Finding the Missing Piece: Book 4

Chapter Fourteen

"I just went to have a little drink." He says nonchalantly, shutting the door behind him.

I glare at him.

"Peeta, a little drink? You've been gone since noon yesterday and you say you've had a little drink? You wreak of alcohol." I say, raising my voice and holding my hand over my nose.

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down."

He cringes at the noise of my voice.

"I've been as calm as I could fucking be the last two months and I have every right to be mad at you now." I say, letting all my frustrations go.

He needs to hear it, whether he's sober or not.

"You promised me that we wouldn't do that, ever. I don't care the circumstances." I say, letting tears fall down my cheeks.

He shrugs, "It was one time, Katniss." Peeta says, pushing past me and into the kitchen.

I follow him in there.

"You can't just drink away your problems, Peeta!" I say, sliding his hideously frosted birthday cake into the trashcan.

There's a waste of time, money, effort and loss of sleep.

He jumps at the sound it makes as it hits the bottom of the trash can.

I feel like I've just been slapped in the face, beaten if you will.

Peeta brings his head up a second later and laughs like it's funny.

"Why not?" He asks with a shrug.

I clench my fists.

"Because that's what Haymitch did and you told me once you never wanted to end up like him." I say, these awful choking noises making an appearance in my voice.

I can't believe him.

"Katniss, I don't know what else to do." He says, stumbling and falling into a barstool.

"And I do? The least you could do is cooperate with me." I shoot.

"I'm sorry, you don't know how hard it is for me." He shrugs.

He actually thinks this isn't a big deal.

"I do, actually. You promised me you'd go back to counseling too and you haven't even attempted it. You call in every day you're suppose to go!" I say, giving him an earful about that.

"Ugh, Katniss. Can't you just give me a break?" He screams.

"I have, Peeta. It's been nearly two months and I've been so patient with you but I can't do this forever. Not now because you crossed a line!"

I was more than willing to wait but getting drunk is so far past the line that I can't even look at him.

"I told you eight billion times to give me a little time!"

"I have, Peeta and until this moment, I have been more than willing to give you all the time you needed! All I want is for us both to be happy again and we are getting nowhere. We are both depressed." I tell him.

"I'm not depressed." Peeta mumbles.

"Bullshit. You aren't even yourself anymore." I tell him.

"Can I not be sad?"

"You can be sad all you want but don't you tell me that I haven't been patient with you."

"How have you been?"