The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 28

Her eyes caught Finnick's for a split second. What if it weren't her last words to Alder but to him? What would her last words be to Finnick Odair, her friend, mentor and anchor, if he were to die?

"I love you," the words escaped her mouth. Luckily, she had looked back at Caesar before speaking. "Those would be my last words to him."

"I'm sure he would return the gesture," Caesar said before signing off. It was finally over. Everyone in the room cried and hugged. But it didn't feel real. She approached her brother, who was next to Finnick.

"How did I do?" She asked them. "Perfect," both of them answered, making Dove sigh in exhaustion and relief.

"Normally, you would go back to your room to get your things before going to the train, but we're already prepared everything. Here's your necklace," Melo spoke up.

Dove glanced at the necklace. As she looked at the Angel Shell, she wished to arrive soon. Her sister would be running around Muscida's home like crazy by now. Dove wanted to hug her older sister already and never let go.

"Can you put it on me?" she asked her brother as she turned around. Melo warned her before placing her hair on her shoulder, causing Dove to close her eyes tightly. She didn't want to confront that problem yet.

When she felt her hair being tied behind her, she knew she could open her eyes again. Behind her, Melo was trying his best to get all her hair into a single pigtail with her rope.

"You have a little sister, but you don't know how to tie pigtails?" Finnick asked Melo mockingly.

"If you're so good, do it yourself," her brother replied with a chuckle. "With pleasure," Finnick replied.

Less than a minute went by, and he had already made a perfect pigtail on Dove's back. Melo looked at him, impressed, while Dove looked at both boys, amused. It was great to see them act like teens from time to time.

"Thanks, Odair," she said. Calling him by his last name felt weird, but she had to. Finnick and her had agreed to call each other by their last names when they were inside the Capitol. First names would be something too personal to call each other with their Capitol characters. 

By calling each other by their last names, they created a wall between them. That didn't mean they were happy with it. The wall that kept them protected from being found out also made them feel lonelier than ever. 

"Don't worry about it, Ogilvy. I couldn't sit still watching the horrible job your brother was doing," he replied with his denoted Capitol smile. Dove knew she would need some time to get used to the situation. 

The way he looked at her, the way he smiled, even the way he was around her, all of those would change during Capitol visits, and she knew she had to ignore it and play her part. But, then, why was it so difficult? Why did his Capitol behaviour hurt her?

Before they were driven to the train, Dove got a few minutes to say goodbye to her stylist and crew. Although she would see them again soon for Victor's tour. Just after the train started moving, and they left the station, Dove sighed loudly, dropping to her knees.

The realisation had hit her hard. She was finally going back home. The relief was enough to make her lose the complete feeling of her legs. She couldn't get up from the floor.

"Dove, darling, are you alright?" Her mother asked as she approached Dove. "Yeah, sorry. I can't feel my legs," she replied.

"Oh, my! Dove! That's not proper for a Victor," Delia said as she approached the group. Mags calmed the escort down. There was no need to shout.