be so much easier if he tired of her and left her in peace. But instead, he insisted on helping her, monitoring her to try and stop her from falling further into despair. He arranged walks in the gardens of the Capitol to get her out into the fresh air. He hosted game nights for her and his brother in his apartment. She was obligated to attend, but her acting skills had significantly decreased.

"Taiya, you are drunk!" Moxie hissed. She had her hands full lately. Annie was unstable and barely able to complete her victor obligations, and Taiya was on the verge of embarrassing herself in the Capitol. Managing them had not been easy. She'd had to partner Finnick with Annie, and Tyler with Taiya in order to keep the girls under some form of control. But as soon as they'd gotten to the party, both Tyler and Finnick had their own socialising to do. Before Moxie could suggest a game plan to Taiya at the start of the night when she was still sober, the victor from District 7 had run up, grabbed her hand and dragged her off to the bar, leaving the District 4 escort to babysit Annie, who'd since refused to move from the couch.