She wonders what this sudden rush of concern for her well-being is, utterly confusing for a girl used to protecting everyone around her. Of course, there had been some measure of that in District 13, but that was other people deciding what was best for her. Doing things because losing her would not be in their best interests. Everyone had their own agendas, and maybe for just a split second, Katniss wonders what Peeta's is.
But then she's disgusted with herself. After all, hadn't Peeta proven himself to be the least duplicitous of all of them? He'd lied to the audience in their first Games, but his lies were rooted in the truth. Or at least, they had been. That particular truth was gone now. After all they've been through, he's the one that she should be trusting the most.
She still wants to push him away, though. For his own good. Even though Katniss is very well aware that this makes her exactly like the people from 13, deciding that for everyone else without their input. It's not even that she considers herself better than everyone else. It's just her history of being the sole provider for her family stepping in.
There's also the fact that this feels strangely...wrong on her part, even though the defensive side of Katniss flares up at the idea, because she and Gale are just friends. The same was with Peeta, wasn't it? The borders were very heavily defined. It's just her mind slipping in pieces of doubt.
Katniss swallows and winces because it feels like thistles in her throat, raw from screaming. "I thought you wanted to stay away from me," she says evenly, no accusations or emotions behind it. Just a simple statement of the facts. It feels vaguely like pity, and even though this is Peeta and she owes him more than she'll ever be able to pay back, Katniss still isn't comfortable with the idea of pity.
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But then she's disgusted with herself. After all, hadn't Peeta proven himself to be the least duplicitous of all of them? He'd lied to the audience in their first Games, but his lies were rooted in the truth. Or at least, they had been. That particular truth was gone now. After all they've been through, he's the one that she should be trusting the most.
She still wants to push him away, though. For his own good. Even though Katniss is very well aware that this makes her exactly like the people from 13, deciding that for everyone else without their input. It's not even that she considers herself better than everyone else. It's just her history of being the sole provider for her family stepping in.
There's also the fact that this feels strangely...wrong on her part, even though the defensive side of Katniss flares up at the idea, because she and Gale are just friends. The same was with Peeta, wasn't it? The borders were very heavily defined. It's just her mind slipping in pieces of doubt.
Katniss swallows and winces because it feels like thistles in her throat, raw from screaming. "I thought you wanted to stay away from me," she says evenly, no accusations or emotions behind it. Just a simple statement of the facts. It feels vaguely like pity, and even though this is Peeta and she owes him more than she'll ever be able to pay back, Katniss still isn't comfortable with the idea of pity.