The Epilogue - Katniss and Peeta

Different.

"Well someone's happy to see me." I joke, standing up slowly.
"Don't start already." She groans, covering her face in her arms. I laugh at the sight of her so disheveled, before walking towards her windows and opening the curtains.

"Why are you still sleeping?" I ask, opening her windows to let the fresh air in.
"You don't want to know." She starts, finally sitting up.

She combs her hair with her fingers after seeing her reflection in the mirror across from her, and I fight the urge to smile at the sight.

"What don't I want to know?" I ask, assuming she was up late reading, or reorganizing her bookshelf.

She gives me a look, and the smile that's when my face turns to a frown. I walk towards her and I flip her wrists, checking them but seeing no new additions. I look at her, confused, but she takes her arms away from my grasp and folds them across her chest.

"I didn't, I promise." She starts, and my heart starts to feel a little lighter as she continues. "I was up all night not doing it."

"You should've called me." I say, reaching to mess up her blonde wavy hair. She glares at me as I do, and begins to re-comb her hair. "I would've been awake."

There's a silence between us, and I can see that she's thinking about saying something. I try to make myself look busy, so she doesn't feel pressured, but in reality, I really do what to know what's on her mind.

"I want them back." She breaks the silence, and I immediately shake my head.

Definitely not what I expected.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I ask, and she stands up from her bed. She scoffs, but I clearly have the upper hand—she's not very threatening when she has to look up at me. "You're almost 2 weeks clean."

"I've earned them back." She states, and I roll my eyes. "This isn't fair, Flynn."

"You think this is unfair?" I  ask, actually laughing at her. "It's unfair that I care about you so much, and you just want to throw everything away. It's unfair that no matter how hard I try, I can't get you to be happy. It's unfair that you sit here and cut yourself because you're too stubborn and foolish to call me. That's unfair, Willow."

She stands there looking at me, and I see water fill her lower eyelids. My face softens, and I regret everything I've said. I try to reach for her but she backs away from my reach, and it breaks my heart to realize how incredibly dumb I am.

"Willow, I'm sorry," I start, but she shakes her head.

A tear falls down her face, and I watch as she quickly wipes it before looking at me.

"You should leave." She says, and I fight the urge to say no. I hesitate before speaking again, not wanting to add to anything I've already done.

"I didn't mean any of it, I—" I stumble over my words, and she stares straight through me.
"Please go." She says finally, and I hesitate before walking towards the door.

I don't look back as I walk through her bedroom door, and I don't look back when I hear Peeta call my name through the corridor. I walk back to my house in silence, sulking in the regret of every single word I said.