Finding the Missing Piece: Book 2

Chapter Forty-Seven

Peeta POV-

I hope Katniss is doing okay by herself.

I'm just glad we have a security system and that those idiots got put in jail-that takes a lot of stress out of my time here.

I just wish I could go home already.

I miss Katniss so much and it's worse because I won't even get to see her until tomorrow night.

My dad is making me stay with him tonight and I'm dreading it.

It'll only be five hours but that is five hours that I could be spending at home with Katniss.

"Dad, why can't I just go home at midnight when we get back?" I complain.

He shrugs, "Katniss oughta be asleep then, you wanna wake her up?" He asks.

I roll my eyes, "No, but I would like to see her tonight being that you took away my only way to contact her." I shoot back.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, "Calm down, baby brother." My oldest brother, David tells me.

I push his hand off my shoulder, "Peeta, you can have your phone back when we get home and talk to her then if you need to. I only wanted us to have a great trip and leave technology behind." My dad says.

"I would've had a way better trip if I could've spoken to Katniss off and on." I say, under my breath.

My old brother punches my shoulder roughly and shakes his head.

"Come on, Peeta. David and Ryan are doing just fine without their cellphones and they have girlfriends too."

"Yes, but unlike them, I don't have multiple girls to ignore at once." I shoot.

"That's your own fault." Ryan laughs.

"I'm perfectly content with one girl."

David snorts, "He's just sad he's not getting any tonight."

Ryan smirks, "Welcome to the club, little brother."

"Shut up." I say.

"Yeah, we can't all be as smooth with the ladies as I am." David preens.

I scoff.

I shrug back into the back seat and look out the window, ignoring my brothers and even my dad the rest of the way home.

The sky is pitch black and nothing but the moon and the headlights of our lone car shine.

As I fall asleep, all I can think about is how tomorrow night, I'll get to hold her in my arms again.

And the thought of that thought, makes me smile.

Katniss POV-

I go through our photo albums and see all of our older pictures.

I gasp excitedly when I find Peeta and I's picture from before we were a couple, at the bakery.

Our hands and clothes covered in flour and pepperonis tomato pasted to our cheeks and nose.

I remember that night so clearly.

It was one of the best times we have had together.

I remember how Peeta and I were in the bakery alone and we were just friends but I started to feel something more.

He leaned in and I did too.

Just as our lips came centimeters from crashing, the oven dinged and we broke away.

We both backed away feeling extremely awkward.

Looking back, I realize that if we would've kissed right then and there, it would've saved us both a ton of heartache.

As I lay in bed with all the lights on, here in my old bed room, I feel just like my sixteen year old self again.

I remember sitting in this very room, right here, just thinking about him all night.

Daydreaming of our future together and thinking to myself how crazy it'd be if he'd love me back.

It's crazy to think here I am, two years later, doing the same thing, but now were engaged.

We've been through so much together, it seems like a lifetime.

It's more than we could have ever imagined at sixteen.

I take a glance at the paintings that hang above our bed.

We've had them since week one.

They're a token of our friendship.

I smile and close my eyes.

That's when I see Peeta and I.

We were so young at sixteen, still kids and I see now how much we've grown.

Two years isn't a lot but the days are so long and the memories so sweet.

Thinking of Peeta at sixteen and now makes me laugh.

Peeta is able to successfully grow facial hair now, in just two years that occurred.

Thats not the only difference.

Peeta is the same boy I met years ago but he's just gotten more handsome, if that's possible.

He's just grown so much and underneath the grown man, I see the sweet boy that's never left.

I've grown too.

I don't know how to explain it.

Maybe I've not grown physically or appearance-wise but mentally, I've grown.

Emotionally, I've grown.

Peeta being just a few blocks down from me has all my memories replaying, they're on this rapid repeat and that's what I sleep to.

I wake up and it's 12pm, noon.

Six more hours until I can see Peeta.

It doesn't dawn on me until the fifth hour that I could've gone down to the bakery myself to see him, hours and hours ago.