Gale stares at her; he doesn't care if she notices. The sunset is warm against her skin and her profile glows against the fire sky.

"Do you even want to be found?" She blinks and turns her head to him, cocking it to the side in confusion.

"I've established that you're lost. Or hiding. For once, I can't tell which. But I don't want to waste my time looking if you're trying not to be found."

"I-"

"It's almost been a year, Katniss."

This isn't her best friend speaking.

"It's been months, and you're still wallowing in your nonexistent guilt. Stop blaming yourself. I know you want to be in control of everything, but there's absolutely nothing you could've done, that you can do, to change anything. I know how much you've lost, and I'm not judging, but the least you can do is have a conversation. About the weather. Or pastry prices. Or the trees."

This is a stranger who's making her confront herself.

"Learning to love again doesn't have to break you."