Disclaimer: I do not Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any of Taylor Swift's music.

I just want to start off saying how sorry I am for keeping you all waiting. I recently took a vacation, and, unfortunately, there was no internet access. I also want to say that my iPod has a thing for Taylor Swift... this is, what, my third songfic based on her music? Oh well... I guess it's my fault for having two albums worth of her on my iPod. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Song: Breathe

Artist: Taylor Swift

(Percy POV)

The only thing I see in my mind as I drive away is her face. In the rearview mirror, the vast land envelops her perfect features and swallows her, forever taking her away from my grasp. Tears in my eyes, I focus on the road, focus on getting back to my home in one piece. But I know I'm already broken. Broken like glass, broken like wood… It's no use trying to deny she hurt me. I never thought we would end that way, end like she didn't care. She said she changed her mind and lost her feelings for me. She said she was sorry. She said I had to go. She said a lot of things, but I still love her.

In the pit of my stomach, something cold and agonizing takes up residence and grows, spreading to my heart. Misery. It reaches my lungs, and my breath is taken from my mouth. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

I can't take it anymore. I pull over onto the shoulder and lean my head against the steering wheel, wishing I could just curl up and die, right there. The pain is awful. I think of how she said she loved me, and for a moment, I'm lost in that memory. For just a minute, I cling onto the sound of velvety voice whispering my three favorite words, I love you, but a minute goes by fast. Soon, the sound dissipates with howling wind outside and I've lost her. Again.

I turn on the radio; maybe some music will alleviate the pain. But as I soon as I switch it on, the saddest song I've even heard floats out of the speakers; it's a slow, miserable ballad sung in a dismal voice. It's the exact kind of song you'd expect to hear at the end of a sad movie, one that ends so terribly tragic that it leaves you sulking and glum the rest of the day. It seems so perfect for the situation that it brings tears to my eyes. At least the singer was strong enough to write down his despair and profit from it, while all I want to do is curl up in my bed and curse the world.

And that's exactly what I do. I turn back onto the main road and speed back home, my speedometer never dipping below eighty. It's risky to drive so fast, especially on the highway, but I almost invite a police officer to stop me. I don't care right now. He could send me to prison and have me shackled for the rest of my life, and I'd be less miserable than I am now.

But, of course, no police officer comes forward. I'm almost disappointed when I reach home scotch-free. I glumly climb out of the car and unlock the door. I step inside my house, and the sense of ordinariness and tidiness makes me long for her. Her house was always delightfully messy; lived-in.

I see it's close to midnight. I drop my keys on a table, and climb into my bed. It is cold and empty without her body to provide warmth. I kick off my shoes and fall into a fitful sleep, only to wake up two hours later, screaming her name. I clutch the empty covers and cry into my pillow. I can't breathe. It's impossible without her here.

I knew her so well, like the back of my hand, even. The way she would brush her curly, blonde hair when she was nervous or anxious. The way her gray eyes would flit around when something appeared out of place or odd. The way her face lit up when I leaned down and kissed her…

I realize I'm not breathing. I take deep breaths and try to focus on the moonlight spilling in from the window but it only reminds me of her beauty…

I can't breathe without her. I know I have to, but I don't know how to breathe without her heartbeat paces away. Now miles have separated us. Every moment she's gone is another part of me that has died. I can't take it. I need her back.

I hope she knows it's not easy for me. Sure, I lost a girlfriend, but I also lost a best friend. These kinds of things are never simple, never easy. A clean break is always too much to ask for. I still love her too much to give her up.

So I won't. I decide, then and there, I won't give up. Never. I slide out of my empty bed and slip on my shoes and some fresher clothes. I dash through the darkness and grab my keys. I unlock the door and find the biggest surprise of my life.

There, poised at my door, her eyes red and her hair a mess, standing under the fading moonlight like my savior angel, is her. Annabeth.

I'm shocked, because I never thought she'd come to me. But here she is.

"I'm so sorry—" She starts, but I've already smothered her words with my lips.