Hey everyone!

We are back!

I don't have any shout outs because right now I'm just pushing out a bunch of chapters at the same time.

Also, I'm just going to rant for a little bit.

I've been really upset with my mom lately. She's been pretty racist lately, even towards Asian people. (She's white and my dad is Asian. I'm biracial)

She's also been falling asleep super early while watching tv shows and I have to take care of her. I wouldn't usually mind that, but I know it means she's been drinking.

She's admitted that she has a drinking problem but she still doesn't do anything about it. It's so frustrating. I try talking to her about it and she just brushes it off or ignores me.

Blah. One more year and then I'll go to college far away from here.

Okay well thank you so much for reading!

(Disclaimer: I don't own these characters)

ANNABETH POV:

"Wait. You kissed?"

His eyes were shocked, like he thought he had already told me.

"I-"

I tilted my head, heartbroken. I couldn't stop staring at him.

He stumbled back a little bit, and stared at me before opening his mouth, about to spew out a bunch of excuses that I knew I wouldn't believe anyway.

My heart felt like it had just been crushed under the weight of a planet.

My throat closed and I struggled to breathe.

My Percy.

"Annabeth, listen to me." I could barely look at him.

"Percy…" I hated how broken my voice sounded.

"Annabeth. She kissed me and I pushed her away."

"I…" I wasn't sure what to believe. He was so loyal, even to a fault…

But he was most loyal to the people he loved. Did he actually love me?

His voice was genuine, and determined. Would he do this to me?

"She kissed me, and I pushed her away."

I stayed silent, wondering whether or not it would be worth it to get my hopes up again.

He had already hurt me. He had broken me. And put me back together, and it was an endless pattern of getting hurt over and over again.

I didn't want to give him that power, I didn't want to give anyone that power.

I wanted to curl up under my covers and stay there for months.

I watched his desperate sea green eyes stare at me and something broke inside of me. He was good. He was a good person.

And I understood that. I might have even believed him, too. In fact, I think I did believe him.

But I couldn't let him hold my heart again.

It had never worked in the past. Even though this time, he seemed to be telling the truth, eventually he would leave me.

Everyone left me.

So I faced it. Percy could do better than some nerdy blonde with trust issues.

"I think you should leave," I told him, my voice close to breaking.

He shook his head a little. "Annabeth, no, come on. I love you, and you love me, and the whole world is ours when you're with me."

A tear slipped down my cheek.

It was too accurate. He made me feel like that, and it killed me that even though I felt like that too, I had to give it up.

I just couldn't handle another rejection.

"Percy…"

His eyes watered. "Annabeth, no. We can do anything. I'm in love with you. That counts for something. You have to believe me, I didn't want her to kiss me. I wouldn't do that, you know I wouldn't-"

"Percy," I interrupted softly. "I believe you."

And I did.

I could tell when people were lying, and right now, he was telling the truth.

He let out a huge breath, his taut face breaking into his trademark grin.

He was so beautiful. I missed him already.

"Oh thank gods. I thought I lost you for a second." He let out a relieved laugh.

He took a couple steps toward me to pull me back into his arms.

I took a step back. He frowned.

"What's wrong?" His voice was nervous and it broke my heart a little.

I took a deep breath. "I still think you should leave," I whispered.

Percy's brow furrowed in that adorable way, and I had to look away to keep myself from jumping into his arms.

"But… we're good now."

I nodded, teary eyed. "Yeah, Seaweed Brain. We're good."

But I won't survive another blow. No matter how much I love you.

No matter how much I need you.

Gods, I need you.

I stepped toward him and wrapped my arms around his middle, squeezing as tight as I possibly could.

This is for the best, I thought to myself. He deserves better, and you can't take anymore heartbreak.

He hugged me back, and stroked my hair carefully as I soaked his T shirt with my tears.

I could hear his heartbeat and pressed my cheek against his chest, savoring him.

"Wise Girl… I don't understand why you want me to leave."

"It's complicated," I murmured into him.

"I don't want to be without you."

I nodded against his chest. "I know."

"Do you just want to be without me?" His voice was sad and worried.

I felt a sob growing in my stomach.

Of course I didn't want to be without him.

But if I told him that, I would get my heart broken and so would he.

I took a deep breath, and squeezed him tighter still.

"I just need to focus on my work right now."

"You're ahead in all your classes. You're three units ahead. You're my Wise Girl."

"Percy…"

"Just tell me," he said brokenly. I looked up at him, surprised. "You don't love me. It's okay. You didn't need to do all of this."

"What?"

He looked at me, pain evident in his eyes.

"Come on, Beth. This whole Calypso thing? It's kind of extravagant, you could have just told me."

"I…" I was speechless.

He thought I didn't love him? That was the only thing I was sure about.

"It's okay," he whispered, and pressed a kiss with way too much finality to it to my forehead.

"Percy-"

"Really. It's okay. I have to go, I think. I um… Talk to you later, I guess."

Before I could process anything enough to respond, he backed up and walked out the door, where Thalia immediately entered, arms crossed.

"You idiot."

I looked at her in surprise to find her electric blue eyes angry and intense. "Excuse me?"

"I've heard it all before, Annabeth. You really think I haven't payed attention? Your major abandonment and trust issues, self preservation thing, all of that. And now you're pushing it all onto Percy."

"No," I replied stubbornly.

"Really." Thalia raised an eyebrow. "You forgave him, Anna. You forgave him and you still pushed him away."

"I can't deal with another heartbreak. And he can do better, we both know it."

Thalia walked up to me. "There is no one better than you. No one, okay?"

"Calypso-"

"Calypso has nothing on you. Except maybe she would've been less idiotic just now."

"I don't want to get hurt again," I whispered.

"I know, babe. But that's the risk you have to take. He makes you happy, Anna. And you make him happy. If you don't clear all of this mess up, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You know you will."

I sighed. "I don't know if I can handle it, Thals. Handing myself over to someone like that."

"It's hard," Thalia nodded. "But you're strong enough. I know you are."

I didn't know if I believed her.

I did know I had just fucked up.

Sad Annabeth :(

Thank you so much for reading!

I really can't thank you enough.

Seriously.

All yours,

-wdw