Lpov

I watched, pretending not to hear the shouting of the couple behind me, as the mermaids darted under the water's surface, their brightly colored tails catching the light from overhead, ropes of pearls tied into their hair.

I leaned forward on the railings trying to get a better look, the colors giving me an idea for one of my projects and vaguely, I wondered if they had wifi in Atalantis.

'Probably not.' I thought distractedly. 'At least not that I could use.'

"Lorelei!" Celeste yelled and I looked up at my name.

She was glowering at her boyfriend a look of disgust plain across her features.

"Lorelei of all people, Aaron! Are you really that stupid?"

He was spluttering excuses, clearly not expecting to get caught out with another girl.

"IT'S OUR ANNIVERSARY YOU DUMB ASS! OF COURSE IT WAS FAKE!"

I smirked at this as he continued to stammer one lame story after another, but she wasn't having it.

I wouldn't have either.

She'd read the text thread between us in which he'd agreed to meet me, and had seen just how many hook up apps he was on.

I watched the argument devolve with a reluctant fascination, wondering at what point people would stop falling for it. I couldn't keep doing this forever, I knew that. Frankly, I was surprised it had been working for as long as it had. Breaking up terrible couples to avoid completely shattering someone's heart had been an odd work around, but so far, it seemed to work.

It kept the worst of the effects of the curse at bay at least, and I got to expose cheaters so that was a win in my book. But it didn't always work that well. If I had to guess, it probably depended on how serious the relationship was, and the level of heartbreak attached to it's sudden end. However, even now I could feel the rate of the curse accelerating. The effects, both on others and myself, were getting stronger. The times between each episode getting shorter.

I couldn't keep going like this, I knew. Eventually I'd run out of people to break up. And I knew my mother's patience with me was waning even she hadn't spoken to me about it. One day, probably sooner rather than later, just being around heartbreak wouldn't be enough.

"You know you're becoming radioactive for relationships, right?" Jake asked as the two continued to shout at each other.

I turned to see him walking towards me on the board walk, a recovery smoothie in hand after what I was sure was an ocean side work out.

"You're like the grim reaper of love."

"That is not love." I countered, pointing at the pair who had attracted something of an audience by now. "That was a powder keg and everyone knew it."

"Yeah, and I wonder who decided to set it alight."

"I had to." I said defensively and he shook his head, looking as if he wanted to say something, then thought better of it. "Jake I was getting nightmares again."

"I know." He said quietly and when he spotted my obvious confusion, he explained. "You were shouting in your sleep last night. I heard you from down the hall."

Something about his expression was off however, and there was a determined blankness to his expression that told me he was probably forcing himself to appear calm. It had me thinking that there was a lot he wasn't saying.

I felt myself blush a little and looked away, figuring I knew what it.

"He keeps dying in my dreams." I said quietly.

"Who? Hammerhead?" he asked and I nodded, still not wanting to look at him.

Unlike mortals, when a demigod dreamed about something like this, especially this many times, it usually meant something. And it was never good.

"Every night?"

"No." I said shaking my head. I think that would have driven me insane… "But it gets worse when…"

I let the sentence fade as I gestured hopelessly towards Celeste who smacked Aaron with her purse before storming off.

"When you stop making people miserable?"

"I couldn't do it again." I said quietly feeling my chest get a little tighter at the words and my eyes burn. "I can't keep watching it happen. I don't even want to go to sleep Jake. It's horrible."

"I know." He said quietly and I felt his arm slide around my shoulders.

I leaned my head against his, and there was a moment of silence between us while Jake appeared to be thinking and I tried not to think at all, especially of the nightmares.

"This might be sort of a weird question." Jake started and though I didn't look at him, I could tell by his tone he was frowning. "But, in the dreams, when whatever is happening to Dex is happening, is it always the same?"

"No." I said shaking my head.

The dreams were all different, random even. Fires, car crashes, monster fights. I didn't know when they would happen or what would happen in them. There was only one constant.

"But it's always him?"

I nodded.

"Do you think it means anything, like a warning? Or some sort of prophecy?"

I shook my head.

"I think my mother is just angry."

"Seems kind of brutal," he said dubiously. "Even for her."

"I dunno about that." I said darkly. "Seem pretty on brand to me."

"You're meeting with him today, right?" he asked and I nodded.

"Him and his friends."

"Still planning on going through with that ridiculous match maker idea then?"

"Yes." I answered stubbornly, stepping out of his grip and frowning at him. "And it's not ridiculous."

"You're right." He said with a tolerant nod. "It's not just ridiculous. It's stupid."

"It will be fine."

"It's never fine. Stop asking the universe to teach you a lesson."

But his gaze seemed to have caught something behind me, and when I turned, I saw Dex walking towards us down the boardwalk.

It seemed as if he'd paid a bit more attention to his appearance than he normally would have, his shirt looked new and his jeans weren't quite as worn as some pairs I'd seen him in.

"Liv was right." Jake said with a reluctant appreciation. "He doesn't clean up half bad does he? I think he might have even brushed his hair."

"Shut up Jake." I said, mostly to cover my own surprise.

A strange sensation was going through me that I was putting down to relief, though it was oddly jittery for that. Still, with all the nightmares, I'd been half expected to see some sort of gaping wound that left him bleeding all over the ground.

This was a lot nicer to look at.

"Don't do anything stupid." Jake warned before walking back towards the beach, no doubt for his umpteenth work out of the day.

"Jake deciding not to join us?" Dex asked nodding his head towards Jake's retreating figure among the passersby.

"No," I said brushing back my hair and trying to smile, but something was off. I felt nervous. Why was I nervous? "I think he's trying to figure out new and creative ways to lift things with muscle groups no one knows the name of."

"Just tell him to come spend a day in the forge with me." Dex said with a shrug. "He'll discover muscles he didn't know he had the next day when they're screaming at him."

"I don't think he's going to do that." I said with a shrug and he grinned.

He looked remarkably relaxed for someone so notorious for having a bad attitude, his smile faded however, when he glanced at me.

"What are you wearing?"

I glanced down at my outfit, confused, then back at him.

"What? It's getting warmer." I said defensively and when his expression didn't change, I continued. "Crop tops are in right now. And I made it myself."

"You're going to freeze." He said his tone incredulous. "The arcade is always cold."

"But I'll look cute." I argued without missing a beat and he shook his head.

"C'mon." he gestured for me to follow him as he started to make his way back down the board walk. "I've got a jacket in my car. You can borrow it while we're inside."

Not opposed to this, I fell into step next to Dex, very aware of the looks we were getting from both guys and girls as we walked. The guys I was used to, however, the girls expressions were a novel experience. Usually, when I was out in public decked out in Aphrodite fashion, the looks I got from other girls were usually ones of thinly veiled contempt, sometimes even hatred, especially if their boyfriends were around. This time however, they simply looked... interested. It wasn't until one girl pointed, then whispered to her friend that I realized they weren't looking at me at all. They were looking at Dex.

Apparently Jake wasn't the only one to notice the changes in his appearance today. If the people around us were anything to go by, it was pretty well received by the general public.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this, but decided to ignore it for now and looked up at him. It took me less than a second for me to see he had no clue how much attention he was getting. Or he was very good at hiding it if he did.

"So." I said slowly, trying not to feel awkward. "Tell me about your friends. What are they like?"

"They're pretty normal. Mortals, tech geeks like me. Like to build stuff. You might have seen Michael before for like two seconds at the shop. Ellie might feel a little weird she's not the only girl in the group tonight."

"Why?" I asked frowning.

I was used to being around guys just because of who I was friends with, but why that would make me feel weird around other girls I couldn't fathom.

Then again, I typically didn't like anybody, so maybe I didn't have the best frame of reference.

"She hasn't had the best experiences with some of her friends that were girls in the past. They uh… weren't that nice to her. Especially when she started making friends with the guys in the robotics club. Said she only joined for attention."

"Is she pretty?" I asked shrewdly and he frowned.

"I mean, yeah, but what does that have to do with it?"

"It has everything to do with it." I said with a sigh.

They were probably jealous, and I had a feeling I was going to be paying the price for it.

"She say anything to you about me?" I asked raising an eyebrow, knowing what the answer probably was.

"No." he said shaking his head, clearly trying to defend his friend, but there was something stiff about the movement and he was avoiding my gaze.

"Liar."

He sighed as we stepped into the parking lot just off the beach.

"You know sometimes I think you can read my mind." He muttered, glancing sideways sat me.

"Just your body language." I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest. "What did she say?"

"Nothing too terrible." He admitted, but his tone was hesitant. "She doesn't know who you are. But I think she thinks I need to be protected from a Heather 2.0 with an additional layer of rich girl to really set off the crazy."

"Oh yeah?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "And what do you think?"

He'd stopped next to the exact sort of car I'd expected a guy like Dex to have. A classic muscle car that I was guessing he'd probably restored himself, bright red and so sleek and polished, you'd have thought he'd gone back in time and driven it off the lot.

"Well, besides the crazy part. We know your stance on that."

He grinned as he unlocked the driver side door and reached into the back seat. When he straightened up, he was holding a dark zip up jacket.

"You know, I've actually relaxed a bit on that position." He said holding out the jacket which I accepted.

"Have you?"

"I have." He confirmed with a nod. "I don't think you're crazy. Not anymore."

"What do you think?" I asked looking up at him.

Usually, I didn't really care what people thought of me, but I found that once again it was different with Dex. I really wanted to know what he thought of me. So much so that it almost made me afraid to.

"I think you're a lot smarter than anyone gives you credit for. And you like to keep it that way."

"Figured me out have you?" I asked with a sigh, suddenly feeling very tired.

At this he laughed.

"Not at all. In fact, I'm not entirely convinced you've figured you out. And I think you've gotten so good at manipulating people, a part of you doesn't know if you can navigate a relationship without it."

I frowned almost wanting to retort in anger, and I might have if it wasn't for his tone. He didn't sound upset or angry, or like he was judging me at all for it. And it made me think about what he said. Not just think about it, but wonder if maybe, he was partly right.

"You seem to have thought a lot about this." I said suddenly uncomfortable and looking not at him but out, over the ocean.

It seemed safer than his gaze. The weather was nice, as it almost alway was here, and there were a lot of people on the beach, but I felt oddly disconnected from them all. As if I was watching them live their mortal lives on a screen rather than being surrounded by my current reality. This happened to me a lot lately, this odd sense of detachment from the world, and it only got worse when I had to go messing with people's emotions. I had a feeling it was easier that way in a sense, or easier not to care at least. What did it matter what you did to someone's life if it didn't feel real? But I didn't exactly like it. And it was Dex who brought me back to the present.

"I think about you a lot." He said and when I did glance at him, he shrugged. "Not in a weird way." he added quickly. "You're just a bit odd to me. We have a lot in common, but I think you see the world in a totally different way."

"Why do you want to be around someone who you know manipulates other people?" I asked a little resentfully leaning against his car and while I expected him to yell at me about the paint job, he didn't.

Instead he did the same, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at me with an interested expression.

"You know, I really don't know." He admitted with a shrug, sounding rather curious about the question himself, before giving me a side long look that seemed oddly... affectionate. "Maybe it's because I can't. You seem to do it so easily like with Jenny or that asshole that was bothering you during the lacrosse game. I saw him running after his girlfriend by the way. I'm guessing that was you."

I nodded not really seeing a point to denying it, but didn't say anything and he continued.

"I dunno why, but it's fascinating to me. Maybe it's my dad's DNA coming out in me, but I can't help it. I want to figure out how it works."

"Are you worried I'm going to do it to you?" I asked quietly.

"No." he said sounding resolute which surprised me.

I looked up at him and he grinned.

"I know you've tried before, and probably can't stop yourself sometimes. But it's pretty obvious when you're turning it off and on. To anyone who pays attention anyways." he clarified when he caught my surprised expression. "I'm sure Jake sees it too."

He looked down me again.

"Is that why you don't like people getting to know all that well?"

"I dunno." I said honestly. "I mean, it's mostly because of you know, the famous father. But I really don't have an answer to that."

"Sometimes I get the feeling you don't like that it works so well."

"It's easy." I said without inflection.

"Just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you like to do it." he pointed out perceptively and I frowned at this, considering it.

A silence fell between us during which I felt the nerves returning.

I couldn't stand this. I didn't know what Dex was thinking, but he looked utterly relaxed while I felt like I was about to crawl out of my skin. Anxiety and guilt was burning through me but at the same time, confusion.

I didn't understand how Dex could have realized so much about me without not wanting to be around me anymore. Not just that, but running for the hills.

It didn't make sense. Not unless he actually enjoyed spending that time with me.

My heart gave a powerful thud, sending a jolt of fear through me, then rapidly picked up.

"I knew the arcade would be cold." I admitted though for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.

I bit my lip before glancing guiltily at Dex.

He wasn't looking at me, but I could tell by his expression, he was trying not to grin. It only half worked, and one corner of his mouth ticked up in an amused smile.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that."

He shot me a knowing look.

"You can borrow the jacket anyways."

There was another moment of silence as where it seemed neither of us seemed to know what to say.

"You know, in the future for this sort of thing, you could just ask."

"That seems a bit awkward." I said uncertainty.

"Is it worse than being cold all night hoping I'd offer?" He countered and I shrugged.

"That depends on if you say yes."

He let out a brief laugh, but it sounded genuine.

"You've got some very strange priorities Lore." He said, but he sounded amused as he glanced at his phone.

"We should get moving though." He said. "Ellie's at the arcade."

He straightened up and offered his hand automatically.

I didn't need his help, but accepted it and let him pull me back upright.

I lingered for a moment, debating on if I wanted him to let it go, but before I could gather the courage to face one opinion over the other, he'd dropped it.

Pretending not to feel dissapointed, I brushed my hair out of my face and fell into stop next to him, clutching his jacket infront of me, still feeling uncharacteristically awkward.

"Your hair is changing colors again." he observed and I almost dropped his jacket in surprise.

"It is?" I asked surprised and he gestured to a strand of it over my collar bone.

"Yeah." He said and I could tell by the half grin he was trying to hide, he was starting to find this odd glitch in my abilities somewhat endearing. "Don't look so worried Lorelei."

He smiled and while it was reassuring, there was something else behind it too.

"Pinks a good color on you."

"Pink?" I asked in surprise and looked down only to realize he was right.

The strand had faded to an unmistakable shade, as vibrant as a Mary rose at the height of summer.

Time seemed to stop for a moment as I looked at it in shock, only to resume when my heart gave a heavy 'thump' sending shockwaves of adrenaline through me, quickly followed by fear.

'It had been a long time since I'd seen this color.' I thought fretfully, feeling a clawing sense of panic settling over me along with the adrenaline. 'Not since-'

"Lore!"

I was pulled from my thoughts and the path of something fast just before it hit me.

Dex swore and made a noise of what sounded like pain while several people gasped.

There was a screech of breaks and a crashing noise. I looked up in shock to see some idiot had brought his motorcycle onto the board walk, and, preoccupied, I'd stepped right into it's path as the rider had tried peel out onto the road.

He'd crashed into one of the barricades, but seemed unhurt as he got to his feet to inspect the damage.

It only occurred to me when I heard people asking if you 'two' were alright, that I realized Dex must have been what had grabbed me.

"T-thank you." I said in shock, ignoring the others and looking up at him.

He wasn't looking at me however, but over his shoulder.

"Watch where you're going you idiot!" he shouted after the driver who looked in our direction a little nervously, before going back to inspecting his bike. "You're going to kill someone!"

He turned back to me, and I noticed the motion made him wince.

"Are you ok?" he asked, still sounding furious.

"Fine." I said honestly wishing my heart would stop pounding so hard.

Gods, after so many nightmares of so many horrible things happening to him, I thought I was going to have a cardiac event.

"Are you?"

"I'm fine." He said dismissively. "Idiot clipped me with the handle bars, but I'll be ok."

It was only when he moved his hand to gesture to a spot on his ribs that it became apparent to both of us that with my current outfit, his grabbing me out of the bike's path had landed his hands directly on my waist.

A second surge of adrenaline went through me at this realization as he removed the second one and took a hasty step back.

"Sorry," he said automatically and I was almost certain that my face had gone the exact same shade of pink as my hair.

"It's fine." I said unable to meet his gaze, wishing one of the gods would just vaporize me on the spot.

'Why on Olympus did it have to be Dex?' I thought in agonizing embarrassment. 'Why, gods why, couldn't it have been anyone else?'

Anyone else and I could have handled the situation much cooler. Could have used it for an opportunity to flirt, capitalized on the drama and the emotions to get what I wanted…

But at this point I didn't know what I wanted from Dex, and standing here feeling so confused and unbearably awkward, I had no idea what to do.

Had I really just almost walked in front of a motorcycle in front of him? The lack of situational awareness was humiliating, and seeing him almost run over because of me was even worse. It was just like the nightmares, only this time, it wasn't some random horrible accident or monster attack. If Dex had gotten hurt, it would have been completely my fault.

'It'll be your fault anyways.' a nasty voice said in the back of my mind. 'Emotionally, physically? What's the difference? Either way he's getting hurt.'

I pushed this voice to the back of my mind, but it wasn't as easy as it had been before.

What choice did I have?

But it was a lame excuse that sounded hollow even in my own thoughts, and another stab of guilt went through me as we stepped into the arcade and I slipped on his jacket.

He was right of course, as I'd known he would be. The building was cold and as the jacket settled on my shoulders, almost comically oversized, I was glad he'd offered to let me use it. It was warm and felt like a giant, portable Dex sized hug.

It somewhat appalled me to realize how comforting I found it. Not enough to take it off though.

"They're over there." Dex said gesturing towards two teenagers by a game towards the front of the arcade where you shot aliens with futuristic looking plastic guns.

The boy was tall and thin, with brown hair pulled into low ponytail. I assumed this was his friend Michael. While the girl was tiny with curly hair she'd piled on top of her head, no doubt to stay out of the way as she slaughtered aliens.

By what I could see of the score, she was also slaughtering Michael on the leaderboard.

She had to have been Dex's second friend, Ellie, and I hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure as to why, but already sensing potential problems.

The game had ended however, and, clearly not getting the same feelings, Dex had called out to his friends.

They turned as we approached. Immediately the girls eyebrows darted up, and I knew my suspicions were correct. Apprehension turned into outright dread as her gaze landed on Dex's jacket. It was clear she knew it was his and she was far from impressed at the fact I was wearing it.

I thought the situation could be repaired however, with a few well-placed compliments and a bit of my mother's charm, when Michael, who's reaction to our arrival I'd barely paid attention to said.

"Interesting."

Confused, I looked at him, well aware just how much Ellie disliked me would be determined by the next few words he said.

Even I was surprised at what they were though.

"Dex didn't tell us his new girlfriend was famous."