But I Often See You As Something More

by SamIsEternallyTired

As a lot of years passed by, Percy and Annabeth remained as friends. But what they don't notice are some suppressed feelings. Will these feelings remain suppressed just as how they remained to be friends for years?

19. Here They Come

A/N: Three more chapters to go! For the meantime, please check out my other stories or my new story Just a Simple Set of Letters.

PSA: I changed Luke's occupation from flight attendant to pilot.

If you want to help me, if you have any complains, questions, suggestions or if you just want to talk, message me. I'll reply. :D

Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 19 - Here They Come

Annabeth's POV

I could still see it. I could still imagine it. It keeps replaying in my head. The way they both just grabbed for each other. The passion in Percy's kiss. The way he held her face as if she was all that he needed.

Gods.

I want to kick something. I want to just lie down and cry. I want to punch Percy. I want to go to bed and stay there until everything is okay. I want to beat myself up for feeling this way.

Gods.

I wanted to get out of public fast but I can't even ride a cab to my building. I had nothing with me except the keys to Percy's apartment, which were in my pocket. I walked home with Onion beside me. Thank the gods for my Onion. When I got to my building, I had to ask Karl to help me in my loft. I ended up borrowing his spare key and I told him I'd give it back by tomorrow.

Once inside my loft, I no longer knew what I wanted. I stood there for a moment. Should I sleep this off? Do I want to talk about it? I sank to the floor and started bawling my eyes out. Onion, being the sweetheart that he is, attempted to lick my tears and lay down beside me, laying his head on my neck. It felt like an eternity to finally feel like I can give the bare minimum. I slowly got up and wiped my tears.

Pull yourself together, Annabeth.

I took a long hot bath. I stayed in the tub for as long as I can. Up until the water became cold and I was all wrinkled up. Onion stayed with me. He lay down by the edge of the tub, sometimes checking up on me and making me pet his head. I wanted the feeling to disappear. I just wanted to disappear.

Onion checked up on me the nth time, placing his head under my hand that was hanging from the tub. He whined at me.

"Okay, okay, I'll get out." I gave him a sad smile.

I wore the comfiest pajamas I have and turned on the air conditioner so I can sulk comfortably. I lay down on my bed and stared at my ceiling. Onion clambered on as well. Despite the amount of tears I've shed, I was nowhere near sleepy.

Percy cradled Rachel's face in his hands. He proceeded to bury his fingers in her lustrous red hair. Rachel's hands were on his chest and started making their way down. The way he groaned because she was teasing him.

I want to call Thalia and Nico. I didn't want to be alone. I sat up and looked for my cellphone.

Oh yeah, I left it at Percy's.

Well, it's a good thing I still had a telephone. I dialed their cellphones but I went straight to voicemail. I remembered that Nico was busy on another case with the twins. As selfish as it may be, I still tried calling his office.

"Hello, may I speak with Dr. di Angelo?" I said in a hoarse voice.

"Alright, I'll put you through."

"Hello?" Nico's voice comforted me.

"Nico!" A sense of relief washed over me.

"Hey, Annabeth. It's a good thing you caught me before I do the autopsy. What's up?"

"Could you come over after work?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. But that will be later early morning, is that okay with you? Wait. Are you okay? Is everything alright?"

Suddenly it was hard to swallow. "I...yeah. I just miss spending time with you. Come here as soon as you can!"

"I'll try!"

We hung up and I felt alone again. The air conditioner and Onion's snores were the only ones that kept it from being completely quiet. After a few moments, I heard something beeping. It was an annoying beep. Onion quickly got up, alert. With scrunched up eyebrows, I looked for it throughout the loft. I swear to the gods I will throw whatever that it against the wall. Or out the window. Or at Percy's face.

It was coming from my room. Something on top of my desk. When I finally put my hand on it, I just wanted to break it in my hand. It was the stupid pager Percy gave me. I looked at it and I got a message from him. Well, I assume it's from him since he's the only one who knows I have a pager.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, throwing it at Percy's face is what I definitely wanted to do.

My tough exterior started to wear down and I started sobbing again. I threw the pager on my bed, wiped the tears away with the heels of my hands, and then buried my hands in my hair. Onion went near it to sniff it before sitting by my feet and looking up at me with concerned eyes. I sat down on my desk because I felt like my knees would buckle in any second now.

Dammit, Percy.

"Annabeth!" Someone was knocking on my door. "Annabeth!"

I gripped the handle of the stairs as I made my way down. I wiped the remaining tears, took a couple deep breaths, and opened the door. Thalia was wearing her pajamas while holding a couple bags.

"I got these after I heard your message." She took a good look at me. "I knew something was wrong."

I felt so much better that Thalia was here but I ended up crying more. She hugged me and rubbed my back to soothe me. I buried my face in her neck as I sobbed, hugging her as tight as I could. She went in the loft and got me to sit on the sofa. She unpacked the bags and went over to me with a plate of pancakes, egg, and strips of bacon.

"'There has never been a sadness that can't be cured with breakfast food.'" She quoted and gave me a sad smile.

I let out a sad laugh and started eating. I didn't realize how hungry I was until Thalia gave me this. She joined me a couple moments later and turned on the TV. She tuned it on reruns of Friends and for a couple minutes, I felt better. As if nothing bothered me. Once we placed our empty plates on the coffee table, she sat down in a way that she was looking straight at me.

"So do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"I don't want to be that person who ditches her friends for her boyfr-someone and just comes back when she has boy problems." I felt guilty for being exactly that person.

Her face softened. "Honey, don't sweat it." She held my hand. "We all know what you're going through and we wanted to give you space, trust me. To make up your mind or something. Anyway, we know that you're always there for us and you know that we're always there for you. We don't say it every time but it's understood."

Having Thalia over was the best decision I ever made today. I reached out and hugged her. Gods, what would I do without her? I got back to my side of the couch and tucked my legs underneath me. I was contemplating on telling her why I've been sulking.

"Just tell me." She said. "I can tell it's not about Luke and there's no one else besides Luke other than my emotionally slow-witted cousin who can get you all worked up like this."

I bit my lip. "We were at the apartment: I was stowing away some things and he was about to take a shower. Rachel came in. She didn't notice me. Percy went out to the living room and they started making out. They didn't even notice me."

Thalia said nothing and her face was scrunched up in an unreadable expression.

I let out a shaky breath. "I saw how Percy reacted. He was surprised at first. Frozen. The way he grabbed for her. The way he melted against her. The way he kissed her back. It's... it's the way he did with me. And I know I shouldn't feel this way but, maybe, I thought..." I trailed off.

"Do you think Percy knows you saw?" She whispered.

"Maybe a missing Annabeth is a good indication that I did." I sighed.

The irritating beeping went off again. It was like an alarm. Gods, what in the world did Percy send now? Aside from the beeping, Onion was barking. Thalia looked alert. Like she would get up and run the moment I start running for the door. I groaned, stood up, and trudged up the stairs. Onion was on the bed, cautiously sniffing the pager.

"What's that?" Thalia called out.

"Stupid pager Percy gave me."

"Are pagers even still existent in this day of age? Why is he sending a page?"

"I didn't bring anything when I left his apartment. No phone. No wallet. No keys. Just dropped everything and left. I even had to ask Karl for his spare key just so I could go in here." I called back.

I retrieved the pager from my bed and pressed the button to make it stop beeping. I brought it down to the living room and sat back down on the couch.

"I think Percy got used to his medical pager and wanted me to have one." I said as I made room for the Rottweiler about to climb up the couch.

"What did he send?" Thalia asked with a concerned look on her face

"'I'm so sorry.'" I read aloud and I just felt another wave of sadness hit me.

"Yeah, he definitely knows you got a front row seat at their make out session." She winced. "You tell him that you are going to shove that pager far up his..." Thalia then went on a tirade that would make Ares and Melissa McCarthy proud.

"I know I shouldn't feel this way." I said as I looked at the floor.

"Annabeth, your feelings are valid no matter what. It's okay to feel sad."

"It's just that I should be smart enough not to feel this way anymore." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I'm smarter than this."

"Healing is not linear."

"Are you just reciting quotes?" I eyed her.

"Yeah, I searched some when I was on my way here." She smiled sheepishly. "But I have to ask, what did you expect from Percy and your relationship?"

I stared at her.

"As much as I love the idea of the both of you finally together, you can't go on expecting him to call off the wedding. I mean, you just got a firsthand account on how they feel about each other, I think. Only the gods know how my cousin really feels. Besides, you didn't explicitly tell him not to go through with it. He has no assurance you'd be there if he breaks it off with Rachel. Don't expect that from him when you won't do the same for him."

"Well, he started it! He was the first one who said that he might be in love with me. When I stopped things, he's the one who mentions that he's jealous. I think it's just normal for me to expect those things from him since...he started it!" I tried to reason with her but sighed. "I just have to be the bigger person and move on. I mean I did it before. Doing it again wouldn't be so hard. It's just that...I've already moved on but I backslid all the way to square one."

"Healing is not linear." She touched my hand and gave me a sad smile. "And it's okay to feel sad. Next thing you know, you're over him again."

"He just...can't keep doing that to me." I whispered almost to myself. "I've picked myself up so many times but he keeps coming back and I'm weak."

Thalia had that sympathetic look on her face. I wished I didn't have to see that expression.

"You should listen to Gravity by Sara Bareilles." She suggested.

"Oh no." My face scrunched up. "I am no longer taking song suggestions from you."

"Why? I personally think that what I suggested you fits you perfectly." She looked at me with knitted eyebrows.

"Robyn's Dancing On My Own was playing when they were making out and it was still playing when I left my phone in his apartment."

"Yeah, that's nasty. But I have another question, Annabeth." She had a soft look once again.

I kept quiet to let her go on.

"How do you really feel about Percy?"

"I don't know." I do.

She sighed and then suggested. "Why don't you focus on yourself a little more? A whole lot of you time and very little to no Percy time."

I smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good, cause I prepared for this." She went through one of her bags, which was beside the edge of the couch, and brought out packs of face masks.

With our sheet masks on and some aromatherapy going on, we binge-watched comedy TV shows. I have to admit, it made me forget. Even just for a while. I made Thalia sleepover, even asked her to stay with me for a couple days because I didn't want to be alone especially with my thoughts.

"Maybe you can pick up an old hobby or have a new one." Thalia suggested as we lay down on the bed, ready to sleep. "According to Legally Blonde, exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Hmm, how about yoga? They say it reduces stress. Keeping a journal? Pamper yourself? Reconnect with friends?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll try all of those."

We were quiet for a while and my thoughts wandered once again.

"Maybe I'm really upset about all of this because aside from the obvious heartbreak, I feel like I'm losing my best friend." I said. "I don't think there is any way we could go back to what we were before being romantically involved. That was something we obviously didn't think through."

"And now you have to choose which path: pursuing a relationship with him or accepting that it happened and moving on. But you're right, I don't think it will be like before."

"The first option seems selfish. Completely disregarding our current relationships. I'll be taking the high road if I chose the latter option."

"But that's what happens in real life. You meet someone, fall in love, fall out of love, and go on to the next person."

"I can't do that to Luke."

"But it also doesn't seem like you want to take the second option."

I was about to answer her but I couldn't say anything.

"Journaling, Annabeth. Try it some time."

I threw a pillow at her but I know deep down she was right. I didn't know what to do. I do have feelings for Percy. I mean, that's why I'm feeling this way. I also know that I have to be the bigger person and do the right and responsible thing though reluctantly.

I stirred in my sleep but instead of going back to sleep, I noticed that my bed seemed crowded. I turned around to see if Onion got on the bed as well, but even with him on the bed, we'd still be pretty comfortable. I groggily looked and it turns out Onion and a third person were on the bed. Squinting my eyes, I realized that Nico got in between Thalia and me. Maybe I could forget Percy as long as I had Thalia and Nico.

I woke up again but this time to the smell of coffee greeting me. Instantly feeling better, I got up and went down to the kitchen with a good mood. Thalia already made coffee and got takeouts again. She was such a morning person unlike Nico, who the gods know you should never wake up.

"Oh. Good morning!" She smiled at me.

"Morning." I got seated.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked me as she put a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes in front of me.

"Yeah. Thank you." I smiled back.

"Better eat up! Big day ahead of you." She sat down beside me.

"Oh, may I ask for a favor?" I asked. "I left my things at Percy's and I don't really want to run into him. Would it be alright if you could get them for me?"

"Sure. If you want, you can give me that stupid pager so I can shove it up..." She went on another tirade and ended with a smile.

"Thank you. You are a blessing from the gods."

I got ready for work after breakfast. Thalia convinced me to stay away from my usual office clothes as a part of self-care. I ended up wearing a thin turtleneck tucked in my skirt and thigh high boots that Silena gave me as a present. I put on some eyeliner and lipstick to get an extra boost today. Thalia lent me some money so I can ride a cab to work.

"Jazzing it up a bit, huh?" Drew greeted me.

"The gods know I need it." I smiled.

"Looks good on you!"

I was thankful that my day started off on a good note. My schedule was pretty much blank, which ended with me just reading up on my upcoming cases. Drew came in once in a while to get me to sign some documents. With a couple books stacked up on my desk, I thought about staying in for lunch.

"Knock knock." Someone said as they opened the door of my office.

I looked up and saw Nico. I put my pen down and ran up to him to give him a hug. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and hold me tight against him. I buried my face in his neck and he placed his hand on the back of my head. I tightened my arms around his neck as I took a deep sigh of relief. I felt warm and safe.

I pulled away a bit and smiled. "Hi."

"Hello." He smiled back.

I let go and walk back to my chair. "What brings you here?"

"I was tasked by my cousin." He must have seen the expression on my face because he specified which cousin. "Thalia. To get your things from Percy's apartment. I think I managed to get all your things. I left most at your loft and decided to bring you these." He handed me my phone, wallet, and keys.

I gave him a wide smile. "Thank you! You are sent by the gods."

"You're welcome. Although I didn't do what you wanted me to do with the pager."

"Thalia wanted to do it. Don't take away that pleasure and satisfaction from her."

We laughed for a moment. Nico had bags underneath his eyes, which was very noticeable because of his pale skin. He looked well rested though. His messy black hair wasn't styled the way it is when he goes to work. He was wearing a black shirt, dark jeans, and suede lace up boots. He leaned back in his seat and smiled at me.

"That's a good look on you." He said.

"Thanks! Same with you." I beamed. "So you're off work today?"

"Yeah, it's not like we just sit in our offices, waiting for dead bodies to arrive." He chuckled.

"So, what are you up to today?"

"Just hang around, if you don't mind." I shook my head, making him smile. Quite charmingly if you asked me. "Maybe see if I could be turned like Percy." He winked at me.

"As if you're already not." I teased.

"Ahh, you got me. I already love you."

I smiled, closed my eyes, and shrugged.

"How are you?" He sat up and placed his hand on mine. "Thalia already briefed me."

I sighed. "I'm doing better."

"Do you want me to sleep over too?"

"Please and thank you." I flipped my hand underneath his so I could intertwine our fingers and gave his hand a squeeze.

For the rest of the day, Nico ended up reading books too, helping me study for my cases. There were numerous times Nico and I would go to court together, whether I had him as my witness or the opposition did. This made him somewhat familiar with what I was studying for. Though most of the time, we were just talking to each other and sharing stories from our jobs.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" I asked as I started packing up my things.

"Hmm, I was planning on taking you out to dinner then maybe coffee afterwards." He had a thoughtful expression as he leaned back in his chair.

"I told you, you already love me." I smirked at him.

"And I'm not denying it." He winked.

I laughed and shook my head.

"So, what do you say? Is it a date?"

"You already know my answer to that."

Since we were the last ones in the office, I locked up when we left. We walked to his car and he drove to wherever he was planning our dinner. All I know is that we were going south and aside from that, I really had no idea where we were headed. He already assigned me the task of playing songs on the car stereo.

"Are we going on a road trip?" I asked after a while. "Because we're out of New York already."

"You'll find out." He glanced at me. "But you're catching on." He smirked.

I loved night time drives. There's just something about travelling at night that comforts me. It was dark and the only thing that illuminated the night were the car lights and city lights we would pass by. Nico tried to drive with the windows down but ended up closing it because we were yelling and still couldn't understand each other. It was relaxing. Good music played on the radio. Good conversation with Nico. Comfortable ride. It felt like I had no problems. As if it all went away the moment Nico arrived.

"So, we didn't stop in New Jersey." I noted. "We're going to Philadelphia?"

"You really are good in geography!" He chuckled. "You better be craving for cheese steaks."

I was excited. I've never been to Philadelphia before. We got there around seven in the evening and Nico went straight to a restaurant, saying it sells the best cheese steak. He was right, it was delicious. Before we left, we got some to go for our trip back to Manhattan. Nico then decided to bring me around the city, showing me landmarks and passing by tourist and local favorite spots. We drove around and even held hands as we walked around.

"That's the Eastern State Penitentiary." Nico pointed to a building. "If it were still functional, that's where you'd be sending bad guys." He sounded proud of me.

I smiled up at him and tightened my grip on his arm as we continued walking. It felt nice being here, roaming the streets of a different city. I'll have to give it to Nico, this cleared my head.

We got back at around eleven. The whole trip was a breather. I swear to the gods, Thalia and Nico are blessings to me. On the other hand, I don't really know if I could say the same thing about Percy.

"Thank you so much for that road trip." I said.

"Are you still up for that coffee?" He asked as he drove through the streets of Manhattan.

"Yes!" I grinned.

"Nothing like caffeine to make my girl happy." He joked.

Nico brought us to the coffee shop near his workplace. The smell of coffee was comforting. The staff already knew his order but he still waited for me as I decided on what to get. We ended up both getting Americanos and some pastries to accompany our drink. Just as we were about to pay, someone called Nico.

"Hey, di Angelo. Ahh, you've got a date I see."

"So who's this lucky girl?"

I turned around and saw Travis and Connor, whose faces turned from smug to surprised when they saw me. Travis and Connor looked the same but you can tell who is who by the small details like how they styled their hair or their height difference, to name a few.

"I did not recognize you." Travis said.

"Yeah, without your usual button down, skirt, slacks, and blazer." Connor added.

"Hey!" I gave them a look and unconsciously tried to fix my skirt. "I have other clothes aside from what I wear to work."

Nico ended up paying for our order while I chatted with the Stolls. Nico placed his hand on my waist once he was done and we looked for a table.

"Are you still working on the case?" I asked, grabbing my cup of coffee and taking a bite from the slice of cake we ordered.

"Yeah, but we're more interested on the case of how Annabeth Chase is moving on." Connor wiggled his eyebrows.

"By dating the cousin?" Travis asked.

"Shut up. We just went out to dinner and coffee afterwards." I rolled my eyes at them while Nico chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Annabeth." Travis said before sipping his coffee.

"Better watch out, Nico." Connor leaned back in his seat and I looked at Nico. "Next thing you know, you're tripping over yourself."

Nico had his eyes closed and his eyebrows raised while he was nodding. It was as if he has heard all of this before.

"Hey!" I gave them the stink eye. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Their expressions turned into sweet ones. "It just means you're very charming, Chase."

"And lovable." Travis smiled.

"Whatever." I still scowled at them.

"You are divine." Connor added.

"Alright. Stop with the kiss-up." I rolled my eyes.

"How's the case so far?" Nico asked.

Travis and Connor shared that they already have a lead on the case. The both of them ended up taking bets on who is the murderer and what was the motive. Nico and I rolled our eyes because knew they always did that on all the cases they've worked on.

"How are things with Katie?" I asked Travis.

"We're good. I still haven't told her about Connor and we're planning to prank her."

"Don't you think she already looked up where you worked and saw another Stoll in the database?"

Travis fell quiet.

"But assuming your prank goes to plan, you better watch out. She can be just as mischievous as the both of you." I shrugged.

A wicked smile spread across Travis's face. "I'd love a little competition."

We chatted a bit more before the Stolls left us to go back to work. Nico and I went back to our usual conversation.

"Hey, Nico." I hesitated for a moment before making up my mind. "What do you suggest my next move be?"

He already knew what it was about and sighed. "Take the high road. Be selfish. Life is short. Do what makes you happy. Whatever you choose, you know we're all going to die anyway."

"You know what, as much as I love you and Thalia, both of you give really bad advises."

"You only think it's bad because it's not what you want to hear." He shrugged.

"Gods, see? Your advise always ends up with 'we're all going to die anyway' while Thalia's is vague." I let out an exasperated groan.

"Maybe you should talk to Percy about this?" Nico suggested.

I sighed. "Maybe I should. Soon though."

"Want to have fun?" He smiled at me.

"Aren't I doing that already?" I reciprocated his smile.

Nico ended up bringing me to a nightclub nearby. He promised me that nothing like what happened in Montauk would happen. And I believed him, after that incident, I had to think twice about challenging someone to a drinking contest. It felt good to let loose for once. We were dancing, having a couple drinks or two. The place was packed with people even though it was a Monday. Maybe because it was summer? Nico and I jumped and danced with each other and it was so much fun. I didn't care if I looked stupid dancing but with the both of us making goofy faces at each other, it didn't really matter. Whenever a guy would get too close, Nico pulls me towards him and hugs me while dancing and giving a death glare to whoever goes near me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hands were on my waist as I rolled my hips along with the songs. It was nice to be in our own little bubble.

We got back to the loft around three in the morning. I knew I had to get up at six in the morning but I regret nothing. We clumsily went in the loft and tiptoed our way to bed so we wouldn't wake Thalia up.

"Goodnight, Nico." I whispered then giggled.

"Shh." He smiled as he placed his index finger in front of his lips. "Goodnight, Annabeth."

I wake up to the smell of coffee once again. Maybe I should always have Thalia sleepover. I opened my eye and peeked at who was beside me. Nico was still fast asleep and I smiled. Padding to the kitchen, Thalia already had a bowl of oatmeal ready for me.

"Good morning." I squeaked.

"Looks like you and Nico had fun last night." She smiled as she bit into her apple.

"Yeah. You should've gone with us!" I grinned.

I heard my phone receive a message. I got it from my bag and the moment I saw who the message was from, I instinctively gulped. It was from Rachel. I read the message and felt helpless. She was reminding me that I had an appointment with the dressmaker this week. The dress design was totally up to me but it had to be white. I went back to the kitchen and started eating my oatmeal glumly.

"Do you have any ideas for a dress design for the wedding?" I asked Thalia.

Her face scrunched up before she said. "You're asking the wrong person but you know who can help you? Silena!"

"You're right!" I sighed in relief. "I'll invite her for lunch later. Thank you!"

I messaged Silena, asking her out to lunch, and I already got a yes in seconds. I also asked her for help regarding my dress for the wedding. She replied that she already had ideas and was just waiting for my call. Thank the gods for my friends.

For today, I wore a tight knit tee crop top, high waist jeans, and flats. Just like yesterday, I read up for my upcoming cases at work. My schedule for the week didn't have any client meetings and court hearings so it looks like I'd be doing nothing but read for the week. One thing I love about work is that it keeps me separated from my personal issues.

"Hi, hello." I said as I made my way to the table where Silena is seated.

She smiled, stood up, and greeted me with a cheek-to-cheek kiss then gestured me to sit down. We ordered shortly after and once the waiter left, she brought out a small sketch pad.

"I like what you're wearing." She looked at me admiringly. "Very casual and laid-back."

"Thank you." I smiled. "It's part of my self-care journey."

"And you're wearing a bit of makeup now!" She looked delighted.

"It makes me feel confident."

She slowly nodded. She looked stunning as always. It was normal to have people turn their heads when they saw her. Silena wore a stylish summer dress and, of course, her signature pumps.

"Did you have any idea on how your dress should look like?" Silena asked as she flipped her sketchbook open.

"None actually. Rachel just said it had to be white. I never really put any thought into the wedding. Even though I'm the stupid best woman." I made a face.

"You're right. Sorry." She tapped her pencil against her cheek as she stared at me. "You know what, you will strut into that wedding looking absolutely fabulous if it's the last thing I do."

I chuckled. "A simple dress would do. You said you already had some ideas. I'll be fine with one of those."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Those ideas were nothing but not on my watch." She had a determined look on her face. "You will make Percy sorry he ever messed with your feelings." She started sketching furiously.

As she sketched, she engaged in some small talk. We talked about work, our relationships, friends, and more. She looked engrossed with what she was drawing. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows scrunched up together as she glanced up at me every once in a while. In a matter of minutes, she was done. Silena showed me her sketch and even though it was rough, I can already tell it was beautiful.

"So what we want with this dress is for it to fit you like a glove, flatter you from all angles. It will have a high bateau neckline, which will be complimented by the backless design. There will be intricate lace work on it. Small delicate straps. Floor length with a stylish train." Silena described her sketch.

"This looks amazing, Silena! Looks very detailed and sophisticated... I'm not sure if I can wear this."

"Not with that attitude. You should wear this with confidence. With your head up high." She proceeded to give me a pep talk. "If you wear this at the wedding, you're saying that that schmuck didn't affect you. You will show him what he lost."

I felt a surge of pride. "You're right."

"Imagine it. A delicate choker. Gold heels." She looked at me. "Your hair in a romantic updo. Light make-up but a kick ass dark lipstick."

"Are you sure this would look good on me?"

She scoffed. "Are you serious? I drew this with you in mind."

She wrote down the description and instructions on how the dress should be done. She ripped off the page and told me to show it to the dressmaker.

"Silena." I started. "I need some advise."

She finished chewing. "This is about Percy, isn't it?"

I nodded. "I honestly don't know how to handle it. Thalia and Nico are the best. I love them but their advises are the worst."

"Yeah, I can just hear Nico saying that we're all going to die anyway."

"That's exactly what he told me." I laughed.

"Do you love him?" She asked once our laughter died down.

"I'm not sure." I did.

"How about Luke?"

I felt my heart skip a beat at the mention of his name. "I love him. I really do. He's amazing and he's really everything I want."

"I know." She gave me a sad smile. "I can tell how much you love him."

"I know Percy and I are best friends for a long time now but I often see him as something more. For years, there were times when I'd catch myself thinking 'What if?'. Especially now after what happened between us. I just keep expecting him to outdo Luke or something to maybe justify how I feel. That it's alright that maybe sometimes I see Percy as someone who could replace Luke."

"I personally suggest talking to him about this."

"I forget about it and move on but he keeps coming back and every time he does, it just gets harder and harder for me to pick myself up."

"I think Percy's made up his mind, Annabeth." She said softly.

"I just... didn't think he'd toss me aside so easily." I looked down at my plate.

"Honey." Silena touched my hand. "If Percy is already moving on, you can do better. You're Annabeth Chase and when you do something, you always do your best at it. You're a well-respected lawyer. You're surrounded by loving friends. You have a wonderful relationship with an amazing man. You're at the top of your game. That tryst with Percy is just a small footnote or something. Insignificant if I must say."

I smiled. "You're right."

Silena was right. I don't need Percy. I have all my friends and Luke for that. Looks like I'll be the bigger person, taking the high road.

"By the way, Beckendorf says he misses jogging with you." Silena said as she continued eating.

"Yeah, I have to get back to that. If I want to look gorgeous for that wedding, I have to feel gorgeous."

Silena beamed at me. "That's what I'm talking about!"

After lunch, Silena and I bid our goodbyes with cheek-to-cheek kisses. We both headed back to work. Since work was uneventful, I was excited to head back home and when I did, I instantly changed into my workout clothes and went out for a run. Once I felt satisfied with my run, I walked back to my building and did some home exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and more. It was effective with taking my mind off of things. You can't really think about anything else when you're busy counting the reps and shutting out the burn.

When Thalia arrived, I was setting up my essential oil burner for yoga. She changed out of her work clothes and joined me, telling me that work was starting to get stressful again.

"Hello, ladies!" Nico greeted as he closed the door behind him. "Just finished up yoga?"

I smiled and continued rolling up my mat. Nico came over and greeted us with kisses on the cheek. I announced that I'll be taking a shower and Nico offered to cook us dinner. Thalia was sitting down on the floor with her laptop opened up, busy with what looked like work. I took a long hot shower and changed into my comfy pajamas.

"How was your day?" I asked as I sat down on one of the chairs by the kitchen island, watching Nico cook.

"It was alright. I went to my apartment to get clothes for my stay here and then decided to see my father. I also went to the grocery."

"That's good."

Nico was born in Italy because his mom was Italian. This made him amazing in the kitchen. It was as if he had the cooking skills and knowledge of an Italian grandmother! He can make any Italian dish from scratch and just from memory. That's why I loved having him over.

For tonight, he prepared some bruschetta and carbonara which paired well with the wine he bought. Hades gave Nico some torrone which was from his recent trip from Italy. After dinner, Thalia went back to the living room to continue working and Nico and I cleaned up.

"How is Italy like?" I asked Nico as I dried the plates.

"Wonderful." He smiled. "We should go some time."

"I'd like that." I smiled back.

"You'd gain some weight before you'd go back here that's for sure. My mother would see to it." He shrugged.

I shook my head and laughed.

I've never met Nico's mother, but his father I have. I don't know if their grandmother and grandfather had an obsession with Greek names but Nico's, Thalia's, and Percy's fathers' names are Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon, respectively. Maybe Greek names were the hype back then because my friends' parents had names like Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hermes.

I went to bed early because I was exhausted from my workout. It was fulfilling but tiring. I got under the blanket and took a deep breath. I could hear the clicking from Thalia's laptop keyboard, hum of the air conditioner, bubbling sounds from the coffee machine, and the traffic from outside. I opened my eyes when I felt someone lie down beside me.

"Hi." Nico whispered.

I turned to him and smiled. "You're going to bed early too?"

He nodded.

I turned on my side so we were facing each other. "Can you tell me again how Italy is like?"

Nico smiled and started telling me how Italy is culturally rich and very different from here. He became nostalgic when he shared how it was like growing up in Italy, surrounded by his mother's side of the family. I've heard him talk about his mom and his childhood before but I always ask him about it because it makes him happy talking about it. The way his eyes lit up and the way he tells his story all excited, I loved it on him.

There was no smell of coffee to wake me up today. I looked around my room as I sat up. Nico was fast asleep, cuddling with Onion. I peeked by the railings and saw Thalia asleep on my couch in the living room. I brought down a spare blanket for Thalia, which I put over her on my way to the bathroom to get ready for my morning run.

"I thought I wouldn't be seeing you here anymore!" Beckendorf greeted me as I stretched.

"I got a little bit caught up with a lot of things." I scrunched my nose.

"It's good to have you back." He smiled at me.

"Good to be back."

Just like yesterday, I ran as many laps as I could. Beckendorf and I said our goodbyes before I walked back home.

Nobody was awake when I got back so as quietly as I can, I did my home exercises. As I cooled down and rested, I made coffee and looked for something I can have for breakfast after I fed Onion. I've called the diner that sends me breakfast everyday a couple weeks ago to cancel until further notice. This made me cook and eat breakfast at the loft, which was better because Percy no longer had to pay for my breakfast. I feel like I don't owe him anything anymore. I ended up cooking a half dozen eggs Benedict for the three of us, two each.

I checked my e-mail on my phone as I ate my breakfast. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that I got one from Luke. I excitedly opened it and read it a couple times. Aside from pictures he took of the places he's been to, he also said that he'll be sending me a package soon. I wrote a short response, giving him a gist of my week and saying I'm looking forward to his care package. I ended it with the usual "I wish you were here. I miss you. I love you." As I sent it, I got a message from Rachel. My heart skipped a beat once again, but it wasn't a happy one like when I got an e-mail from Luke.

Morning, Annabeth! If you're free today, the dressmaker has a free slot. Here's the address.

Her follow up message was the address. I really didn't have anything to do at work but read so I told her that I'll be going.

Looks like Percy is really going through with the wedding. No hesitation at all.

I felt myself getting sad again. Tears were starting to form in the corner of my eyes and my nose was starting to get runny.

"Annabeth?"

I looked up and saw Thalia looking at me from the sofa. "Hi." I let out a shaky laugh. "Morning."

Even though she had a sleepy look on her face, her eyebrows scrunched up, concerned. "Are you okay?" She asked me.

"I'm fine." I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "Did I wake you up?"

"I have to wake up early anyway." She smiled and got up. She folded her blanket and made her way to the kitchen.

"I made breakfast." I said and gave her a cup of coffee.

"Thank you." She mouthed and took a sip. "Wow, eggs Benedict. What time did you wake up?"

"Early." I chuckled. "Did you finish what you were doing last night?"

She slowly shook her head. "That's why I'm going to work early today. So what are you up to today?"

"I'm going to the dressmaker later this afternoon."

"And I think I already know why you were crying."

"Was not!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

I excused myself and got ready for work. Today's outfit was a summer dress and heels. I got inspired from what Silena was wearing when we had lunch yesterday.

Today was gloomy, which matched my mood about going to the dressmaker. Stupid wedding. Stupid Percy.

When it was lunch, I stayed in my office. I wasn't hungry so I just got myself a cup of coffee. I held my warm cup as I turned my seat around so I was facing the window.

Percy hasn't reached out to me throughout this week and I haven't been with him for days now, which may be the best thing for the both of us. This was probably the longest time we have been apart. Not that I mind. For all I know, what I need is to be as far as possible from him.

I was right, things will never be the same. Back then, Percy and I couldn't be away from each other this long. We would probably be on our way to each other's office to see what was wrong.

Maybe Thalia was right. I should start journaling.

It started to rain, which was the best weather if you asked me. I loved it when it rains. It made me appreciate and savor my hot coffee more. The people on the streets started pulling out their umbrellas or running. The skies were gray and soon enough, thunder and lightning followed. I smiled to myself. What a perfect weather. Although I wasn't dressed for the weather.

My smile instantly went away when I remembered that I had to go out today. Maybe I can tell Rachel that I can't make it. Tell her that it looks like I'll be getting sick on their wedding day.

I groaned. I already told Mom that I'll be leaving early today. I finished my cup of coffee before looking for an umbrella in my office. Around three in the afternoon, I fixed my things, left the building, and got in a cab.

"Hi. I have a schedule under the name Annabeth Chase." I said as I approached the front desk.

"Ahh, yes, Ms. Chase." The employee stood up and led me to the other room.

I sat down and surveyed the room. There were so many clothes hung around the room. I have to say, the ones that I can fully see looked exquisite.

"You must be Rachel's friend." Someone greeted me.

I smiled and stood up to shake her hand. Rhapso sat down on her table and smiled at me. I took out Silena's sketch and showed it to her.

"This is marvelous!" She exclaimed. "Who designed this?"

"My friend Silena Beauregard."

"I hope I do it justice." She gave me another smile before standing up. "Your friend is very talented."

With a tape measure in hand, she proceeded to take measurements and writing it down in her notebook. I didn't have to say anything else about the dress because Silena wrote down everything down to the smallest detail. Rhapso informed me that my dress would be ready for fitting by next week.

It was still raining when we were done so I decided to just head home already. Being out in a weather like this is a nightmare.

Since the first thing you see when you open the door to my loft is the living room, the first thing I saw was Nico lounging on the couch. His messy black hair looked messier if it were still possible. He was wearing an old college shirt and sweats, reading a book. He had a steaming cup of coffee on the table. I could tell it was coffee because the smell filled the loft. Onion was asleep with his head on Nico's lap. Nico looked up from his book and his dark brown eyes lit up as he smiled at me. He had his mother's eyes, based from the pictures I've seen of her, but also has this wild glint, which was similar to Hades's when I met him.

"Hey." He called.

I closed the door behind me and made my way to the living room after removing my heels. I sat down beside him and he kissed my cheeks. He closed his book and reached for the table to put down his book and get his mug.

"What did you do today?" I asked.

"Tried ticking some books off of my reading list. Bond with Onion. Relishing the days the twins don't call me to the office." He smiled before sipping his coffee then offering it to me. "How about you?"

"Read and went to the dressmaker." I said nonchalantly before sipping from his mug.

"So what do you have planned tonight?"

"Just enjoy the fact that I'm no longer outside in this weather."

Nico chuckled. "Yeah, but you have to admit, this weather is pretty great."

"Right?!"

I rested on the couch for a while before getting ready for my home exercises and yoga. Nico, on the other hand, went back to reading his book. The book didn't look familiar to me and I think it's in Italian. It looks like Nico is reconnecting with his Italian side. I took a quick shower after my workout and went back to the living room only to find Nico already working on something in the kitchen.

"What are you making?" I asked as I made my way to the kitchen.

"I thought about lasagna for dinner."

"Do you need help?"

"I'm alright."

Nico was stirring something in a pot and covered it again. He continued to combine something in a bowl and placed it in the refrigerator after mixing the ingredients. Nico listened to some music as he moved around the kitchen. Honestly, it all sounded like gibberish to me but sexy gibberish. He looked over to me and a smile spread across his face. He probably noticed my face as I tried to understand the song.

"You understand?" He asked with an amused look on his face.

"Nothing." I pouted and then cocked my head to the side. "But it sounds sexy."

"Oh, does it?"

He went over to his phone and changed the song before going to me. He held out his hand, which I willingly took then jumped off the chair I was on. He placed his other hand on the small of my back while I placed mine on his shoulder.

"I would have worn something better if only I knew we'd be slow dancing." I joked.

He just chuckled and brought me closer to him. We started swaying around in the open space.

"There are people who have had a thousand things. All the good, all the evil of the world. I only had you and I will not lose you. I will not leave you to look for new adventures." Nico translated the lyrics as the singer crooned.

He twirled me and when I was back in front of him, he wrapped both arms around my waist. I, in turn, wrapped my arms around his neck. I leaned my head against his as we continued dancing.

"There are people who love a thousand things and get lost in the streets of the world. I, who love only you, I will stop and I will give you what remains of my youth." He said softly.

For the remaining of the song, he quietly sang along in Italian. I stand by what I said before: sexy.

"You know, getting me to fall for you is a good way to keep my mind off of other things." I joked as we let go of each other.

"That's the plan." He smirked.

He went back to the kitchen to check on what he was cooking while I hopped back on the chair to watch him.

"Don't you think Percy feels betrayed that both of his cousins are with me?" I placed my chin on my hands.

"Don't think so. We're only friends with him because you're friends with him in the first place." He shrugged.

I laughed and shook my head. Since Nico's Bolognese sauce would take a couple more hours, we went back to the living room couch. He continued reading his book while giving me a light foot rub.

Breakfasts from Thalia. Dinners and sweet gestures from Nico. Can I just keep the both of them with me?

It was still raining hard outside and I think Nico's lasagna was very fitting for the weather. It would be like a nice warm hug. Very comforting.

Nico went back to the kitchen and started to assemble his lasagna. He was preparing quite a lot so we could just toss it in the oven if we wanted to eat it throughout the week.

"Have you been cooking the whole day?" I asked him as I saw tiramisu in the refrigerator. "I bet you used lady fingers you made from scratch."

"Yeah, cooking relaxes me." He smiled.

"Getting in touch with your Italian roots, I see."

"Well, you made me miss Italy with all your asking." He placed the last tray of lasagna in the oven.

I readied the table and brought out the chilled wine and glasses. Nico was retrieving the first tray of lasagna. I heard my phone beep and read Thalia's message, saying that she couldn't make it to dinner.

"Looks like we have extra lasagna. Thalia's working late tonight." I announced.

"Oh that's too bad."

"Hmm, we can offer some to the elderly couple in the next unit." I suggested.

We carefully wrapped half the tray of lasagna for the elderly couple and went over. I knocked on the door and Mrs. Solace greeted us with a wide smile on her face.

"Annabeth, darling, what can I do for you?" She looked over to Nico and was surprised. "Oh, Nico!"

"Mrs. Solace!" Nico exclaimed.

I was surprised that they knew each other.

"We have some extra lasagna, if you guys wanted some." I said.

"Oh, wow, this smells delicious. Thank you!" Mrs. Solace got the tray from my outstretched arms.

"Nico cooked it so I can say that it's authentic Italian lasagna." I smiled proudly.

She looked over to Nico. "You and Will should come over some time."

Nico smiled. "I'll tell him that."

"We should head back." I said. "Good night, Mrs. Solace."

"Thank you again for the lasagna. Good night to the both of you." She said.

We went back my loft and started eating dinner. We were both quiet before I decided to break the silence.

"So, you and Will Solace, huh?"

"Yeah." He looked up from his plate. "Annabeth, I'm bisexual."

I felt warm all over. "Oh, Nico, congratulations!" I stood up to offer him a hug.

We hugged for a moment and sat back down to continue eating dinner. I was so happy for him. I was ecstatic. He looked relieved and started to open up and talk about his sexuality. He brought out the tiramisu and I made coffee for the both of us. We were both so engrossed with what we were talking about that we finished the tiramisu and were still in the kitchen when Thalia came home.

"Hello, hello." Thalia greeted and made her way to us.

"There's extra lasagna if you haven't had dinner yet." I offered.

"Gods. Please!"

Nico placed a tray in the oven to reheat it for Thalia after kissing her cheeks. "There's no more tiramisu though but there's torrone from the other night."

"So why are you guys still up?" Thalia got a plate and utensils before sitting down with us.

"We were just talking." I replied nonchalantly.

I looked over to Nico and saw him take a deep breath.

"I'm bisexual." He announced.

"Ahh!" Thalia screamed. "Yay! Nico! Congratulations!" She got up, ran over to where Nico was standing, and hugged him.

We talked until early morning before heading to bed. Even though the bed was crowded, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday and Friday were more of the same. Morning run and workout. Go to work. Afternoon run and workout. Do anything just to keep my mind off of Percy and his wedding. I got back to baking and my kitchen is now filled with pastries. Nico decided to teach me how to cook Italian dishes just cause we had nowhere else to put my pastries. Mr. and Mrs. Solace also have a good amount of pastries because of me.

I still got no word from Percy. No text. No message. No email. No page. No voicemail. No gestures to tell me he was at least thinking about me. The last time I heard from him was his stupid apologizing pages and every time I think about it, it gets me all annoyed but sad. Thalia and Nico never dared to speak his name when I was around. It made me feel like Percy never bothered to check up on me, even indirectly check if I was okay.

I got no updates about the wedding and I honestly felt like making me his best woman was the worst decision Percy made. I didn't do anything for the wedding and Percy wasn't asking me to do any best woman duties.

Someone placed their hand on my shoulder and greeted me. "Good morning."

I snapped out of my thoughts. I turned away from my window overlooking the busy streets of Manhattan and around to see Nico smiling at me. I held my cup of coffee in one hand and placed my other hand on top of his. I smiled as I greeted him back.

"You're up early." I noted. "There's coffee in the coffee maker if you want some."

"Thank the gods." He said before placing a kiss on my head and going to the kitchen.

I sighed, took one last look out the window, and followed him. I sat down on the counter beside where he leaned against. Today was a Saturday, which means we'll be having our weekly dinner with our friends. It would be the first time I would see Percy again after watching him make out with Rachel. I was kind of hoping that something would come up so the dinner would be cancelled. Like torrential rain. Or Thalia finally having a moment with her cousin and my pager.

"How was your run?" Nico asked.

"Tiring but fulfilling."

"What did you have planned for today?"

"Prep myself for our dinner." I sighed.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that." He sipped his coffee. "Still no email on where we're eating tonight?"

"Nope. It's Percy's choice this week."

Nico visibly winced at the mention of his cousin's name.

"You know what, I'm alright. I don't really care anymore." I said mostly to myself but I wasn't fooling anyone.

"Why don't you relax and I'll prepare breakfast?" He suggested.

I got off the counter and sat down on the stool by the kitchen island. Nico brought out muesli, yogurt, milk, cookies, croissants, and other pastries I baked throughout the week.

"Classic Italian breakfast." He said as he sat down beside me.

"Italians have a sweet tooth for breakfast then."

"Is there still coffee?" Someone called out from the second floor.

"Yeah. Come on, we're about to have breakfast." I called back.

Thalia made her way down and grabbed a cup of coffee before sitting down with us.

I couldn't help but feel anxious as the minutes ticked by. I knew I'd face the problem that I have been pushing away so hard for a week now. It would be time to face the music. Maybe I can say that I'm stuck somewhere cause of the hypothetical torrential rain? Percy would fetch me. Hmm, what if I say I'm terribly sick? No, Percy would run to my loft. My train of thought halted.

That was before.

After breakfast, the three of us including Onion moved to the living room. Thalia was in front of her laptop once again, Nico was reading another book, Onion was lounging beside Thalia with his head on her lap, and I was seated on the couch with Nico.

"You better not be searching for pastry recipes." Thalia said without looking away from the screen.

"I'm not." I defended myself.

"She already bookmarked those when we were asleep." Nico teased.

I gasped and eyed him. "You know me so well." I smiled.

He smirked and winked at me.

"But fine, Thalia, let me think of a new hobby. How about playing the recorder?"

"Journaling."

I couldn't think of a retort and Nico gave me a sympathetic rub on the back. Dammit, Thalia.

For the whole day, we just had the coffee maker running because every once in a while, we would be munching on the pastries. Coffee and pastries is a combination made by the gods. I ended up playing Olympian and Olympian City, which allowed me to create my dream house and made me run a city, respectively.

Around late afternoon, I got a call from Mom and she was telling me to go to the office and retrieve some files because she was handing over a certain case to me. I quickly got dressed and left for the office. Since Percy still haven't sent us where we'll have dinner, I dressed up casually as if I were just running errands, wearing a loose shirt, denim shorts, and sneakers.

It took me a while to collect all the files because there was so many. When I got an e-mail regarding our dinner, it was already raining hard outside. I groaned because I didn't bring any umbrella since it was so sunny earlier today. There are also no umbrellas in the office. Zeus must've heard my plea a while ago.

I messaged Nico about my predicament. About 15 minutes before our dinner, Nico was already waiting for me outside. Trying my best to shield the envelopes of case files with my body, I ran as fast as I could to his car.

"Hi." He greeted me with kisses on the cheeks after I secured the envelopes in the back seat.

"Thank you so much for saving me."

He chuckled and handed me his aviator jacket. "Here. Wear this. I know you get cold easily."

"Thank you." I smiled at him.

Nico drove us to the restaurant and I just wanted to stay in the car when Nico turned it off. Percy's choice was the diner where we usually ate at. The same diner which sent me breakfast every day. Our go-to restaurant. With what I'm wearing, thank the gods it wasn't some fancy restaurant. I felt uneasy. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready at all.

I felt Nico place his hand on my knee. I turned to him and he gave me an encouraging smile.

I gripped Nico's arm as we entered. Everyone was already there. I was seated in between Thalia and Nico and they seated me far from Percy. As I sat down, I saw Percy's face fall for a moment before he looked away from the three of us.

Just like our typical weekly dinner, we talked about our week. When I told them that I went to the dressmaker to get my dress made for the wedding, I didn't say much about it. As if I just mentioned it nonchalantly. No one asked me to delve into it, which I was thankful for. I do remember Percy's expression. He looked excited to finally have an idea of what I did for the week but he didn't look so happy when it had something to do with his wedding.

Percy looked horrible. I wasn't saying with bias or what and I wasn't saying this just to be mean. He looked like he hasn't had a decent amount of sleep for the week. His eyes looked tired. He had bags under his eyes. It looked like he lost a bit of weight. His skin looked pale. His hair was unkempt. I wonder if it was work related. Maybe they were understaffed in the hospital this week.

Our friends were busy talking and I stopped listening when I noticed what song was playing in the background. It was Love So Right by Bee Gees. I reflexively glanced at Percy and he was looking right back at me.

"How can love so right turn out to be so wrong? Oh my darling."

I gave him a sad smile, which he reciprocated. With that, I knew everything was over. Nothing will ever happen between us. He wasn't going to do anything grand. He was dead set on marrying Rachel.

I was relieved but I couldn't help but feel sad about it.

There are times when I couldn't help but look over at Percy. His eyebrows knitted together and his face showed a worried expression whenever Nico would put his arm on the back of my chair and when we would whisper something to each other.

By the end of our dinner, we bid our goodbyes. Silena and I parted with cheek kisses. Some friendly banter with the twins. When it was Percy's turn, nothing but awkward silence filled our space. I didn't know what to say. See you around? I miss you? Good luck? Punching his face also seemed like a good option. I pushed all of those thoughts aside because I just wanted to bury myself in his chest and feel myself melt as he wrapped his arms around me.

I missed my best friend.

I wanted to go back to the time when no romantic feelings were involved. I laughed at myself. That would be back when we were kids with my random thoughts of "What if?" as we grew up together.

"So, uhm." He started while running his hand through his hair before silence enveloped us again.

"Hi." My lips were pursed into a tight line.

"Hello." He said, eliciting a nervous chuckle from the both of us. "It was really great seeing you."

I gave him a small smile as I fiddled with Nico's aviator jacket.

I felt someone put their arm on my shoulders. I looked up and saw Nico smiling at me. "Ready to go?" He asked me.

I looked back at Percy, who looked like he wanted me to stay but his face showed helplessness. As much as I wanted to prolong our awkward interaction, thank the gods for Nico saving me once again. I gave Percy a timid smile and a small wave.

Nico brought me to his car with Thalia in tow. The car ride was quiet. Nico placed his hand on my knee as if to reassure me.

"Do you want some coffee?" Nico asked, knowing coffee always puts me into a better mood. "Or ice cream?" So did ice cream.

"Coffee flavored ice cream!" I smiled at him.

"Well, dinner went smoothly." Thalia said once we got seated in the ice cream shop.

"You think?" I rolled my eyes.

"Completely disregarding the interactions between you and Percy, I'd have to say yes." Nico smiled.

I smiled and gave him a playful shove. "Shut up."

"But I'd have to say, watching the both of you trying to talk to each other is..." Thalia winced, agreeing with Nico.

"Well, it's over now." I shrugged as I licked my ice cream. "One more week before we see another painfully awkward interaction."

"Oh?" Thalia raised her eyebrow. "You guys aren't meeting tomorrow?"

I scrunched my face. "I think it's an unspoken agreement between us not to see each other for a while. We wouldn't want a whole day filled with what just happened during dinner, don't we? Just enough time to get past everything."

"I guess you're stuck with us then." Nico smiled.

"You make it sound like I don't really have a choice." I pouted.

We headed back to the loft once we finished our dessert. Thalia and Nico had to drag me away to stop me from buying a tub of ice cream for back home but playing the sad card on the both of them got me two tubs of ice cream.

Once we got home, I worked out and did some yoga to get my mind off of things and to get some endorphins pumping too. Thalia and Nico joined in as well. I took a shower and then watched a bit of the evening news before heading to bed.

I woke up to no smell of coffee greeting me. This became an indicator whether someone woke up before me or I was the first one to wake up. I sat up and saw both of them still fast asleep and an alert Rottweiler lying down but keeping his eyes on me. I got up and stretched before heading downstairs to make breakfast. Keeping the volume on low, I watched the morning news and sipped from my freshly brewed cup of coffee as I cooked some pancakes, sunny side up eggs, and strips of bacon. I also brought out the muesli and pastries in case Nico wanted to have a traditional Italian breakfast.

I prepared myself a healthy breakfast, wanting to start the day feeling good. I got the overnight dark chocolate chia seed pudding I made last night from the refrigerator and topped it with some fresh slices of avocado and nuts. I also got some yogurt and added flaxseeds. While I ate my breakfast, I checked my e-mail on my phone.

I perked up when I saw I had a new one from Luke. He told me that he already mailed his care package and I should be receiving it in a few days. I looked at the date I got the e-mail and seeing that it was a couple days ago made me feel guilty that I haven't written back. I quickly finished my meal, excited about getting my care package. After downing my cup of coffee, I went downstairs to the mail lockers to check.

Dismayed, I didn't see any boxes in my mail locker. I did get some mail such as my bills. Grabbing everything in one hand, I closed my mail locker and headed back upstairs.

I checked my mail, flipping through the pile and making a mental note to pay my bills as soon as I have free time to run errands. One envelope was different from the others. It was bigger and thicker. It had my name in an elegant writing. My heart started beating faster as I started to suspect what it was. I cautiously opened it and read what was inside.

As quietly as I could, I went upstairs and got the first workout outfit my hands touched. I frantically changed into that and started my morning workout.

Anything to produce endorphins.

When that didn't work despite having increased the repetitions, I grabbed my keys and made my way to Central Park.

"You're here early!" Someone greeted me when I was stretching.

I gave Beckendorf a smile and after my warm up, I started my morning run. I ran as fast as I could.

Together with their families

I didn't care if my legs were burning.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Perseus Jackson

I didn't care if it felt like my lungs were about to explode.

Cordially invite you to the celebration of their marriage.

I just ran.

Her hands buried themselves in his hair as she brought his lips to hers.

I blinked away the tears that were forming on the rim of my eyes.

His arms wrapped around her waist to remove any space between them.

I gasped for air.

His eyebrows knitted together as he tilted his head and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

I wiped my tears away with the back of my hands.

His half-lidded eyes took a good look at her before kissing her again but with more gusto.

I was starting to get light-headed but I pushed myself harder, making myself run faster.

I slowed down until I was walking when I got dizzy. I felt something climbing up my throat. I looked for the nearest trashcan and ran to it. Holding it so tight that my knuckles turned white, I puked in the trashcan. I didn't care about the stares I was getting. I laid my head against it, feeling the cold lid of the trashcan against my forehead. Instead of feeling hot because of my run, I was starting to feel cold. I tried to blink the blurriness of my vision away but it was getting worse.

Everything went black.

I hesitantly opened my eyes. Squinting and blinking my eyes so it would adjust to the brightly lit room, I looked around. I was on a bed. Curtains on both sides separated me and gave me privacy. With this setup, I already knew where I was. I was in the emergency room. I didn't know of which hospital but praying to the gods, I certainly wished it wasn't where Percy worked.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I kept quiet and tried to listen to the voices of the doctors and nurses in the ER. Of course, as if the gods were against me, I knew the voices. Of all the hospitals I could have been sent to, it had to be this hospital. Thinking positively, it was a Sunday, which meant it was Percy's day off. He's not around during Sundays. I smiled to myself and pressed the nurse call button.

"Hey, Annabeth!" One of the nurses appeared by the foot of the bed. "Good to see you're okay. I'll just call Percy and tell him you're up."

Cursing the gods, I hoped that he meant that they just informed Percy that I was brought to the ER because they knew that Percy knows me.

"Hey, Annabeth." Someone standing by the edge of the curtain said.

I looked up and saw Percy wearing a white coat over his scrubs. I internally groaned. Despite dreading having to interact with Percy, I loved seeing him at work with the doctor getup, the medical terms, explanations, and knowledge, the professionalism and authority he shows, and the way he carries himself.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he moved closer.

"I guess so." I shrugged. "I feel fine. I'm okay."

"You suffered exercise-induced nausea. It may have been caused by eating too close to your workout, eating too much or eating food with high fat content, high intensity workouts, or too much fluid intake. Any of these sound familiar to you?" He waited for me to answer.

I glumly nodded.

He sighed, as if disappointed with the choices I made that led up to this. "Well, it's a good thing Beckendorf saw you and carried you all the way here."

He did some physical tests on me to make sure I was alright. He looked at his clipboard and wrote down on what I assumed were my discharge papers.

"You're working on Sundays now?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're currently understaffed." He looked up and gave me a small smile.

Hah! I was right about the hospital being understaffed.

"Well, it's a good thing we didn't have our usual Sundays." I tried to lighten the mood.

He chuckled. "I could use our usual Sunday."

"But you're much more needed here." I said too quickly. Great, he could interpret it as me no longer needing him.

It was quiet before he spoke again. "Okay, since you say you're feeling better and your physical tests seem okay, you're free to go."

I jumped off the hospital bed and checked if I left anything. "Thanks." I said before making my way to the exit.

Percy stepped in the way and bent down a bit so we were eye to eye. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked me and stared into my eyes as he held me at arm's length, looking for reassurance that I was really okay.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I said once again and I wished I meant it holistically: physically, mentally, and most importantly emotionally.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! :)

I had Emma Stone's gown from Cannes 2015 in mind when I wrote about Silena's design for Annabeth.

Please notice that I related Nico to an Italian grandmother, I had his chronological age in mind when I wrote that part. I also made Nico bisexual. I know he's gay in the books but I already insinuated that he had a small crush on Annabeth before it was revealed in the books. Lastly, the Italian song Nico and Annabeth were dancing to is Io Che Amo Solo Te.

Tell me what you think of the chapter. Write a review. It makes me smile throughout the day. So make me smile and write a review :D

Question of the Chapter: Have you ever experience exercise-induced nausea?