(2) Katnis Swan: Moved On?

Chapter 29: Invitation

Katnis was sitting in her room when there was a knock at her door. "Come in."

Her door opened and in popped an annoyed looking Charlie. "Hey, sweetie."

Katnis tilted her head. "What's wrong, dad?"

"You have three visitors." he said before he stepped aside to reveal Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper. "If you want them to leave, I can make them."

Katnis smiled at her father and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, dad. If I find myself not liking their company, I'll just make them leave myself."

Charlie smiled at then frowned at the three other 'teens'before walking out of her room, closing the door behind him.

"So, what are you three doing here?" Katnis questioned.

"We wanted to see you." Rosalie said.

"Why?"

"We've missed you, Kat." Emmett added.

Katnis looked down at her hands then met their gazes. "Who's fault is that?"

"Katnis, you have to believe me when I say that we didn't want to leave you, ever." Rosalie moved to sit on the edge of her bed. "But it was what Edward wanted.  And we're a family so we couldn't just let him leave on his own. You can't tell me had Bella said she wanted to leave here, you and Charlie wouldn't follow."

Katnis took a breath. "You're right, I would have.  But I wouldn't have lied about it. I wouldn't have said things to make you hate me just to make it easier to walk away." she sighed. "Cullen did. He lied to my face and he said things, though I knew he didn't mean them, that he thought would make me hate him and things he can't take back."

"Katnis - " Emmett started.

"I know why you left, why he left.  I do and I understand that now like I did then but that's not what makes me want to hate him." she swallowed and looked into Rosalie's eyes. "He broke my heart, Rosalie. It took me such a long time to admit my feelings for him, to admit that I loved him, and he threw it back in my face. He walked away from me the moment I gave myself to him and that wasn't right or fair."

Rosalie frowned. She hated that they'd left her behind and that Edward had hurt her.  Even if he thought it was the only way to protect her, she was still as pissed at him now, about leaving, as she was the day they left.  Katnis was her best, and only, friend. And just as quickly as they walked into her life, they walked out of it. All because her brother was being over dramatic.

"Will you please come with us?" Jasper asked.

Katnis looked at him. "Where?"

"Our home." said Emmett.

"Why?"

"We want to talk to you.  We need to talk to you." said Emmett.

Katnis shook her head. "I don't think that would be such a good idea." she climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. "Seeing Cullen, being that close to him, right now wouldn't be fair, or a good thing, to Peeta."

"Why not?" Emmett questioned.

Katnis turned to him. "Because I still love your brother and being that close to him won't end well. I don't - I just - I can't trust myself around him right now."

Rosalie looked at Emmett then moved to stand closer to Katnis. "I promise to help you stay in control. Please, just, come talk to us."

Katnis took a deep breath. "Does Cullen know that you're here?" 

The three vampires exchanged glances then looked at her and shook their heads. "Not really. He actually advised us to stay away from you, to give you your space."

Katnis chuckled. "And of course, like I told him you wouldn't, you didn't listen."

Emmett shrugged. "I don't listen to Edward. I'm his big brother, not the other way around."

Katnis couldn't help the next words that came out of her mouth. "Yes you do. If you didn't listen to Cullen you never would have left."

Emmett flinched at her words like they were knives in his chest.

"Katnis, we really are sorry about everything that happened between you and our brother and the rest of us. The last thing we wanted to do was hurt you but Edward really felt leaving was the best option, the only option, to keep you safe." Rosalie stated.

"He felt that the only way to keep you out of harms way was to walk away and give you a chance at a normal, human, life. If he thought there was another way to keep you safe and stay, he would have done it." said Jasper. "I felt everything he felt and you have to believe me that the last thing he wanted to do was leave you or hurt you."

Katnis sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Don't you think I know that? I know the last thing he wanted to do was hurt me, to break my heart and make me feel worthless. I know that already," she groaned and turned to look at all of them. "But the thing is...he did. He did hurt me. He did break my heart. And he did make me feel worthless. And as much as I want to hate his very being, I can't. I can't because I still love him, maybe even more, as I did before he left."

"What if we got him to leave? Will you come then?" Emmett asked.

Katnis shook her head. "I won't kick Cullen out of his own home."

"Then what can we do to get you to come?" Rosalie asked.

"Nothing. I'll come but only because I actually miss Carlisle and Esme and to prove to the three of you that I'm not avoiding Cullen. Things between us may not be how they used to be but I'm not turning corners or ducking behind doors and under desks to avoid him." she chuckled. "We talked and things are...balanced between us."

Jasper stepped forward and asked, "Do you think you and my brother will ever get back what you had?"

Katnis met his gaze and shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Jasper. I love your brother, I do, but my feelings for Peeta haven't disappeared. I like him, a lot and I can actually see a future with him," she stated honestly. "But I also have to be honest with myself and admit that I can also still see a future with your brother, too. I just - I really need some time to get my feelings in order."

"Your life was normal, simple, before we came back and now it's just...we've ruined your chances at a normal life, once again, haven't we?" Jasper asked.

Katnis offered him a smile. "You've never ruined my life, Jasper. You may have made it more entertaining but I don't ever regret meeting any of you. And trust me, my life never would have been normal, Jasper, ever. I'm not normal. so how can I really live a normal life?"

He smiled. "I'm really glad you became a part of our lives, Katnis Swan."

Katnis smiled. "So am I."

"Great! Now, whose back do you want to ride to our humble abode?" asked Emmett