Ch. 2 Lies

"What about her?" I demanded, leaning across the table.

"Gage," Peeta said cautiously. "She's too scared to tell you, afraid of how you'll handle it all. You need to be careful with her Gage."

"I am careful with her!" I say defensively. "I never ask her about my dad because I know how much it hurts. I don't talk about the Hunger Games, or tell her I hate Chris. I don't ignore the screams of her nightmares or get angry when she leaves home for days without telling me where she is! I make sure…"

"She's pregnant Gage," Peeta interrupts.

"What?" I ask my voice cracking.

"Your mother is having Chris's baby," he said slowly, emphasizing each word.

I felt the anger swell up inside me. That man had no right to touch my mom, he wasn't good enough for her. My mom loved Gale. She loved him so much that when he died, so did she a little bit. So much that she called for him in her sleep and never went a day without visiting his favorite spot in the woods.

"You're lying," I decided.

"Gage, I know you're upset and confused and scared. You're mad at Cally, probably for the first time ever. But if you had a second chance at love, would you take it?"

"No," I said storming away.

In the woods I tried to calm down, not able to wrap my mind around everything that had happened. My mom. With Chris. Pregnant. In love?

For the first time in a while, I thought openly about little Poinsettia Mellark. Besides for her blue eyes, she looked exactly like Katniss and acted the same way too. She was amazing with her bow, independent, strong, and stubborn. We were best friends and hunting partners, spending time laughing in the woods and talking trash about the Capitol.

We talked about running away, and we would've done it too except I couldn't leave my mom. Of course we should've left when we had the chance, because two days later Poinsettia was reaped.

Pulling the flower out of my pocket, I vowed, "I'm never going to love anyone besides you Poinsettia Mellark, I promise."