IM BA-ACK!

I'm sowwy I didn't update. I was on vacation. I actually had to go through the chapters and read them again 'cuz I forgot what I wrote before.

So, excuse anything in this chapter that contradicts anything in previous chapters. I'm just stupid.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed so far!

Annabeth was… confused. Majorly confused. She'd never had so many questions she couldn't find answers to in her entire life. The talk she had with Ryan and Percy had only left her baffled. Even more than before, if that was possible. She was tired of live T.V already. She was exasperated with the whole Percy-and-Ryan situation. Her feet hurt from the high-heeled shoes. She was tired of sitting up straight. She would much rather be in her P.J's, eating ice cream and watching Suits.

Ignoring all the men that called after her when she resurfaced, she ran straight for the bathroom.

She fished a drachma and spray bottle out of her bag.

"Hello?" Thalia said, when she finally noticed Annabeth through the Iris message. "Aren't you supposed to be shooting for the show right now?"

"Thalia…"

And before she knew it, Annabeth was crying.

"… and Percy was there, and Ryan, and I don't know why, and they say they didn't know I was gonna be there, and... and..." she said. "I was finally getting over him." She said, before bursting into tears again.

Thalia, who had been silent for a very long time, finally said "Sweetie, I know, but crying isn't going to get you anywhere. Wipe your face."

Annabeth (still sobbing,) nodded and proceeded to wipe her face with a tissue.

"But what do you think I should do?" Annabeth asked, after she calmed herself down.

"Attack Ryan."

"What?"

"You heard me. Attack Ryan."

"But, why?"

"What they're feeding you is a load of horseshit. You're not going to get anything out of Percy, what with the way he's acting. Don't take no for an answer." Thalia said.

Annabeth felt relieved that she had finally resolved to something, but that was quickly replaced with suspicion.

"How did you come up with a plan so quickly? And why won't I get anything out of Percy?" She asked, slowly.

"Because I know my cousin!" Thalia tried to sound frustrated, but that couldn't quite mask the guilt on her face.

"Thalia, did you know anything about Percy being here?" Annabeth said, raising her voice a little.

"No! Why would I?"

"Did you know anything about this, and did you not tell me?" She half-shouted.

"Uh… gotta go. Bye!" Thalia waved her hand through the Iris Message, breaking the connection.

Why did Annabeth feel like everyone was keeping something from her?

Anyway, she was going to follow Thalia's advice and grill Ryan until she found answers, because… well…

Because she had no other plan.

"What the hell was that?" Ryan said, right after Annabeth left.

"What? I didn't say anything to Annabeth."

"No, I mean, what the hell are you doing? When you said you wanted to get yourself kicked of the show, I thought you were just going to be a little passive aggressive, not be a massive jerk to everyone."

"Look, I'll do whatever it takes to just get off as soon as possible, okay? Whether that's being passive aggressive or ruining everyone's night." Percy replied.

"I'm not buying that. Why are you so desperate to get off the show?"

"Why do you care? One person off is another step closer for you."

"Is that what you think of me? I still love Annabeth and if it means I have to let her go, then so be it. I wanted to be on this show just in case I didn't have to."

Percy snorted. "Yeah, that's why you cheated on her thrice."

Ryan's look turned into one of rage. "Don't talk to me like that. You don't know anything about that, man."

"Oh, so there's more? I know you cheated on her, isn't that enough?"

"You know, maybe you're not pretending. Maybe you are an asshole."

"I'm not an asshole." Percy mumbled.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Look, I still might have feelings for Annabeth and I think I always will, and like you, I'm willing to let her go for a better man, but unlike you, I'm sure I'm not the one for her."

"Why do you think that?" Ryan said quietly.

"First off: I will never be her first option. You proved that a decade ago. Second, we haven't talked in years and I think that if she wanted me again, she would have called. Thirdly: I don't, and will never trust her."

"Why? Trust her with what?"

"You know what."

"I want to hear you say it." said Ryan, trying not to laugh.

"Ngonnatrusteriwithmyhart" Percy mumbled quickly.

"I didn't hear you! )" Ryan said in a sing-song voice.

Percy huffed. "This is going to sound so cheesy and chick-flick-y, but yeah, I'm never going to trust her with my heart."

Ryan burst out laughing. Percy tried to look angry.

"Trust. Her. With. Your. Heart." Ryan gasped, between laughs.

"It's not funny!" Percy said, even though he knew perfectly well that it was.

"Oh, yes it is. Trust her with my heart? Are you sure you're a guy?"

"Shut up. Why did I even bother talking to you." Percy said, getting up and trying to walk towards the beach house. Ryan stood up in front of him.

"In all seriousness, I don't get those reasons. Annabeth still likes you."

"Oh, sure." Percy huffed again.

"If you were any other guy, she would have sent you off the show before you'd even finished talking because of what you said to her. Why do you think she didn't?"

"Because she's nice?"

"Because she still likes you. She's more interested in you than she is in Todd, Adam or Sean. Or even me." He added quietly.

"When did you become such a love expert?"

"Since I realized what a jerk I was in college."

"Why did you cheat on her, anyway? If I don't know the whole story?" Percy remembered.

"Oh, I'll save that story for another day, bro. Just know that I wasn't as much of a jerk as you thought I was." said Ryan, getting up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To go talk to Annabeth. Tell her the truth."

He walked away, and Percy didn't stop him. He sat on the sand and sat there for a while, listening to the sound of the sea and trying to get advice from his father. He didn't get any, but when he got up, he had a completely clear mind.

Ryan saw Annabeth at precisely the same moment that she saw him. She was talking to Sean when she locked eyes with him and politely excused herself. She walked over to Ryan yet again.

"You have even more explaining to do. Without Percy this time."

"Why?"

"Because what you said was bullshit, wasn't it?"

"Most of it, yeah." Ryan admitted.

"Why did you lie?"

"Percy didn't want me to tell you the truth."

"Why does he want you to now? And why doesn't he just stop playing games and tell me himself?" Annabeth said angrily.

"Because he's scared."

"Of what? Getting his butt kicked?"

"Scared to admit that he still likes you." Ryan said quietly.

"Bullshit." Annabeth said, after a few seconds of silence. And yes, in those few seconds, a part of her brain (the stupid part, apparently) triumphed. Untill she came to her senses.

"He went on the show to forget about you, which he still hasn't done."

"Bullshit." Oh God. This was going horribly. Annabeth wanted to have a cool, level-headed discussion with Ryan. She didn't even know why she was so angry. Maybe it was because Percy didn't have the courage to talk to her himself. Maybe it was Ryan sitting here and talking about another guy liking her after breaking her heart years ago. Maybe it was PMS.

"I'm telling you the truth!"

"Bullshit."

"Okay, look, Percy hasn't stopped liking you. He went on this show to get over you because he felt certain that you didn't like him back because you've ignored him all this time. He comes here, finds out that you're the Bachelorette and tries to get himself kicked off the show because he thinks you'll hurt him again." Ryan said in one breath, before Annabeth could get one word in.

"What about you, huh? What backstory have you come up with for yourself? Did you not know that I was going to be here , too?" Annabeth said sarcastically.

Ryan hesitated.

"Answer. The. Question."

"Well, I came because,"

"Because?"

"Because I'm still in love with you, too."

Annabeth slapped Ryan.

"You're still in love with me? That's bullshit too."

"It's the truth."

"It's the truth? IT'S THE TRUTH? You are insufferable." Annabeth said, starting to cry again. "You cheat on me thrice, don't bother to check on me for the better part of a decade, and you expect to just waltz in here and take me back?"

"The cheating wasn't my faul-"

"It wasn't your fault? Bullshit."

She slapped him again.

"Just hear me out for a second, please?"

"Why should I? You're a jerk, a liar, and, what's more, you're not even sorry."

"I am sorry!"

"Bullshit."

Annabeth walked away, her eyes full of tears. She hid behind the shack and let them fall. She didn't call Thalia, or Juniper, or Rachel or anyone, because no one would be able to comfort her right now.

Well, only one person would be able to. And that person wanted to forget about her.

She sat there for the rest of the night, reading her favourite architecture book (that she hid behind the bushes in case she got really bored) to get her mind off everything. She knew that the guys would wonder where she was. It wasn't their fault her life was screwed up. She knew she was being a selfish and terrible host.

But she also knew that everything that Ryan said was true. And she hated it. And she thought she deserved one night of peace.

Well, untill the first Rose Ceremony, at least.

Review, 'cuz it makes me happy.