THE MISSING LINK ✧ GLOSS HUNGER GAMES

27 | MAKING A DEAL

Gloss steps down as well, and we start walking towards the exit together. I can hear Palladium and Regina a few steps behind us, but the rest of the victors seem to have left already.

"I was going to go into town to buy food since I'm pretty sure Dior and my dad have been living off of scraps these past couple of weeks." Gloss turns to me. "If you're free tonight..."

He trails off. I wait for him to continue, but he never does.

"If I'm free... ?" I prompt. Still, Gloss doesn't reply. Instead, his eyes move to somewhere past my shoulder, and his face loses all trace of emotion. I follow his gaze and smile. "Jasper!"

Jasper smiles as well when our eyes meet, and I run over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck the second we're close enough.

"How was the journey?" he asks when I pull away. He smoothly places the bouquet of wildflowers in my hands, and I pull them in close to smell. Fresh. Airy. Sweet. I love it. "Did you get much sleep?"

I groan. "I don't think I've ever gotten any sleep on those trains."

"Then good thing you have the rest of the day to just sleep," he says.

I nod because that sounds perfect. I then look past his shoulder, my eyes scanning the area around us, but there's no one else. "Are my sisters not coming?"

Jasper shakes his head. "They're at the house waiting for you. Someone is too scared that she'll run into the newest victor."

I gasp. Not because it was a shock (I saw this coming from a mile away), but because I realize I know something that Diamond doesn't! And it feels so so so good!

"We have to go now," I say, jumping between my feet.

I grab his hand and start basically dragging Jasper towards Victor's Village. He doesn't question or try to stop me. He just follows along with an amused expression. We make it about twenty steps before I come to a sudden stop, and Jasper crashes into my back.

"Jewel?" Jasper asks, but I ignore him and turn around.

Gloss is still standing a few feet away, and I quickly walk back to him. He's already looking at me, so he slows his pace and comes to a stop.

"If I'm free, what?" I ask.

Gloss raises his brows. "What?"

"You never finished your question," I say. "What were you going to ask me?"

"Oh," Gloss says. His eyes flicker from me to a spot past my shoulder then to the bouquet in my hands, and when they're finally on me again, he sighs. "Don't worry about it, Jones. I'll see you around?"

My lips press together, and my cheeks grow warm. I force a nod.

"Yeah," I say after a moment. "Yeah, I guess I'll just... see you around, Gloss."

I turn around and walk back to Jasper, looping my arm through his when I reach him.

"Ready?" he asks.

"Yep!" I smile at him, pushing my shoulder against him teasingly. "Now, do you want to hear about my future brother-in-law?"

⋆✧⋆

Diamond is already on the porch waiting for us when we get back. Her paints are everywhere, some spilling onto either the deck or her white skirt, but she doesn't seem to care. All of her attention is on Jasper and me.

"Good luck with the future Mrs. Braun," Jasper whispers. He leans in to kiss my cheek, then steps away. "It'd be nice to not be the only guy in the house again."