It was Saturday morning when my brain made this very important realization. "Oh my god, we don't have to worry about Rachel!" I squealed, bouncing up and down on the bed. I knew I was over reacting but what's a girl supposed to do when your boyfriend's stalker was technically out of the way? This is probably the only time they get to spend together without the fear of getting caught.

"You are way too happy." He chuckled. "But I think I know why."

He kissed me with all the strength he could manage, lips moving with mine in perfect sync. And I couldn't stop smiling because this was the only kiss I would ever want, filled with so much love and passion and affection. "You're beautiful." He breathed, sucking at my bottom lip until it bruised. "And I love you"

"Love you, too." I replied with equal sincerity.

We never left the bed until it was lunchtime. No one dared bother us, knowing that we were in a barely visible relationship crisis that we're trying to get past as easily as possible. I was glad that I had friends like them, friends who understand when I'm hurting, friends who are willing to go through the most painful experiences just for me, and friends who would think of me as someone important even when I know perfectly well that I wasn't.

Each kiss I received from him was better than the last and I knew it was only him who would ever make me feel this way. Whenever I recall that specific moment, trapped between the weight of the tree and the weight of Luke, I shed a single tear out of pure guilt and pain. He would tell me over and over again that it was never my fault, that he was supposed to be the one punished and never me. And I would shake my head, muttering my reason until it was the only thing I knew how to say.

My only reassurance of his unwavering presence was of his usual lingering touches, his usual soft kisses, his constant questioning on how I was coping with how we are. Every time he would do so, it only made me feel guiltier. He needed someone who will be fully loyal to him, just as he was fully loyal to me. He needed someone who would take care of him without hesitation. He needed someone who was as perfect as he was. And I wasn't that someone.

I made this realization when we were lounging on the loveseat, my head on his chest and a hand clenched on the soft fabric of his shirt. He was watching me, examining my every move. The smile on his face was still very much visible but it was too kind, too understanding for me. "Stop that!" I demanded, taking a deep breath. My tears were now shed, after holding them off for already so long.

"What?" he asked in confusion

"Stop looking at me like that. I don't deserve it, okay?"

The way his smile faded and his dazzling green eyes hardened surprised me in a way I never expected. He was so calm before and I felt worse than better. I didn't intend on making him feel bad about himself. That was the last thing I wanted to do. "Of course you do. Annabeth, where did this come from?"

"Never mind that. You need someone better than me, Perce. I cheated on you and you're not even mad. I doubt you feel the same way as you did before."

My heart stopped. Did I just say that? "Of course I do. Why are you acting like this? I love you, Wise Girl. Out of all the girls I've been with, you're the only one who gave me this feeling."

I shook my head viciously. "I know that but…" What do I have to say just to get him to forget about me? "I don't feel the same way anymore." It was a lie, of course it was but the way I said it made it sound so realistic that even he nearly fell off his seat. I loved him with everything I am, with my entire well being. I don't know what I'm going to do without him but he needed someone better. I'd rather suffer the pain now than to feel it later on, when we're already married and then I'm not giving him what he deserves.

"What?" he choked out, sounding so devastated. With the many promises we made, this was the only one that has to be broken, for the sake of his happiness.

"You heard me." My hands are in fists now, wanting to just run away from this place forgotten. I didn't want to see him so hurt like this.

Percy grabbed my shoulders, shaking me angrily. "We should think about this, Annabeth. What did I do wrong? I can change. Please, just don't…" This was one of the rare times that I have seen Percy Jackson cry, real tears in his eyes and the image was just so strange that it got me silently begging for him not to.

"It's for the best." I told him, pressing my palm gently on his cheek. "Plus, you deserve better than me."

He met my gaze and held it, persistent and stubborn. "I love you" he said finally, after an entire ten seconds of silence. "If you're going to break this off, just please remember that I always will." He kissed the top of my head softly, almost wistfully before walking away.

Oh God, what have I done?

I didn't see him for the rest of the day. I didn't see him for the entire week. Thalia said that he would go home himself so I had to ride with Beck and even that was awkward because I knew that they want to ask me about Percy but couldn't. Ever since the break-up, I never felt emptier than I already did. In school, I would constantly watch his locker but find that no one was there. At home, I never see him. And every night, I would cry myself to sleep, thinking of how I made a single mistake grow worse.

Two weeks after, I never went out of my room, locking myself in as I cried and cried and cried, uncaring of who might hear me. I thought that it would be impossible for us not to see each other, seeing that we live in the same house but true enough, I never did see him. Never once. I could feel that my best friend was getting worried about me.

Best friend.

The word stuck to me. There were so many promises that were broken and being best friends forever was one of them. I hated myself for even considering breaking up with him. We were meant to be together and having to even think that he was much better off with someone else was the biggest mistake of my life. Everything about me was molded by him and now that he wasn't here, I felt like I wasn't me. I could feel the emptiness threatening to swallow me whole and the only thing stopping it from doing so was the only hope that the logical side of me would come crawling back to him.

It was a Monday when I finally saw a glimpse of him. Percy was sitting on the usual patch of grass that we occupied whenever we have nothing to do. He was wearing nothing more than white cotton pants and with the lack of clothing, you can see that he wasn't taking care of himself any more. His eyes were sad and bloodshot, his hair limp and hanging in his eyes, the usual glow of his skin was no more and was replaced by a sickly aura, weak emotionally and physically. And I knew that it was my fault as to why this happened.

"Percy." His name gave a sweet aftertaste as I said it, missing how the word sounded on my lips, resonating with a sound of absolute longing

From the distance, you could see how he closed his eyes and the single tear that escaped. My heart clenched at the sight, wanting no more than to run to him and embrace him until all the pain is gone. "I'm so sorry." I choked out, shaking my head. I knew he couldn't hear me but I just had to get it out.

"I'm no good for you." I heard him say, "I was just glad that you saw it earlier than I did because I just realized that I'm no use. You can be with someone better but aren't. So why did you choose to love me?" He paused, taking a shaky breath. My photo in his hand crumpled as he held it too tightly. And when he found that the portrait didn't answer him, he sighed. "Annabeth… I can't do this anymore."

Wet trails were glistening on my cheeks, unable to control the natural flow as I fell on my knees. "No!" I found myself saying. "No, Seaweed Brain, it's not like that."

He heard this and turned his head to my direction, eyes wide at how this was affecting me much more than it was to him. I didn't dare move from my place, afraid of how he might react and he just stared at me, just watching. "I still love you, Percy. I was lying when I told you that I didn't anymore. I felt guilty about what I did with Luke and I thought you deserved better. I didn't think that it would hurt this much. I love you and I want you back. I need you back."

Percy said nothing but moved, standing up and heading towards me. I was preparing myself for a slap or something else that I deserved but he did pull me until I was vertical again and hugged me tighter than he usually does. And we stayed there, crying in relief as we tried to search for the other's warmth, wishing that we could have time to catch up on what we missed. And I couldn't help but smile as his salty sea scent filled my nose. "I'm so sorry." I repeated for his sake, looking at his once again bright green eyes.

"Apology accepted" was the only thing he said before our lips were locked in a searing kiss that was bound to happen sooner or later. My hands couldn't stop moving, trying to remember the feel of his soft skin in my fingertips. "I love you." He nuzzled his nose to the base of my neck.

And I repeated it without hesitation but with great sincerity, kissing him over and over again until I couldn't breathe. And my heart was beating for someone again, keeping me alive because the love of my life needs me. "We can't let this happen again, Annabeth." He whispered teasingly to my ear as he placed kisses on the slope of my neck. "I'd die without you."

So, by 8pm, we made love until we couldn't move but we didn't care. Percy and I are together again. Stronger. Happier. Livelier. Oh we never felt more alive. He would whisper his unending love for me until his lungs forced him not too and I would say how much he means to me, say how guilty I was for keeping us apart, and for being overcritical when the time comes.

When the others found out that we were together again, for good now, they were planning a party. I told them that they shouldn't go through so much trouble but Silena insisted that this was much more important than anything else in history. And Percy would laugh at how seriously our friends were taking our relationship. I thought it was supposed to be us who were in charge of it. Why are they planning everything we do?

"Do you think we should stop them?" he asked as we lied on the bed, him fingering the strands of my hair. "Or do you think we need this party?"

I leaned on my elbows, moving my face close enough so that our noses were touching. "What do you think?"

"Well, I think it's important for them to realize that we're still together after all but I don't want them to make it so grand that they would start inviting movie stars. And trust me, that is pretty possible because Silena Beauregard has her connections."

"I'm just scared that she's going to go overboard again." I sighed, shaking my head as I remembered the last time she threw me a "simple gathering"

Percy chuckled, moving on top of me as he placed soft kisses on my cheekbone, holding me flush against him. He didn't say anything to reassure me but I didn't think he needed to. I knew that he missed me and he was probably hurting himself trying to forget what happened the past few weeks but we both understood how the separation made our relationship stronger, that we can't really live without the other and feeling as if the other half of our hearts weren't only broken but crushed. And when I think about this, a few tears would escape my gray eyes until he would wipe them away and whisper his love for me.

We were interrupted with Sally's call for lunch, having to race each other until we reach our destination which was the dinner table. And I smiled as the smell of barbeque wafted to my nose. Before I could even realize what he was doing, Percy already had an entire piece shoved in his mouth and I tried so hard not to laugh at how his cheeks bulged and how his parents were giving him discouraging looks.

It wasn't the first time that I tasted barbeque from the Jackson's but it was certainly the first time that I have finished three pieces. It was too good to be ignored and even Bella had sauce all over her mouth, mimicking how her brother's current state. And if it was possible, Percy was a lot worse than the three year old. So I sighed, shaking my head as I grabbed his napkin and waiting until he chewed the meat he was working on before wiping his lips with the napkin as if I was his mother. And I could already hear Poseidon trying hard not to laugh at how his son was being treated and how he specifically was whining like a child.

"Don't be so immature." I finally scolded him as I slapped his arm, placing the used napkin beside my glass. "You're sixteen."

He didn't say anything in reply. Instead, he just gave me a smile and kissed me wetly on the cheek. "You look so cute when you're mad at me." He whispered teasingly to my ear.

So, the entire afternoon was spent on him trying to make-up for the time we lost, never taking his lips off mine until we all needed to breathe oh so desperately. And we would kiss in every single corner in the house where Bella or his parents can't see us. And if my lungs failed to get sufficient oxygen, I won't care. As long as he was close to me, devoting himself to me only, I would die peacefully.

And that's exactly what I wanted.