When a guy tells a girl they need to talk, that flashes a red flag. Remembering when Luke asked me to talk, reminded me that that talk sealed his death. So I wasn't a fan of having talks with guys, especially ones I was dating. I would so much rather kiss or make out or whatever. Lips could be used in such better ways then talking. But Anti had asked if we could talk earlier today and I didn't want to postpone it any longer. I was not a patient girl, and I didn't feel like waiting to hear whatever he had to say.

I decided to let myself into the Poseidon Cabin. I looked over to Anti, who wasn't even dressed and had a smirk all ready for me as soon as I came in. My arms we're crossed though and I was ready for the serious conversation. I didn't want to mess this one up like I messed up Luke's conversation. But if Anti asked me to take over the world with him I didn't know what I would do.

Anti reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling me into the bed with him. He pressed my face into my hair, "Do we have to talk now?" he murmured

I sighed "Well," I giggled. Feeling Anti up close to me and softness of his bed made everything so perfect, and so right. "Technically no, but yes we should just talk now." I sighed as I laid with him. I just wanted to get whatever he had to tell me overwith so we could keep going on with everything. It kept dangling over my head and it was annoying.

He pulled back from my hair and met my eyes. It looked like he wanted to try and get out of this talk but he knew he shouldn't. That worried me a little. "Tess, baby, I'm leaving." He stated in an easy voice. As if he didn't know this would ruin me.

I paused, "What do you mean by leaving?" I started. Leaving could mean a lot of things, non of which I wanted. Maybe not talking right now was a good idea. I thought about what leaving would do to me, and I couldn't even take the thought in my mind. I was in shock.

I tried to turn away, avoid the conversation for now, but Anti gently squeezed my hand and he turned to face me again. "Last night Zeus contacted me. There's been an uprising in southern Antarctica and they need me to check it out."

"Well...can I come with you? Or can't you just not go?" I asked him beginning to feel a sick feeling in my stomach. If he was really leaving me, this was starting to feel like daja vu. "Anti you can't just all of the sudden leave me." I protested, I was desperate to save this. Save what we have. Save the heartbreak I was going to face.

My grip tightened on him, and one of my nails chipped. I didn't mean to grip him so hard, I was just in a storm of feelings. "Tess I'm sorry.. I'll be gone for a few months..."

"Months?" I started to tear up but kept myself from crying "Anti you and I just started dating and now your just leaving for a few months on some stupid trip? Do you know what your doing to me!"

"Tess, it's my job. I can't say no!"

I knew I was squeezing him tight in anger and suddenly let go and crossed my arms. "Why not! I say no all of the time! My boyfriend died Anti, Luke died! And now I finally get another boyfriend and your just going to leave me? How am I supposed to feel about that?"

Anti braced against my anger, "It's not my FAULT Tess! Yell at your mom, or Zeus, or something!"

"Trust me I will yell at them later, but right now I'm yelling at you! Its not like there was no way for you to say no! You couldve turned it down if you wanted too!" My heart was breaking, another boy was leaving me and not putting up any fight to stay.

"Do you really think I WANT to go to ANTARCTICA and FIGHT MAGIC PENGUINS?!"

"Really? IF all their doing is sending you out to fight penguins then your WASTING YOUR TIME!" Lets be real, this whole penguin thing was bulls**t. Zeus could go fight is damn penguins himself.

"THEY'RE MAGICALLY ENHANCED OR SOMETHING!"

"THAT SOUNDS MAGICALLY STUPID"

"IT IS MAGICALLY STUPID!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR TIME AND GOING?"

"I DON'T HAVE A Choice,

"You ALWAYS have a choice"

"Always?" Anti asked, his voice dangerously low, "did you have a choice when Luke died?"

"Don't bring Luke into this" I whispered, feeling hurt that he even mentioned it. Feeling hurt he was leaving. Feeling hurt that the pain of Luke was coming back and hitting me twice as hard.

"Don't make me." Anti whispered back, "How do you think it feels to be dating a girl who loves her dead ex-boyfriend more than he loves me?" He asked bitterly

A tear ran down my cheek, that was pretty harsh. "How do you think it feels to have a boyfriend that commited suiside infront of you? I'm trying to move on from Luke ,Anti you know its hard for me. But your acting like I don't love you at all. I do. But your being insensitive to me trying to move on after Luke's death." I said back barley above a whisper.

I looked down, not meeting his eyes. "I should've known better, Tess. Nobody wants to be the rebound, and believe it yourself or not, that's what I am."

swallowed "Maybe you are my rebound but right now your what I need. I need you Anti. I really am trying to forget Luke I promise, and I'm 100% with you now. I just need you to help me get back to where I was." 100% was what I said when I signed Luke's death sentence. I said I was with him in this. 100% Lost me Luke and now its loosing me Anti.

"I'm sorry Tess.. But I have to go. I leave tomorrow afternoon."

I took a deep breath, it was like every boy I thought I loved wanted to leave me. "Fine, leave. Just do what Luke did and abandon me." It was a harsh accusation, but Anti deserved it.

He forced her to look at him, "If I can't bring him up, neither can you."

"Well you brought him up already so I guess I'm bringing him up. Luke left me broken and your doing the same."

"That's not fair, Tess. It's not the same and you know it."

"Its exactly the same. Both of you are leaving me to do some hero crap and not thinking twice about how I feel about it"

Anti sighed slowly and I crossed my arms "You know I'm right don't pretend like i'm the bad guy here." I said back no longer in the mood to even want to talk to him. What kind of d**k brakes up with his girlfriend after her boyfriend died a few months ago? And how was I the one who was wrong in this situation.

"You know this doesn't have to be goodbye... If you were really commented to us you would wait for me."

I paused, because he was right. "If you were really committed you would find a way out of this. Your creative. Have your mom yell at Zeus." His mom was pretty mean, and could get Zeus rilled up for sure.

"Now you're just trying to get of it.."

"No Im not, I'm just not letting you pin this all on me. Your the one abandoning ship not me"

"I'm jumping to a new ship, maybe, but your refusing to let go of the old, even though it's sinking. Come on, say you'll come with me. Promise to wait for me."

I took a deep breath, unsure if that was what I even wanted. "3 months is a while, what if I get a new boyfriend while your gone?" I asked, knowing I wasn't one to stay single. There were too many guys out there, and I was too pretty. I didn't have strong will power when it came to not cheating.

"Then I guess I never meant much to you anyway." I sighed slowly, and Anti did too.

"You do mean a lot to me, really. But you know how I am with the word promise. I don't like to trust anyone...I don't even trust myself anymore Ant." It was true. I caused the death of my boyfriend. And now I was letting this one get away too. How come everything I love slowly leaves me?

"Then I guess tomorrow is goodbye."

I sighed "Sorta, I mean maybe when you come back we can get back together and all. But I don't want to promise anything while your gone"

Anti smiled slightly and shook his head; "I don't think so, Tess. If you're not here for me, there's no reason to come back."

I sighed, not sure what I was going to do without him. He wasn't Luke but there was no one else I could picture myself with. "I mean..." I started "I don't know I have to think"

He pulled her close and kissed the top of my head. "If you wanted to be with me, you'd know."

"But your the only other person I see myself with" I said leaning into him

"Your perfect Tess, find someone."

"Im not perfect, I thought I was but Im not" I admited, but I knew everything he was saying was right. There was someone for me somewhere and I didn't think he was that someone. I thought Luke was that someone, and now I would have to go to plan C. But admitting I wasn't perfect was a step for me, because up until this year I honestly believed I was like the personification of perfection. I was stunning, smart, funny, charming. But somehow even the perfect ones get knocked down a few pegs.

"You'll find someone." He reassured. I wanted to take that to heart, but I couldn't. Twice now I was abandoned by someone I loved. I really couldn't believe in it anymore, I just couldn't. I was a daughter of Aphrodite who was resenting love.

I took a sigh, getting up from his grasp. "I should go now." I decided looking at my now ex-boyfriend. It hurt in my mind that Anti was added to the list of my exes, but he was an ex now.

He let my hand go as I stood up. "Say goodbye to me before I leave tomorrow?"

I bit my lip, I hated goodbyes. "Maybe. If I can," But I didn't think my heart could take it. Luke never had a proper goodbye and I wasn't sure Anti deserved one either.

Anti nodded at me, but instantly I went back and gave him a hug, not wanting to let go but knowing I would have to eventually. He held me tightly, patiently waiting for me to pull back. I closed my eyes, counted to ten. Ten reasons my heart was broken, and hence stopped beating.

1. I love you

2. I know its not the same

3. It will never be the same

4. That love was too good to be true

5. Your leaving me

6. Its not your fault

7. I'm lonely now

8. Not because you left

9. Because now I have no one else

10. And I still love you

Then I let go. "Ok now I really am going to go." I said to him with a sigh ,"See ya Anti"

"See ya, Tess."

It wasn't a dramatic goodbye. It wasn't tear-filled and crying and hugging. But it was reality. So I left the Poseidon cabin like I came, with my head held high and my shirt cut low.