Finding the Missing Piece: Book 2

Chapter Twenty-Four

Peeta POV-

Why does my mother hate me so much?

We couldn't even have a decent dinner in the same room after being out of the house for 6 months.

Being perfect is not a good enough answer because I am the furthest thing from perfect.

I lay on the bed with my face buried into the mattress, tears soaking the firm fabric.

For heaven'a sake, I'm nineteen years old and I still give my mother the power to make me cry.

It is weak of me and ridiculous and this makes me cry more.

I hear someone knock on the door and I know it's Katniss.

I don't want to talk but I want her to be with me right now and to be far away from my mother.

"Peeta?" I hear her call my name from the outside.

I stir a bit and then stay completely still, knowing she will just let herself in.

It brings me back to our first fight.

Seconds later, I hear her open the door.

She carefully shuts the door behind her and I feel the bed indent slightly where she sits down next to me.

She pats my back a few times.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Peeta. Please don't cry." Katniss whisper to me.

I turn onto my back and look into her sparkling gray eyes with my puffy blue ones.

She is so close to tears.

I instantly try to look stronger than I am.

"Are you gonna cry too?" I ask her, concerned.

Katniss chuckles, "Probably." Katniss laughs as tears pour stroll down her face.

I let a few more strays tears fall and I wipe hers off.

"Why?" I ask her.

I just lay there with her sitting next to me and I stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"Because I feel bad for you." Katniss finally says with a sad laugh.

I give her a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." She says blinking a few tears away and sniffling her nose.

I sit up, "Why are you sorry?" I ask.

"We were both given such great dads and sort of crappy moms." Katniss says.

She just stares off into the distance and silent tears stream down her face.

I know she is thinking of her family now.

It's a long shot but I mention it anyways,
"Katniss, at least we both know that if we ever have kids, they will have good parents. They won't have to worry about having a bad mom, not so sure on the dad thing but I'd try." I shrug.

Katniss sits upright, "Peeta, don't say that, if we ever have kids you will be the perfect father." She says, emphasizing 'perfect.'

I smile at her words. "Because you are the perfect person. Perfect kid, friend, best friend, boyfriend, fiancé, and you'll be the perfect husband too." Katniss says.

I feel my heart begin to ache at her kind words.

I give her a sad smile.

"You too." I say, not even thinking.

She smiles and then let's out a little giggle.

I look at her and try to figure out what she finds humorous.

"What?" I ask with a puffy-faced grin.

"I'm the perfect boyfriend and I'll be the perfect husband?" She laughs.

Then I understand her sarcasm.

"Definitely what I meant." I say, smiling.

"I figured." She says with a grin, shrugging her shoulders.

I close my burning eyes and she reaches out to me.

"Peeta, don't worry about your mom. I know she isn't fair to you but you can't let her win." Katniss informs me.

I open my eyes and look at this amazing girl.

She has a heart of gold. 

"I just wish she didn't act like that, especially now. I wish I had been given a better mom." I say and it reminds me of the times of told Katniss of my mother's beatings and foul words.

She's the only person I've ever told.

I feel like I'm sixteen or seventeen again.

Like I'm the seventeen year old Peeta sobbing in my room, hiding from my mother.

It feels like Katniss is the sixteen year old girl telling me it's alright, even when it doesn't seem like it.

But we're not.

I'm nineteen year old Peeta Mellark, crying.

She is eighteen year old Katniss Everdeen, comforting me.

"Peeta, if your mom wasn't your mom you would be here. You wouldn't be who you are. You wouldn't look the way you do and you just wouldn't be my Peeta." Katniss says.

I think about it and she is right.

"If your mom wasn't your mom you wouldn't have such a kind heart." Katniss says smiling, confident in her words.

"I just wish she would give me a valid reason." I admit to her.

"But I guess that's the thing about moms, they are complicated. Stubborn." Katniss murmurs.

I sit up next to her and take both of her hands in mine.

I don't say anything back because I don't know what to say so I pull her into my lap.

We hold each other tightly.

We don't say anything and soon we both fall asleep, just like we are.