A Time For Love

chapter 12

I didn't start crying until I pulled in Mama's driveway. Aunt Karen and Uncle Hale are here with Luke, and so is Maple and baby Rachel and Jacob are here. It's not dinner time, it's eight at night. I didn't give them a warning and neither did Annie.

I slammed the door, and Annie ran after me. I went into the house; and right when I see Mama, my breathing gets really heavy, and my eyes fill up with tears.

Annie shuts the door.

"What happened?" Mama asks, pulling me to the couch.

Annie explains everything; and its right here and now that I realize I do love him.

I'm in love with Peeta Mellark. I'm in love with a lying asshole.

All of the guys don't leave this time, they sit there, and they listen. Daddy rubs my back, and Mama unbraids my hair and runs her fingers through it.

"Honey, he loves you." Mama says. "He was probably going to tell you."

"He lied though. If he can't be honest, I don't want him around me." I sit up and wipe my tears away. "If we don't have honesty, we don't have trust."

"She's right." Daddy says. Mama sighs.

"What do you think about all of this?" I ask Maple. She shifts Rachel in her arms and sighs.

"Oh honey...I think that he made the biggest mistake of his life, and it resulted in him losing the most important thing in his life. I think that you love him, and you're heartbroken, and I think that after a while, you'll go after him, or he'll go after you. I think it's true love, and you've finally found the one. I think that this will result in you guys finally kissing."

I look at Annie, and she shoves her hands in her pockets.

"I agree." Annie says.

"Me too." Prim says. Mama rubs my back.

"I think that you love him, and he loves you, and you're angry now, but it'll soon result in depression, and I don't think this is the end of you guys."

I look at Aunt Karen.

She sighs. "Sweetie, I think that you should have given him a second change."

......a......

Annie and I drove home. It took a long time, but we did it, and I went right into work, and I took one of the horses, and I rode around on the paths. I went home, and I sat in the dark and I stared at the light green wall until I fell asleep.

I kept repeating this process for days. I only remembered to eat because Annie showed up with food for me every day.

I don't like my house. It's so lonely.

I miss Peeta. I wish he didn't lie to me. I think I would have gotten to feel his lips on mine by now.

I wish I wasn't so stubborn.

I wish I wasn't alone.

I go out and get in my car, and I start it, and I sit there and stare at the pedal for a while.

I can't go over there and beg for him back, because I didn't do anything.

God, I hate heartbreak.