For the remainder of the week, the exact same thing happened everyday. Thalia would agree to plans with Percy and Annabeth, then would go off with someone else to an unknown location last second and leave them alone, together.

Honestly, it kind of hurt Annabeth's feelings. Thalia's words kept replaying in her mind, this is our summer. She'd been so worried about Annabeth and Percy not being together so she wouldn't be left alone, but here she was doing the exact thing to Annabeth.

Percy nudged her with his shoulder. They were having a beach day, which had originally been planned including Thalia, but she had, of course, ditched them. Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about her friend, and the theory that had been growing inside of her since all of this started.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She didn't look at him. She had taken a peek a few minutes prior, and with his arms behind him to hold him up, his muscles were flexed. Annabeth liked to live, so she looked away to save herself the embarrassment of checking him out. Instead, she turned and watched the ocean as a wave crashed on the shore with a satisfying WOOSH. 

"I think Thalia has a boyfriend," she said, finally turning to look at his face. Percy frowned.

"Weird, I was thinking the same thing."

"I mean, remember that day at the movies when we called her and she was talking to someone? And why else would she constantly be leaving us alone when she wants us to stay far, far away from each other? I'm just kind of hurt that she wouldn't tell me..." Annabeth reasoned.

"Maybe she knows you won't like him," Percy suggested.

"That's ridiculous," she argued, "if he makes Thalia happy, then why wouldn't I? She's my best friend." Percy sighed.

"Well, there's always exceptions." He shifted so his legs were crossed and he was facing her. "Like, for example, she told you she wouldn't like it if we dated. Not saying you would want to..." Annabeth felt hope flutter in her chest, but also guilt. Thalia would hate this. She didn't want this. Percy glanced at her with such a soft look in his eyes that she wanted to melt. You know what, Annabeth thought, fuck it. Thalia's never here with us, anymore. What did she expect?

Percy was looking down at his hands and his eyelashes were so long that he looked like an adorable little kid who had just gotten in trouble. The sun beat down on him making his black hair look almost blue. Annabeth wanted to kiss him. She wanted to be with him. Fuck all those stupid summer romance novels. She was sure that she was meant to find Percy, no matter how.

She put her hand under his chin, lifting it up so he would look at her. His eyebrows were furrowed and his gaze was worried but intense.

"Fuck what she wants," Annabeth whispered. Percy gulped. They sat in silence for a few seconds before he leaned in, stopping just short of her lips to look at her one more time in a questioning matter. She was going to kiss him, she really was, but she got the sudden feeling that someone was watching her. She turned, and yeah, there were other people on the beach, but no one familiar was in sight.

"You felt it too?" Percy asked suddenly, and Annabeth nodded. They looked around, both secretly afraid of finding Thalia. When they were sure no one was watching, they sat in the sand awkwardly. The moment was definitely over, and she felt kind of ashamed that they'd even gotten close to kissing.

"So," Annabeth said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ice cream?" And then everything turned back to normal again, and although Percy held her hand for the rest of the day, they did nothing to acknowledge the almost-kiss, and they definitely did nothing to acknowledge the electricity they both felt when they were together.

She still wondered about Thalia, though. Who could she be with? Why wouldn't she tell her closest friend about it? But she also thought that maybe she was being hypocritical, because after all, wasn't she kind of doing the same exact thing? Annabeth refused to think that. Percy and her were just friends, with established boundaries due to a person they were both very close to.

But every time she looked down at the hand Percy was holding, she would smile and look up to find him staring at her with a twinkle in his eyes and a small smile on his face that she knew she couldn't ignore for much longer. 

the last chapter was long so here's a short one :) hope you guys liked it, if you did, leave a vote 

-reyna