Annabeth never imagined it to be this hard. Sure, her pride always got in the way and she never seemed to be able to finish an apology even if she'd mustered enough courage to start one, but then she never thought just admitting her mistake would be this difficult.
She had made a mistake, yes. Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, had made a huge mistake.
She didn't trust Percy.
All these years, all the fights, everything, they had had each others back, and then she had trusted him with her fucking life.
*Flashback*
"Wise girl? I'm home!" the raven haired boy exclaimed. It was around midnight, he had too much work at camp after school, and then he just happened to have a "friendly" face-off with two hell-hounds. Percy did not escape unscathed, but you should've seen the other guy; in this case two hell-hounds.
Percy had been coming home late from work for quite some time now, and Annabeth had her suspicions, being as insecure as she is, always putting the brain before the heart.
That evening she had rung Rachel, and she had been absolutely breathless, and denied Percy's presence in her apartment with unusual spontaneity.
And that had done it.
So now that Percy was finally home, instead of a warm and/or concerned welcome from the only love of his life, he got a cold stare.
"Where have you been, Perseus?"
Percy sighed. Full name, trouble.
"I, uh, camp, special errands, hell-hound, late...?"
Annabeth turned around wordlessly and made her way through the corridor to their bedroom and shut the door.
On the couch with a back-ache. Just what I deserve.
Percy knew he had it coming, but his late returns were not exactly in his hands.
He laid on the couch and drifted to sleep, grasping whatever little of it he could get after another hour of scrounging through the kitchen to help himself to a dinner. Barely.
Next morning as Annabeth walked out into he living room, she noticed Percy sprawled on the sofa. It was a Saturday, enough time for her to get things straight with the oblivious boy on the couch.
By the time Percy woke up, it was 10 am. Annabeth was already on her second cup of coffee.
"Good Morning?"
"What keeps you at work? And be careful with the answer, whatever it is I know that Rachel knows and it is something fishy."
"Wha-- wise girl, what are you saying?"
"Annabeth. It's Annabeth. Tell me who you are seeing because it is better than lying"
"What are you talking about? Why would I-"
Annabeth said nothing as she turned around, grabbed the car keys from the table and stormed out of the house, leaving Percy in utter confusion.
Did she really think that he has been cheating on her?
She's ridiculous. I return late for a few days and I'm suddenly a cheater?
It was Percy's turn to be mad. He really thought they trusted each other completely after all the wars and multiple successful attempts of saving each others arses.
At this point, all the guilty feelings were gone and all Percy felt was plain anger. The girl he trusted had just told him- implied that he wasn't an honest man. The love of his life, the one whom he was planning to propose had walked out of their shared apartment based on assumed facts and had not given him even a moment to explain.
Just what he needed.
He made himself a cup of coffee and checked his phone for any calls. But there were none. Just a few texts from his mom which he replied to before switching off that ridiculous device again.
Percy dragged himself into the bedroom and sat on the floor thinking,
From when had things become to really fall apart?
He did not have an answer.
*present*
Annabeth was sitting in Starbucks which was an hours drive from home.
Home.
Home was never a place to her. Home had meant Perseus Jackson to her for seven years straight. Yet now here she was, sitting in Starbucks sipping on her Frappuccino and typing away on her laptop still finishing work.
After the one our drive and a good one hour phone call with Piper, she realised maybe deserved a chance at explanation.
She tried his phone, she texted, but no replies and his phone was unreachable.
After around five missed calls, Annabeth started worrying. She had flooded his inbox with texts asking him to call back. No reply.
He has a right to be mad, doesn't he?
She tried again.
- Percy?
- Hey, are you okay?
- Perce, answer the phone, we need to talk.
- Percy, please.
In vain. No replies.
After 10 more minutes, there was a ping
Annabeth immediately checked her phone.
There was one text from Percy. She opened it.
- I'm okay, if you still care. But no mood to talk. Come home if you feel like it. No point talking since you have already made assumptions.
While Annabeth was still looking at the text, trying to read his soul between the lines, there was another text.
- You would not believe if I told you you're the only person I love, you know everything, why would you want to listen?
Before she could read it a second time, it vanished. He had deleted the text.