I have gone to see Matthew a lot more since the incident. He's good. Great, in fact. His vital signs are much better, he can breathe without an oxygen mask, and he can sit up in bed without getting dizzy. I'd say that's an improvement since the catastrophe a few days ago.

I've also gone back to work since then, which is…interesting, to say the least. We haven't talked about what happened in the kitchen. I have actually been pretty proud of Percy's professional behavior since then. Hopefully, that situation is under control for now. The last thing I need in my life right now is more anxiety.

I have also resumed most of my classes, which have been more demanding then ever. My professors have taken it upon themselves to make my life a living hell. Homework, tests, and more essay assignments than I can manage to complete in a week. If I've had any free time at all, it's been spent in the hospital. If I never had to see one of those again, it wouldn't be the worst thing.

As of right now, I am about to take a shower. It's a Friday night, and I have a date. Because for once in my life, I have managed to have a night off. I hardly have any homework, surprisingly, and Matt's condition has been so well, that Maggie has practically ordered me to go on a date and 'have some fun', as she liked to put it. And it wasn't very hard to find a date, either.

There is this really cute guy who I see occasionally when Thalia and I stop the café right down the street from our apartment. Every time I go there, he makes some kind of move. It's cute, really, and very flattering. But, with everything going on I always turned him down. Anyway, I happened to bump into him this morning¾spilling my recently purchased coffee on him¾and we got to talking and he asked me out. And when I was about to kindly refuse, I had a flashback to all the crap that has happened and I realized, why not go out with pretty boy, a nice, normal guy, who seems to have no interest in playing with my emotions. So, I said yes, we exchanged numbers, and I learned that his name is Ryan.

I reached out to turn the warm water on, excited to take a hot shower. What greeted me, though, was very disappointing. It looked to be tinted brown, which makes me question just where it came from, if you know what I mean.

I let out a very disgusted sound, and then scream for Thalia, demanding to know just what she probably did to our water supply. I reach for a towel, wrapping it around my previously naked body.

"I swear I didn't do anything!" Is her disgruntled reply. "I took a shower this morning and it was fine."

"What am I going to do? I have to take a shower!"

"Relax, I'll call the landlord, he'll probably have it fixed by morning. You can take a shower then."

"No, Thalia I can't…I…" I hesitate. If I tell her about my date, she'll make a big deal about it. Whatever, my hair is in serious need of a washing. "I have a date, okay?" It comes out much more confidently, than I feel.

Thalia looks shocked, then elated, and then determined. Oh no, that look scares me. "Well that changes everything! I have to make a call!" She makes her way out of the bathroom, no doubt in search of her cell phone.

I retighten my towel, and make my way into the kitchen in search of something to make for dinner. I start conjuring up a stir-fry. Cutting the vegetables, slicing the meat, and mixing a sauce, all distract me from whatever Thalia seems be up to.

However many minutes later, when my stir-fry is complete, there's a knock at the door. My fork is suspended in midair when Thalia comes racing out of her bedroom, yelling an "I've got it!" at me as she does so.

My back is to the door when I hear him come in. I know it's him before his voice even reaches my ears. I can almost feel his smirk burning a whole in the back of my head.

"We have to stop meeting like this." He says to me. Shit, I'm still wearing my towel.

I roll my eyes at his rapacious comment, knowing very well that he can't see me. I plaster a fake smile on my face and turn to greet his handsome appearance.

He's wearing casual, just-went-on-a-run clothing, and my mouth waters at the sight of him. Concentrate, Annabeth.

"What are you doing here?" I squeak out.

"I heard that someone was in need of plumbing assistance." He lifts up a toolbox that I hadn't noticed before.

"So you're the mysterious person that Thalia called." Thalia steps in upon hearing her name. "Yep," She says, "You know where the bathroom is Percy, get to fixing."

He grants a smile in my direction and then makes his way into the bathroom. I can hear and see him getting out his tools and looking for the problem.

I turn my attention towards Thalia, who I am, yet again, mad at.

"What the hell?" I whisper-shout at her. "You know how weird things have been between us. And you know how much improvement we've been making, since that night! You couldn't have just let it be!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. You need to take a shower, and I am making that happen."

Our conversation is taken down a new pathway when she asks me to make her dinner. All throughout her meal, she can tell that I'm tense to get going. Luckily, I am a very big planner, I had started to get ready for this date a long time before I actually had to leave. I guess Thalia doesn't know that…

"Make it quick Perce, Annie has a date tonight and she needs to get ready." Thalia acts as if the comment is nonchalant, plopping down on the couch in the process, but I know better. She knows what she's doing. She slyly makes eye contact with me out of her peripheral vision, then turns her attention back to the television set that she turned on beforehand.

Percy's turns around at the remark. His whole demeanor changes, instantaneously. His muscles clench, I see his hand tighten over the wrench he's holding, turning his knuckle white. His mouth presses into a rigid line, and the glossiness in his beautiful sea-green eyes disappears.

I want to scream at Thalia, because frankly, I don't think that woman would know what the word 'progress' means if it bit her in the ass.

Percy's reaction scares me, I feel like he's going to throw something. Before I can asses his demeanor more, he turns his back to me again. He kneels down on the ground and starts working on the tub.

Thinking he's going to let it go, I start to busy myself by washing the dishes. Then he decides to speak, and when he does it startles me. His voice is scarily calm, as if he's trying his hardest not to blow up.

"So, you have a date?"

"Um…yeah." I say cautiously.

"With who?" He's still being weirdly composed.

"Just this guy, you wouldn't know him." I try and keep it vague. God forbid Percy use his 'people in high places' and track the guy down.

"Where are you guys going?"

Is this 20 questions? I'm baffled as to why he wants to know all of this. "The café where we met."

I moved into my room after all of his bizarre critiques of my date. He's being way too weird about this whole thing. Can't I just go out on one date without my boss-who-I-had-a-one-night-stand-with, interfering?

I busy myself with the task of picking out something to wear, while Percy finishes up on the shower. It takes a while, but he finally getsit to come out clear again. At this point, I don't care what the problem is, I just need to take a shower. Otherwise, I am going to be late.

Percy, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about my hatred towards tardiness. He refuses to get out of the bathroom until he explains to me just what happened to the water content. It makes me think that he has another motive underneath all his fancy talk about drains, pipes, and water systems. But still, who knew CEO Percy Jackson could play the part of being a plumber so well?

Eventually, I make it out the door. But, not without a few half-hearted attempts from Percy to get me to stay. I realized his game halfway through his explaining of how there's a thirty-three percent chance of rain, and that it would be 'unsafe to put me at the risk of falling down on the walk home.' I affirmed him that Ryan would most definitely walk me home, and if anything happened, he would be there. I wanted this clarification to calm him down, however, it had the opposite affect on him. His jealous facade made a reoccurrence. And that is when I said goodbye to him and Thalia, and started my journey to the coffee house.

I have donned a simple, light pink, fitted blouse with white skinny jeans, and my plain silver sandals. I look like I'm going to a fun, yet easygoing night out. It's perfect for the café.

As I walk down the dimly lit street, my mind wanders to Percy and his enigmatic behavior. He was being inexplicable as to how far-fetched he's reacting to this. Maybe he's starting to feel more for me than he should? Whatever it is, I'm confused beyond belief, both by his actions, and my impending feelings towards him. And I don't get confused.

The date was…sweet. I wish I could say more about it, but that's the only adjective I can come up with for now, as I'm still extremely happy. He was a complete gentleman. It was awkward here and there, like usual first dates, but for the most part it was great. And it just made me feel so…normal. For the three hours that I was gone, I didn't have a brother with cancer or a crazy boss that ignores me one minute and hits on me the next. I was just me, on a date with a really nice guy, having a totally ordinary night out. It was…refreshing.

We stayed out until around eleven o'clock. At the end of the night, when Ryan was about to walk me home, he got a call from the hospital. You see, Ryan's an aspiring medical student, and as his training, he's following around a real doctor for the next few months. And apparently, this doctor needed him more than ever tonight. Ryan apologized, like the gentleman he is, that he was unable to walk me home. I assured him that it was fine, and that I only lived a few blocks away. I could make to by myself. But, some nagging part of my brain had to reflect on what Percy would think about that.

I shuffle that thought aside when Ryan bends down to give me a kiss on the cheek. He lingers there for a few moments, and I could feel his hesitation as his lips move left and hover over mine. I wasn't sure whether I wanted him to kiss me or not. All I could think about was Percy, and that set me off. Bewilderment and irritation towards his peculiar and very much unethical behavior bubble up inside me. And in honor of my rebellious streak I just regained, I press my lips to Ryan's for a humble and gentle kiss.

It lasts only a few seconds, and then Ryan separates from my lips. He whispers a farewell, and makes a hasty retreat out of the café.

I walk home in silence. My thoughts are once again of confusion. I would give anything to disentangle my jumbled thoughts.

I can't wait to go to bed. Just to forget about all of this, for about eight hours, and then face it in the morning.

My wish is not granted when I open my apartment door to find Percy sitting on my couch, watching TV. Oh boy…

"How was the date?" He asks, sarcasm dripping from each word. He doesn't even glance in my direction.

"It was nice. Until the end when Ryan had to leave." I say.

"I thought you said that Ryan was going to walk you home?" He turns his head to look inquisitively at me.

"He was going to, but he had some sort of doctor emergency to take care of at the hospital, since he is a medical student." My answer doesn't seem to do the justice of setting Percy at ease.

"If he were a real gentlemen, he would have walked you home."

I huff at him. He's being stubborn, he knows it, and frankly, it's pissing me off. "I told you, Percy. He had a doctor predicament. He had to leave!"

"Well, I'm glad he didn't walk you home. Because then, he'd surely come to the door, and he'd undoubtedly give you a goodnight kiss." I kept quiet, anxious to hear his next words. "And I don't think that I'd have had enough self-restraint to keep myself from punching the guy." Wow, is this him admitting his feelings? I stayed quiet for a while, unsure of what to say next. Percy took it as a sign to keep talking.

"I tried so hard to leave…but I couldn't bring myself to do it." My ability to speak has evaded me.

"I was going to stop it, you' know." My breathing ceases for a moment. "The kiss that was bound to happen."

"It already happened." It comes out a breathless whisper. I say it not to hurt him, but to be honest with him.

His whole frame takes on his usual jealous structure. I want to scream at him. "We can't be anything more than professional, Percy! You know this! And you being jealous and giving me all of these mixed signals makes that insanely hard to do!"

Realization finally seems to possess him. He has the decency to look contrite, at least. But then his determined mindset returns, I can see it in his mesmerizing sea-green eyes.

"Okay, forget about everything for a second. I'm not your boss, and you're not my assistant. We're just Percy and Annabeth." He pauses to make sure I'm following.

"Alright…just Percy and Annabeth. Where are you going with this?" I question, earnestly.

Percy smiles arrogantly. "I think we should go on a date, what do you say?"

My heart stops.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait and the cliffhanger! I have to find some way to make you guys interested! Tell me what you thought of this chapter, cuz I'm not sure if I like it or not. Reviews literally make my day, each and every one. :P