Evelina felt immense guilt as she placed the knife back in the cupboard it had come from. Tears started to well in her eyes. Yes, she brought the knife to protect herself. She knew he would come looking for her. But when he approached her, he didn't look angry, he looked sad. Devastated, even. Still, she felt unsafe. He was stronger than her, in strength and size. How could she defend herself if he were to turn on her?
"Evelina!" Coriolanus's voice broke her from her thoughts. She slammed the drawer shut, standing straight up.
"Yes?" She calls.
"Come back to bed." It was early morning, the day after she had thought about leaving, and Coryo seemed to have moved on entirely.
"Okay!" The bright morning sun poked through their windows, and she had to shield her eyes as she turned from the counter. She takes a deep breath and walks to the bedroom, opening the wooden door to see a shirtless blond boy sinking under the covers. He gives her a smile as she climbs in, lowering herself into the mattress.
"It's cold when you're not here," he mumbles, his face inches from hers.
"Maybe it's because you're always half-naked," she chides, smirking.
He frowned. "I thought you liked that about me."
"I like everything about you," she admits, her hands trialing along his chest. "Especially when you're half-naked."
"Ew," he cringes, laughing. She cringed, too. What an odd thing to say. The two lean in and soon their lips find one another, moving in a perfect rhythm. Somehow this distracted Evelina. She found herself becoming completely enthralled with him. His scent, his lips, his taste. And he felt the same. He broke their lock and moved onto her neck, his mouth leaving eager kisses on her collarbone. She squealed with delight and they laughed, their echoes syncing with one another.
This, he thought, this is how love is supposed to be.
He can't believe it took him this long to realize it, but he finally figured it out. Evelina was the only person he felt truly safe around. Maybe besides Tigris.
"Evelina," he says.
"Coryo."
"I love you."
She smiled, but something was hidden beneath her eyes. "I love you, too." Deceit, was it? Uncertainty? No, she had said it before. Plenty of times. What was different this time?
꧁༒☬.☬༒꧂
After several weeks of debating, wondering, questioning, Evelina decided she would just have to stay in the Capitol. For now.
But that didn't stop the overwhelming need to flee, to leave it all and go back home, to her parents. To the life she grew up with and loved so much. A change of scenery was nice for a few days, but now she was more homesick than anything, and wished to see her family again. How could she tell Coriolanus, though? He was so happy to have her with him during one of the greatest times of his life. But it wasn't the greatest time of hers. She felt sick constantly. Tired, nauseous, ugly. Still, she kept silent and let Coryo shine, congratulating him along with the other people of the Capitol who adored him so.
Mysteriously, Casca Highbottom had passed away. They say it must have been an overdose. Evelina was glad he was finally out of their lives, but that didn't mean that she didn't necessarily feel bad. He had a life, too, even if Evelina hated him.
Meanwhile, Dr. Voluminia Gaul had personally decided to take Coryo under her wing and train him to be a master Gamemaker. She says he could even be Head Gamemaker one day. And what a sight that would be. Evelina grimaced at the thought as she smeared some butter on a roll, attempting to stomach some food this evening.
YOU ARE READING
Panem Forever
Fanfiction"hope. it is the only thing stronger than fear." Anyone would tell you that Evelina Sanders was not a "go getter". She was a gatherer, not a hunter. She wasn't particularly good at anything, though she could fancy herself a painter if she were aske...
