“As we ride the elevator Gale finally says “You're still angry.”“And you're still not sorry,” I reply."I will stand by what I said. Do you want me to lie about it?” he asks.“No, I want you to rethink it and come up with the right opinion,” I tell him.”

“I still stand by what I said. Do you want me to lie about it?' he asks.'No, I want you to rethink it and come up with the right opinion,' I tell him.”

“Do you want me to lie about it?"..."No I want you to rethink it and come up with the right opinion.”

“What about Gale?""He's not a bad kisser either," I say shortly. "And it was okay with both of us? You kissing the other?" He asks. "No. It wasn't okay with either of you. But I wasn't asking your permission," I tell him. Peeta laughs again, coldly, dismissively. "Well, you're a piece of work, aren't you?”

“I brought you this." Gale holds up a sheath. When I take it, I notice it holds a single, ordinary arrow. "It'ssupposed to be symbolic. You firing the last shot of the war.""What if I miss?" I say. "Does Coin retrieve it and bring it back to me? Or just shoot Snow through the head herself?""You won't miss." Gale adjusts the sheath on my shoulder.We stand there, face-to-face, not meeting each other's eyes. "You didn't come see me in the hospital." He doesn't answer, so finally I just say it. "Was it your bomb?""I don't know. Neither does Beetee," he says. "Does it matter? You'll always be thinking about it."He waits for me to deny it; I want to deny it, but it's true. Even now I can see the flash that ignites her, feelthe heat of the flames. And I will never be able to separate that moment from Gale. My silence is my answer."That was the one thing I had going for me. Taking care of your family," he says. "Shoot straight, okay?" He touches my cheek and leaves. I want to call him back and tell him that I was wrong. That I'll figure out a way tomake peace with this. To remember the circumstances under which he created the bomb. Take into account my own inexcusable crimes. Dig up the truth about who dropped the parachutes. Prove it wasn't the rebels. Forgive him. But since I can't, I'll just have to deal with the pain.”

“Peeta would lose it if he knew I was thinking any of this, so I only say, “So what should we do with our last few days?”“I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest of my life with you,” Peeta replies.“Come on, then,” I say, pulling him into my room.”

“You're still trying to protect me. Real or not real," he whispers."Real," I answer. "Because that's what you and I do, protect each other.”