not without you | Cato Hadley

10.

The morning was cloudy, like those days you would rather just stay home and don't do anything. The only down side of staying home doing nothing is that you get bored. And when you get bored - you get hungry. Getting hungry just because you were bored was not an option in district 12. Let alone in the arena, here it was a must to save food because you never knew what would happen the next day.

I remember one year the Game Makers set a huge storm. The storm lasted 3 days. Because of the rain tributes couldn't see anything let alone hunt for food or other tributes. The only deaths were either from starvation or dehydration. Although the Capitol citizens thought it was boring it was all for new ideas of entertainment and that means they might try out something completely new and I have to be prepared.

That's another point why Careers have it better then the other districts. They get all the supplies. Or more like take them, because no one dares to fight them. If the supplies were somehow gone I would stand a pretty good chance in winning the Games. But for a plan like that it was way to early, to many tributes are still alive and to be honest I don't want to be the one to take care of them.

The most useful thing at the moment was to check the snares and to fill up my bottle. The sound of birds reminded me very much of home. How much I have missed my mother. Why me? Why was I chosen for the games? My poor mother, probably struggling without me.

Looking at the sky I had the feeling the rain was coming. I had to be quick so I can get back in time before the trees get all wet and slippery. Five of my snares had rabbits in them. I couldn't imagine anything better. Starting a fire to cook them is probably not the best idea right now, if it starts raining the fire will go out. So I put up new snares and took my water bottle out.

The water was pretty warm, a storm is coming. Although I was sure it won't be a long lasting one. And then as I was almost leaving it started pouring like hell.

"Damn it." I muttered.

Great, no chance getting into a tree now. The best option is to find a cave. Walking around for about 15 minutes, still no cave to be seen I was on the verge of giving up. There were some small cliffs where I could hide under so I don't get wet. I sat down setting my backpack beside me. Goosebumps covered my body. I grinned, I was always cold. Always. Even when the wind was colder in the mid summer I always got goosebumps.

Resting my head against the stone wall I closed my eyes trying not to thing about the cold ground I'm sitting on. And then I heard footsteps.
My eyes shot open. At this point I was literally panicking because I realized that I didn't even have a weapon to defend myself with.

"Not the best hiding spot you know, I can see you from the other side of the river." Cato chuckled.

Why is he alone? Why wouldn't he be though. It's not like he's the most feared tribute in the arena.

"You only saw me because you wanted to see me, honey." I licked my lips. Damn, where is this whole confidence coming from.

"You're not wrong though." He laughed. Oh no, the butterflies.

"Where are your allies anyways?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Not here obviously." He snickered.

"What are you snickering at, huh?"

"What? Am I not allowed to laugh anymore?" He smirked.

I just grinned at him. He sat down beside  me. I didn't know what to say.
Neither did he, I think.

"Cora, about what you said on the roof, in the Capitol, I don't think it's smart for either of us to develop feelings for each other." He sighed.

"Don't you think I know that?" Now I was getting annoyed.

"Then why did you tell me about your feelings? Why did you even let it come so far?"

"Well listen now, darling. First you tell me that I am your kill, as if you're expressing some ownership over me, then the whole fiasco with the fountain, you literally punched the driver because he was trying to take advantage of me, then kissed me, saved my life and you are blaming me for my feelings? Seriously? You never told me about yours. Why did you save my life Cato?" I spat out.

"I don't know okay? I get jealous quickly and thinking about that guy still gets under my skin. It makes me angry knowing I've developed a soft spot for you. It wasn't my intention. And seeing that district 9 guy towering over you, I just couldn't let him kill you. It scares me, the feelings, they always get in the way. I can't concentrate on winning if in the back of my head I am constantly thinking whether you're still alive. It shouldn't matter but it does."

I stared him dead in the eye.

"You getting jealous? About that guy in the Capitol? Cato, he was a creep, I'd like to know why you were flirting with Glimmer. You know, after the girl one of you killed the first night." I raised my brows.

"I wasn't flirting, she was flirting with me. And how do you know all this?" He chuckled.

Obviously he wasn't getting that I was dead ass serious.

"Cato, damn your gorgeous smile and tell me, did she throw herself at you?" I hissed.

"She did." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

*dramatical blink*, the one you give so the person knows he can correct himself quickly before you go berserk.

"She did." I repeated biting my lip, emotions boiling. I was so mad at both of them. But there was this emotion that I didn't really expect to feel, I was hurt. I knew I might get jealous but hurt? I was hurt so much in my life that things didn't hurt me much anymore. Yet this blond God had his ways in reaching my heart.

"I said she did not that something happened. I don't want her." He smirked. He really does know how to get under my skin.

"You know what?" I said a louder, glowing in confidence.

"What?"

"Yeah, what-" I repeated him.

"Why are you still standing there? Push me to the wall and kiss me." I said as if it was the most obvious thing. I didn't need to tell him twice. He pushed me to the wall lightly and pressed his lips against mine. His lips were warm. The kiss was hungry, filled with lust. We both knew that it wasn't good what we were doing. That it wasn't smart and kissing each other was like digging a deeper hole. But none of us wanted to stop.