~ Hey Angels ~

It's Wise Girl Wednesday!

I'm sorry I missed Sunday, I was still writing this chapter on Monday and Tuesday. Had a slight bit of writer's block in the last few scenes but I got there in the end.

Only 3 days late though! I'm getting better ;)

How have you been? I hope you've all been well! Stay happy and beautiful and don't forget to smile today!

So. Let's begin this new chapter right where we left off. Oh and here's the Percy POV you guys have all been dying to read.

Everybody, it's time to tell of your sins ;))

Chapter 21

Time to Tell of Your Sins

Percy POV

"Percy…I'm going to see Luke."

My stomach plummeted to the floor. I stopped what I was doing to stare at her, unable to move or come to terms with what had just come out of her mouth.

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

I'd had a lot to say before but now I was lost for words. Not a single part of me could understand why she would even want to see that monster.

Maybe I was a little too harsh on her…or a lot too harsh on her. She had every right to be mad at me, I'd been a jerk—apparently, it's what I do—but this was too far.

She wanted to see Luke? Over my dead body!

And after a good few seconds of absent-minded thinking, the only thing my stupid brain could come up with was a slightly bewildered:

"What?"

She sighed, her grey eyes drifting briefly across the pool table before they met mine. I suppose what was left of my stomach fell at that point too.

I hated that she looked so innocently beautiful right now.

"I've been thinking about it all day, really..." She started in that soft tone of hers. The one that always made me melt inside. "I just want to see him once."

Anger pelted its way through my veins. The kind of anger that had always got me into trouble. There were other emotions that followed—emotions I had yet to understand; confusion, jealousy, fear.

"You are not seeing him." I commanded, surprised at the harshness in my own voice.

"It's not your decision to make, Percy." She replied evenly.

How can she stay so calm about this?

"Annabeth, you're not going!"

"I have to know!" She cried. "I have to know why he did it. What made him turn so bad…"

It was infuriating—the way her innocence shielded her understanding of why anybody could be so cruel in this world. And it wasn't infuriating in the way that I hated that quality about her, it was one of the things I loved most about her, but it was infuriating in the way that it kept her vulnerable.

All I wanted to do was keep her safely inside my arms so that nobody could touch her.

"What is there to know?" I yelled, unable to control myself. "Why would you even want to talk him? He's a total psycho! Have you forgotten what he did to you?"

"Of course, I haven't forgotten, Percy." She sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"You just don't understand…he wasn't always bad."

"Oh dear God, not this again." I stepped back, utterly speechless as I rubbed my forehead before aggressively smoothing my hair back. "I can't believe we're having this conversation again. Are we always going to be doing this? Arguing with each other over Luke…of all people."

"No, of course not." She frowned desperately, stepping closer and pressing her hands to the table. "I know he's not right in the head. I know he has problems. I haven't forgotten anything. But just because I can't forget…doesn't mean I can't forgive."

When she finished explaining herself in that angelic, silvery tone that could calm storms ripping across mountains and tame seas that spit out cold fire, I just stared at her.

It was one of the things I would never understand about her; that forgiving nature. The inability to hate anyone. Ever.

We were polar opposites in this situation so much so that it was almost laughable.

Realising that I was lost for words, yet again, she tried to reason with me. "Please don't worry, Percy, it's not a big deal. He'll be the other side of a glass wall anyway."

But this was a big deal. There were things that even a glass wall couldn't protect her from. Things that I'd been trying so hard to shut out.

The list of things that he could say to her—that Luke could say to her—were endless. Suddenly my heart skidded against my ribcage and I felt my own breath being knocked right out of me.

I had gone to see him.

All those things I said to him—all those malicious and vicious threats I voiced could end up finding their way right back to the one person I would never want to hear them.

God, I would carry the weight of the world to stop her from hearing them. To stop her from fully understanding what happened during those dark few weeks I was away.

And perhaps this wasn't just her way of showing forgiveness and moving on from the past, perhaps she thought Luke could tell her what I would always refuse to. He could tell her all my secrets. At least most of them.

It was a horrifying thought.

I'd gone through enough, what with all the current talk about me on the News, I didn't need this. Annabeth was supposed to be the one person who would always be on my side.

So why did I suddenly feel like she wasn't?

"You can't go." I shook my head repeatedly in denial, straightening up. "You just can't."

"I'm not asking for your permission, Seaweed Brain." She smiled delicately.

My heart softened and for a moment I didn't care about all my secrets. I didn't care about what her seeing Luke could do to me…only what it could do to her. What kind of mental trauma could he put her through, even with that glass wall in between them?

She was considering going to a high-security prison. Annabeth, of all people! She doesn't have the heart to withstand that.

And I would rather die than let her walk into a disgusting place like that filled with men who haven't had sex in years. I know what guys think when they look at her. It's not that hard to figure out. Annabeth had always been a head turner. But in a prison!? Jesus fucking Christ, their heads would spin.

"Annabeth…" I breathed, hearing the beat of my heart in my ears.

The bell went and she flinched adorably from the sudden noise, turning her head to the doorway.

"We should go to registration." She said, walking away now.

I skidded around the table, grasping her hand. She looked back at me with shocked eyes that shimmered in the sunlight from the window. I melted in her gaze.

"Please." I begged softly. "Please don't go. I don't want him to see you again. It terrifies me that you would even consider it."

"Percy—"

"You don't know what it's like, Annabeth. A prison is different from a police station. It's filled with murderers and rapists and people who have killed their own children." I gripped her upper arms firmly. "The thought of you in a place like that..."

I couldn't even finish that sentence.

"Percy, don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Really, I can take care of myself."

"No, you're not listening to me!" I gripped her harder.

"I am listening to you!" She yelled back.

Somehow, whenever Annabeth yelled it didn't sound harsh or mean, just incredibly cute. Whilst I knew I could be pretty scary whenever I yelled. Everyone says so.

"You're the one not listening to me. You've been unnecessarily cold and cruel to me ever since we left the quiet room." She spoke, her lips trembling slightly and her eyes blurring just a touch.

I dropped my hands slowly, hating the sight of her so upset but powerless towards knowing what to do about it.

"How are we ever going to work if you can't trust me, Percy? If you keep hiding things from me then our relationship can only be built on a lie. What does that say about us?" She asked breathlessly.

A lump formed in my throat. I'd never understood what kind of repercussions my actions would bring but I think I was slowly starting to see now.

It was her. I was hurting her.

"I want us to be able to do things together." Me too! "For us to feel like we can tell each other anything." I know. "I'm not asking you to tell me every single detail about what happened…" She looked up at me with soft, gentle eyes. "I just want you to be honest with me."

After that, I was able to soften my expression. The recklessness of my anger had always been something to hold me back from seeing two sides of an argument. It was one of the things I hated about myself especially when Annabeth was in the picture.

But now it had floated away.

"Beth, I—"

She was already walking away without another word. I hated to see her like this; without a smile. It broke my heart.

I exhaled shakily, stumbling back a little as I blinked in shock.

Then turned to forcefully push the last loose ball across the table. It bounced against the side before hurtling into the top left pocket. Then I just pressed my palms to the table, dropping my head so that my hair fell in my eyes, and tried to steady my breathing.

What a golden moment you've picked to fuck up today, Jackson! Really well done!

And for once…my brain was actually right.

~xXx~

Annabeth POV

Wednesday 4th May

I've already decided where I'm going before the text arrives:

I'm sorry. Please at least let me go with you.

But it's too late for that now. I've already turned the car around and started driving in the opposite direction to Goode High School. I hadn't intended to visit Luke today, not when I stepped out the front door of my house this morning and not when I got into my car to drive away.

I'd spent a lot of time thinking about it last night; tossing and turning in my bed. Unable to sleep. It didn't help that Percy and I weren't speaking.

I'm not even sure when I changed my mind. Somewhere between 1st and 35th street, I'd told myself it would be easier to do it now than to have another argument with Percy and do it later anyway.

He'd be waiting for me in school. Waiting by the lockers with the others. I wonder how long it will take for him to guess why I'm not there.

I hated sneaking around behind his back like this. I hadn't even told my mom and I tell her everything. The logical part of me knew I was being stupid and reckless and that it didn't suit me at all but I was already out of the city now and I couldn't bring myself to turn the car around and go back.

I'd just have to face him later.

As I'm driving, I see a couple of kids waiting at a bus stop. I slow my car down to 20 mph, not just because it's standard but because it's what I would want people to do if it was Bobbie and Matthew waiting at that bus stop. I pass them safely but I can't help glancing in my rear-view mirror to check they're alright.

One of them is pointing at my car in fascination and it occurs to me that my pretty white Audi might draw the same attention at the prison. What if one of the prisoners takes note of my registration and somehow tracks me down? A cold feeling crawls through my stomach.

Suddenly, there's a pitter-patter on my rooftop. It begins to rain.

I sighed, realising that my attire wasn't suited to the weather at all. The fabric of my red knitted sweater is thin and flimsy and I wasn't wearing a top underneath it. The only warmth comes from the black belt that keeps it tucked inside my black and white gingham skirt.

The rain gets heavier and heavier and suddenly it's pouring it down. My windscreen wipers are whirring away as fast as they can to prevent the sea of water from drenching my view of the long and empty road ahead.

I begin to realise that even without the rain, my attire is ridiculously unsuitable. I need to remember that I'm going to a prison where men have been deprived of physical relations for some time. Waltzing into a place like that dressed in a short skirt and heeled boots is just asking for trouble.

I curse myself for being so stupid but it's definitely too late to turn back now.

The road takes me miles out of the city and with Google Maps on my phone as the only directions, I feel somewhat lost and vulnerable under all this heavy downpour. I begin to wish that Percy had come with me after all.

Hours pass and I begin to question my decision once I find myself in the middle of nowhere. Luke had been transferred out of Manhattan Detention Complex after his trial to a high-security prison up north so whatever Percy had told me about that place…this place was going to be ten times worse.

I turn up the heating to chase away the cold chill running up my spine and tell myself to think of something positive. There's an umbrella in the back that I can use. At least that's one thing I've done right today.

Still, I cannot chase away the uneasy feeling beginning to stir in my stomach. Perhaps I was wrong to consider this. Perhaps Percy was right. I shouldn't have come.

But now I'm here. My throat tightens. I feel claustrophobic already and I'm not even inside yet.

From what I can see through the rain, the place looks truly terrifying with high concrete walls topped with spiralling barbed wire.

Already, my heart is pounding in my ears. I'm almost completely deaf when I open my window to the guard at the security gates, asking for my name and purpose.

I'm directed to the visitor car park. It's completely empty.

When I pull into a space, I twist the key gently to turn off the engine but keep the electrics on. Then I just sit there for a long time, listening to the treacherous rain and the windscreen wipers as they move back and forth. Back and forth.

I glance at the mirror. A nervous me glances back. It reminds me of the girl I used to be. Yet my face somehow seems to bear much less similarity.

I reach into my bag to pull out my nude coloured lipstick. Even as my hands shake, I'm not sure why I'm applying it. I shouldn't have even put it on this morning but I suppose I'd been blissfully ignorant at that time.

Shoot. It slips through my fingers. I wipe the smudge from my leg.

There's no point in making myself stand out. But at the same time, I need strength. Self-belief.

As I shift to put the lipstick back in my bag, I get a waft of sweetness from my Chanel perfume. It suddenly strikes me that it might not be sensible to smell nice in a place containing sex-deprived criminals. But the action had been automatic this morning. It's what I do every morning. Too late now.

The rain slowly begins to calm down and I tell myself that this is the point where I need to get out of the car. But I can't help but cling to the warm, heated seats and the hot breeze blowing from the vents a little while longer. They're all that's familiar to me in this horribly unpredictable place.

I take a deep breath and reach into the back where the black umbrella is sitting on the floor. For a moment, I wonder if I might be needing this to ward off any unwanted attention in the prison but then I tell myself I'm being ridiculous.

I realise I'm wasting time. School would have started at least 2 hours ago and Percy's probably caught on by now. I don't even want to picture his face when he realises I'm gone. He'll be mad, to say the least. I almost feel sorry for the others for having to withstand him for me.

Another deep breath and I'm opening the door. My suede boots touch wet tarmac as my umbrella goes up to shield me from what's left of the downpour.

I leave my phone in the car so I miss Percy's call…

The building looks, even more, terrifying up close but I bite down my fear and walk swiftly to the entrance. I follow the Reception sign. There's a man at the desk. Black uniform, like the one at the barrier.

He looks at me with suspicious eyes as I hand him my ID and explain the reason for my visit. I'm clutching my umbrella to stop my hands from trembling but the shakes are spreading throughout my body now and I'm not sure if it's the cold or the fear.

He takes my drivers licence and doesn't look pleased. "You're 16?"

I feel a sense of panic combined with relief. Maybe they'll tell me to go home.

Instead, he just nods somewhat displeased as if he's irritated by the fact someone so young would visit a place like this.

Momentarily, I glance out a window. It's covered with iron bars but I can still see out. There's a line of men queuing for something and I realise the rain has stopped. One of them glances up and winks at me.

I quickly look away, ignoring the prickle of skin on my arms and neck.

"This is an open prison so you be careful. We still get trouble here from time to time. Most of these men have been behind bars for years. Now they're allowed more freedom, some of them go a bit wild."

I smile as though I appreciate his concern but on the inside, I feel myself begin to panic. Before I can turn and run out the door, I'm being lead into a small room by another man who searches me with a metal detector.

"Arms out." He tells me forcefully and I do as he says.

I'm told to leave my umbrella, driver's licence and car keys in a locker before following him up a small flight of stares.

We pass a man dressed in head to toe orange and I feel myself mentally shriek as I stumble to keep up with the guard. The inmate grins, giving me a once up and down and I feel my skin begin to crawl with my back to him.

How anyone could hold a job in an open prison like this is beyond me.

We come to a door that says Visitor Room and I gulp down my nerves as I follow him inside. The room isn't big but it isn't small. The walls are grey like the floor and as expected there's a large glass window that stretches across the room to separate the two sides.

"You wait here. He'll be out in a minute." The guard tells me.

I nod and suddenly I'm alone. For a while, I can't even bring myself to sit so I gently pace instead. The wait feels long enough to second guess my decision again but not long enough to turn and leave before I hear the buzzing of a door.

My heart skips a beat.

I turn just in time to see him enter the room; his hands are cuffed and the bright orange of his suit looks striking against his sandy blond hair. The guard closes the door behind him and suddenly we're alone.

He looks up at me, his eyes trailing over my figure, before meeting my own. Somehow they look familiar and yet completely stranger-like.

For a moment, we're both frozen. Then with a slight smile, he moves to take a chair in the middle and waits for me.

I take a lot longer to sit down than him. I'm still in shock from seeing him in person again. My heart is pounding faster than I thought possible and there's a heavy weight in my stomach that I can't seem to shake.

Slowly, I straighten out my skirt and move to carefully take the seat in front of him. He immediately picks up the phone and I do the same but much more cautiously.

I wait for him to speak first because I'm still lost for words.

"Hello, Annabeth." He spoke softly, giving me a smile that I assumed was to relax me. It didn't.

I gulped. "Hello, Luke…"

"It's been a while."

"It has." I murmured, nodding gently.

We were silent for a while and I saw him fidgeting nervously. Why was he nervous? Surely that was my job.

"I'm surprised you're here, how are you doing?" He asked, genuinely interested.

"I'm fine." I replied, not elaborating on the matter.

"And Percy?" He raised an eyebrow. "You two must be happy together now, right?"

I swallowed down my nerves, getting the impression that he hoped we weren't. "I didn't come here to talk about Percy."

"Oh, but you did." He smiled knowingly. "Didn't you?"

I didn't answer, clutching my skirt tightly as I bit my lip hard.

He took that as a yes and nodded approvingly. "Wow, isn't it nice to have all the power for a change?" He smiled, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. "I can say whatever I want."

There was a slightly crazed look in his eyes. I recognised that look but there was something ever so slightly different. I wondered if it was the prison. Him being here…it must have changed him in a way. Perhaps people really do go crazy inside these walls.

"If you lie to me, I'll know."

"Oh, I would never lie to you, Grey Eyes." He swore and I believed him. "Who knows? Maybe I'll change your entire perspective on him."

"Enough Luke, I didn't come here to play your games." I said.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He didn't look sorry. "No games."

He looked at me patiently, waiting for me to ask him a question. So I took a breath and I did.

"You were with Max and Doug at the Manhattan Detention Complex, weren't you? That's where they were sent after their arrests. You must have spoken to them before you moved here?"

"Of course." He nodded with a smile as if he knew exactly where I was going but delighted in making me work for it. "We spoke many times."

"Then you know…" I sat up just a little more. "You know what happened to them. And Octavia? Did they tell you anything about Octavia?"

"Why don't you just cut to the chase, Chase, and ask me what you really want to know." He eyed me, holding me in his gaze.

Silence. I felt a shiver run through my body. I'd come all this way to ask but now suddenly when I had the opportunity to…I hesitated. Why?

Perhaps I didn't want to know. Perhaps it was because I'd actually known the answer all along.

"Did he do it?" I whispered. "Was it Percy?"

Luke slowly leaned forward and I felt myself shrinking back into the chair. "And finally the secret's out." He whispered back with a dark smirk.

I let out a shaky breath, nodding as if I'd expected as much. To be honest, I was surprised at how little it swayed me. I suppose it was because I really didn't care. What Percy did or didn't do. None of this mattered to me.

Because nothing could ever make me love him any less.

"Your boy's been tracking Rafael's men down like rats for the past few weeks. Told me himself when he paid me a lovely visit." He gave me a fake smile. "He got hired as a hitman by some guy who clearly wanted the business to go bankrupt."

"Who?"

"That I don't know." He shrugged, looking me dead in the eyes. "But I wouldn't look into it. Some things aren't worth messing with, Annabeth." There was something frightening about his tone. "Percy's got himself involved with some truly dark people, this time. It's best not to meddle with things you don't understand."

My heart shrivelled in my chest and my eyes fluttered as I looked at my lap, trying to come to terms with those words. Would Percy ever be free of that world?

He smiled at my expression. "I wish you'd been there on that rooftop…watching him holding the gun to Octavia. There's been a lot of talk going around about your so-called dark angel."

I flinched.

"I heard some guy on the News thought he'd been sent by the Devil himself." His tone was innocent but I could see right through his mind games.

"Or God." I corrected him. To which he just smirked even more.

"That's one twisted God."

"Percy didn't do anything wrong." I frowned, suddenly feeling extremely defensive. "That monster deserved his fate more than anyone. And if I had been on that rooftop, I would still feel the same way."

"You really do love him don't you?" He exhaled long and hard and I was taken aback.

For a while, he just looked at me; observing the details of my face. I bit my lip.

"How is it that you can love his kind of monster and not mine?"

My eyes softened and I gave him a sympathetic look for the first time. "Percy may do monstrous things…but he's not a monster."

"Am I not the same?" He asked, his voice slightly weak.

"I don't know what you are anymore, Luke." I murmured. "I wish I did. I wish things hadn't turned out the way they did but neither of us can change the past."

He nodded and there was a long silence.

"Why did you do it, Luke?" I whispered.

"Why?" He laughed cynically. "Why does anyone do anything? We're all capable of being monsters one way or another if there's enough motivation involved."

I realised I was never going to get the answer I wanted with him. He was too damaged to know why he did it himself.

"Was it worth then?" I asked. "Was it really worth it?"

He leaned forward. "I'd do it all over again if I could."

I flinched, looking away.

"You just don't understand." He added. "I did it all for you and I know you can't see that now but you will. One day you'll understand everything. And when that day comes…I'll be waiting for you."

I sighed. "I think you'll be waiting for a very long time."

"Not as long as you think."

I paused, looking at him long and hard and I couldn't help but feel my heart sink. "What did the world do to you, Luke?" I whispered.

He sat back, slightly shocked by my words.

"You used to be kind—normal. A boy in High School and now you're just a lost soul who can't see the world for what it is anymore." My eyebrows furrowed sorrowfully. "And I pity you for all the pain you've suffered only to have to suffer more in here."

"I'm not suffering." He grit his teeth.

"Oh, but you are." I told him. "I think your anger and this obsession you have over me is just your way of hiding it from yourself."

"I'm not hiding anything from myself."

"You think you can make amends for what you did to your mother and Thalia by loving me as hard as you possibly can in the hopes that you'll get things right this time. And yet, you can't see that in process…you've driven yourself mad."

He just stared at me. Utterly astonished. Terrified.

"That's not true." He shook his head in furious denial.

"It is…you just don't want it to be."

For a moment, he tried to take that in. His breathing was heavy—shaken. Then he looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Is it really so wrong to love you?"

"What you feel for me isn't love, Luke."

"Oh, as oppose to what Percy feels for you which it most definitely love." He snarled, implying that it wasn't.

I collected myself together, calming the beats of my heart through breathing gently and spoke as calmly as I could manage. "Don't let you last words to me come from jealousy and anger."

His eyes widened. "You're not coming back?"

"No..." I murmured. Somehow I felt sorry for him. "I'm not coming back."

Anger and panic flashed across his eyes. "But he doesn't love you, Annabeth!" He cried.

"Enough. Please!" I begged.

"He doesn't love you!"

"He does, Luke!" I shouted and he stopped altogether. "He does." I murmured. "And I love him. And when I'm with him…I'm happy."

After that, Luke couldn't speak another word. I watched the world burning to ashes in his broken eyes.

"I didn't come here to choose you. I just came to talk and to say that I forgive you because I do." I told him earnestly. "I forgive you, Luke…for everything. And I wish you luck—"

"Luck." He scoffed. "I don't need luck.

"Everyone needs a little luck from time to time."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was time to go. And Luke knew it.

"Annabeth, wait, I'm sorry—"

"This is goodbye."

"No wait—"

"I hope you'll be happy."

"Anna—"

"Goodbye, Luke." I whispered.

The loudness of his voice was cut off by my hanging up and suddenly I couldn't hear him at all. I stood up, watching the guard coming in to drag his screaming, writhing body away. It was a horrifying sight.

My heart sank in my stomach but I wanted to leave now. I'd been here long enough.

And so with a heavy sigh, I turned and walked out the door.

As the guard escorted me back to the front desk, I thought long and hard about our conversation.

Regardless of how much trouble I've probably caused, I know it was worth it. I needed to see him. To meet the eyes of the boy who put me through hell. I needed this closure.

Only in facing up to your demons can you truly move on with your life.

Perhaps it was sad seeing him like that and perhaps I'd hoped we would have left on better terms but I understood why it had to be this way. The world wouldn't grant me any different.

After retrieving my stuff from the locker and signing out, I was allowed to leave. I could see through the barred windows that the sky was still grey but I wouldn't need my umbrella.

It was a relief pushing my way through the doors and into the open air. A weight lifted off my shoulders and I shivered in the cold, turning to walk away.

He was there waiting for me. His back leaning against my car, one hand in the pocket of a long army green jacket that almost reached his knees, the other dangling at his side. Black T-shirt and black jeans underneath with white converses that complimented his hair.

He didn't look happy. His facial expression didn't change, he just looked at me with those deep ocean eyes that let me know just how betrayed he felt right now.

It was wrong to try and seek Percy's secrets through his enemy, I know that, but I hadn't come to soak up all the tiny little details. I hadn't come to pry into his past. I just simply wanted to know if my instincts were right. That was all.

My lips parted slightly as I slowed my walking and trailed my eyes across the floor guiltily. I stopped halfway to carefully look up at him.

He glanced away instantly, pushing himself off the car in annoyance and walking towards me. Without a word or a glance, he took the keys from my hand, pressing the unlock button and opening the passenger door.

He stood there holding it for me and giving me a look that said, just get in the car. I saw his jaw clench and his shoulders drop heavily from a sigh. He looked so disappointed in me, it was horrible.

I bit my lip nervously, keeping my eyes down as I moved towards the car. His head dropped as I slowly climbed inside. He shut the door behind me. I watched him walk around the front of the car then climb into the driver's seat and quickly pull his seatbelt on.

We drove away in silence.

Song Tribute: [For What It's Worth – Kygo]

The prison walls shrink in the rearview mirror, disappearing amongst a cloud of dust. Never to be seen again.

I flinched at the speed Percy was driving because it showed how angry he was but I kept my lips sewn shut.

It was awful. I felt myself shrinking further and further into my seat as the minutes passed by and still, neither of us spoke. He couldn't even look at me. His eyes heavily focused on the long road ahead, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.

There were many times I wanted to open my mouth and say something to break the tension but then I'd change my mind and keep quiet, clutching my bag in my lap. I kept the umbrella at my ankles, busying myself with counting the trees that passed us by.

The sound of emptiness was obliterated by the loud boom of thunder. The icy grey sky, thick with blackening clouds, opened up to unleash a violent storm of rain. I flinched away from the window as raindrops attacked the glass like a shower of metal bullets.

Water flooded the windscreen even with the wipers hacking away at it and the sound coming from the rooftop was deafening. It wasn't just rain, it was the heaviest downpour I'd ever seen. A wall of water cascading down on us.

I shiver from the cold and Percy reaches out to turn up the heating. I dip my head, using my hair to hide the small smile on my face and begin to watch the droplets streaming across the window next to me. They race and dance with each other. Twisting and turning like ribbons in the wind.

The torrential rain is getting worse but I find a sense of calmness in its thunderous sound ripping across the sky. The splash of car wheels in puddles lulls me.

And yet with all this heavy water, it still isn't enough to wash away the tension or drown out the voices in my head.

"I told you not to go. I asked you to bring me with you."

I inhaled shakily at the harshness of his tone. "I'm sorry." I murmured, dropping my head to stare at my lap.

He sighed heavily, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. He gave me a fleeting glance and frowned.

"You couldn't have worn something else?" He asked flatly.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing!" He huffed.

I opened my mouth to say something but couldn't find the words so I just faced the front again in total confusion.

"Okay, I'm allowed to be possessive right now, Annabeth!"

"I know..." I told him softly, not looking up.

"What you did was stupid and reckless. I mean, for God's sake, you're supposed to be the smart one." He exclaimed. "I don't ever wanna have to pick you up from a place like that again."

"I—I know. It won't happen again, I promise."

Silence.

"God, I hate this." He muttered. "I hate this! Why do we have to go through this? I can't even think about what he thinks when he looks at you."

I felt my throat tighten and my eyes were blown so wide that I didn't know what to say.

He sighed and for another minute or two we didn't talk. Then he swiftly pulled up at the side of the road. We were the only car around for miles.

Percy placed an elbow against the car door with a thud, resting his head on his fist. His black hair looked smooth and soft and locks of it fell to touch the tip of his long eyelashes. I wanted to reach out and brush them away but I didn't.

I gulped, listening to the sound of the rain and making myself as small as I could.

"Do you have any idea what you just put me through?" He half whispered.

I turned to look at him, at that moment, feeling my heart sinking in my chest as my expression softened. And I realised just how worried he must have been.

"Percy, I'm sorry." I apologised softly. "I never should have gone behind your back. It was wrong and I feel terrible."

I hadn't realised my eyes were blurring up until now. I hated upsetting him.

"Please forgive me." I whispered.

The sadness in my tone made him look at me and I watched his eyes soften. He gently reached up to take my cheek and brush a single tear that had escaped from beneath my eye.

"I do." He whispered back. "I know you didn't do it to hurt me."

"Never." I frowned, shaking my head and sniffing away the tears.

He gave me a half smile and then dropped his hand to stare at his lap. His eyes were thoughtful but still somewhat sad.

I watched him carefully, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He fiddled with a loose piece of thread on his jacket to pass the time before finally speaking.

"Are you angry with me?" He asked weakly.

"What?" I frowned, utterly taken back. "No, of course not. Why would I—"

"Because I lied to you… I said I didn't do it." He couldn't bring himself to meet my eyes.

"You were just trying to protect me."

"I'm not very good at doing that." He said, his voice barely audible.

"Yes you are." I told him, gently taking his hand in both of mine and holding it close.

He gave me a small smile.

"I don't think you realise how safe you make me feel, Percy." I whispered.

That seemed to relax him a little. "Luke didn't say anything to make you hate me then?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "He tried his best. Told me you didn't love me."

His expression dropped. "What did you say?"

"I said that you did." I frowned as if it was obvious. "And that I loved you too and that we're happy together."

His eyes melted. "You said that?"

"I did." I whispered, smiling softly at him.

He gazed at me for a long time, taking in every detail of my eyes. It was consuming.

The trance was broken when he made a half smile, looking at his lap and out the window again.

"Did you find what you needed then…in there?" He asked.

I nodded slowly. He nodded too like he was pleased about that which I was grateful for. Even though he'd hated the idea of me going there alone, he was just glad that I was happy.

"I'll tell you everything." I assured him.

He smiled. "I suppose I should tell you everything too…"

Song Tribute: [I'll Be Good – Jaymes Young]

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"I want to." He cut me off. "And I'll be honest this time."

I melted on the spot.

"You were right, Beth, I should never have kept any secrets. I need to stop being so scared of what could hurt you and start realising what's actually hurting you." He paused, looking at me deeply. "And I do trust you, Wise Girl. I've always trusted you."

I smiled, feeling my cheeks flush as I lifted his hand to my lips and delicately placed a kiss to his soft skin. Then he reached up to trail his fingers through my hair just above my ear. The gesture made me shudder.

I leaned closer to him and he smiled, taking my face and slowly leaning down to press his lips to mine. His mouth opened to kiss me deeply but gently. I couldn't help but melt away in the softness of his arms.

"Should we find somewhere to eat together?" He whispered against my lips and my eyes fluttered open to look up at him.

"Mmm." I nodded slightly.

"What are you feeling?"

"Anything as long as it's with you." I murmured.

He flashed me a smile, touching my cheek for just a second before sitting back in his seat and starting the car.

I smiled blissfully, watching him drive for a little while because he looked so beautiful. Then I turned to look out the window and for a long time, I just watched the rain.

We soon found a glowing diner in the middle of nowhere and managed to huddle under the same umbrella to the doorway. It was pretty much empty when we got inside so it wasn't hard finding a booth.

Over a couple of burgers with fries and milkshakes, we confessed our sins. Everything we'd been holding inside from each other.

It was mostly him doing the talking and me doing the listening but whenever I had something to say he would sit there, across the table, giving me his full attention and not looking anywhere else.

But the things he said—the horrors he'd had to go through. Keeping off the grid—moving in the shadows and becoming nameless for weeks. All those sleepless nights in old motels, tracking people down to get information on his targets.

Having no choice but to carry a gun in his pocket and return to the life he'd tried so hard to escape from.

I couldn't help but shudder.

He spent a lot of time looking out the rain-soaked window or entranced by the motion of his straw swirling around the milkshake glass rather than at me. I could tell he wasn't at all proud of himself.

He'd never meant to cause so many bruises and tears. Never meant to start a fire.

For now, he wanted to be good. He wanted to love the world like he should.

"I'll be a better man today." He said softly but firmly.

So I reached across the table, now that he was finished explaining himself, and took his hand. "You already are."

He smiled as I begun to slowly trace over his palm. He watched me doing it with intent eyes.

A silence passed between us that was more peaceful than anything I'd ever felt before. I didn't know how long we'd been sitting here together, hours maybe, but it didn't matter.

I was so transfixed by the swirling motions of my index finger across his palm that I almost jumped when he spoke.

"I think I'm going to love you forever, Wise Girl." He whispered ever so softly.

It had come out of his mouth almost as an accident. Something he hadn't realised he was going to say until he actually said it.

I slowly looked up from his palm, blinking in shock. Hardly believing his words.

"You don't know that." I whispered back, a little sadly.

He looked at me for a moment. "Do you think you'll fall out of love with me?"

My heart palpitated in my chest, sending a trembling breath skidding across my lips.

"No."

He smiled gently at this. "How do you know?"

I opened my mouth to respond and then realised I couldn't. It was just such a natural thing for me to say that I just said it. I would always say it.

I smiled, figuring he'd caught me out on that. "I just do, Seaweed Brain."

He laughed softly. A little giggle that sounded almost too cute for his bad-boy persona but perfect for the little boy still in his heart.

"I'm gonna go get more fries." He said, sliding out of the booth as I nibbled on the last one. "Do you want anything?"

"Oh, could you get me some water, please?"

He nodded, leaving me to dwell over what he'd just told me. Does he really think he'll love me forever?

I smiled like a little girl snuggled up on the sofa watching The Princess Diaries. I could feel it as I touched my lips. A warm feeling spread down the back of my neck to my arms and the rest of my body.

I sniffed, tucking my hair back behind my ear and looking out the window at the few numbers of cars passing by.

Suddenly, I notice that it has stopped raining and I can see beyond the murkiness where a bright halo is peeping through the clouds. The blinding light shimmers across so much grey that it becomes almost white.

And for the first time all day, I can see the sun.

I can feel it's warmth on my skin. Feel it chasing away all the shadows and demons that have been dwelling amongst Percy and I for our entire lives.

And as the light dances across the window, casting shapes on the table, it feels like a dream.

"You okay?" Percy asks, suddenly sliding into the booth and I realise I've been staring rather wistfully for quite some time now.

I nod, smiling at him and taking the glass of water between my fingers. Then I'm lost in his eyes again and we're talking like we've never talked before. All previous events of today forgotten.

And oh how wonderful it all was.

Perhaps it could be like this forever…

~xXx~

Mmm, perhaps not.

Jokes!

Aaaw, aren't they just so adorable? I just wanna hug them and smoosh their liddle faces and—

*Ehem* sorry...

That's it for this week my lovelies. I hope you all liked the jail scene. It was surprisingly fun to write that whole bit about Annabeth driving and getting to the prison. There's just something about driving in the rain that I've always loved.

I figure most of you were expecting a whole dialogue scene of Percy confessing to Annabeth but I just didn't feel like that was right for the story. What Percy went through isn't really something that can be explained easily through dialogue so I feel like it's better to imagine their conversation through Annabeth thoughts.

Too much dialogue can be overcrowding. Besides, I quite like keeping the mystery :)

Of course, you can all ask questions about Percy's absence and what exactly he did, if you want. I'll answer them for you.

Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'll probably do some responses next time.

See you next week—hopefully! As you've probably noticed, I've been a bit unpredictable lately.

Have a wonderful week. I love you all!

Lots of love,

your girl,

AWG xx