Warning: cursings

Chapter 2

ANNABETH

As soon as she was out from the 'meeting' with the co-head of the project, which coincidentally was her ex-slash soulmate, Percy, Annabeth took out her phone and speed-dialed Reyna. She's now walking down the street and trying not to look like she's too frazzled with the situation. Which was saying a lot, because she was beyond frazzled.

She wanted to scream at the Fates, at Percy, at her soul marks. She wanted to rage, to let go of this feeling of being played at. Because that's what she thought was happening to her. The Fates were playing a crooked prank on her, just as she thought her life was getting better, by throwing that one guy who started it all. Of all the billions of people, it had to be him.

Just her luck.

When the line finally connected, Annabeth wasted no time for hellos.

"Emergency meet-up now."

"What?" Reyna's voice sounded gruff like she just woke up from a nap. "Annabeth?"

"Emergency meet-up now," she repeated. She took a glance at her watch, noting that it was 12 minutes past five. Which explained why her friend sounded sleepy. "Think you can come to Nancy's within 20?"

Reyna laughed. "No, unless you tell me what's happening that you have to wake me at my scheduled daily naps."

Annabeth took a deep breath and counted her 10's until she knew she was calm. "I just need to talk to you about something. It's emergency."

There was a brief silence, then an echo of an exhale.

"Alright, alright, you got it, Chase."

"Thanks, Reyna. Really."

"Yes, yes. The next time you do this, you won't get away without an earful," Reyna muttered, and then the line dropped.

Annabeth took the phone back to her purse.

...

"Okay. Spill," Reyna said after taking a long sip of her wine. "What's up?"

Annabeth kept on fiddling on the table napkins, her mind unable to focus without going back to the situation earlier. "The Fates fucked up."

"That's pretty vague."

"Oh yeah, vague alright," Annabeth huffed. "Like sending me my soul mate for some vague reason back."

"Hmm," Reyna hummed, contemplating. "You mean the dark-haired hunk?"

"Percy."

"Oh yes, I know his name." The Latina smirked at her. "You didn't deny he was a hunk though."

Annabeth groaned, her head falling on her hands. "God, I thought we were past this."

"You thought. I know you didn't."

"I'm the friend. A little support here please," the blonde said.

Reyna finished her glass of wine and smiled sadly at her friend. "I would, you know. But you've got to admit what you did to him was pretty harsh."

Annabeth avoided her eyes and stared at the window instead. "I know. I broke him, and I'll never forgive myself for that."

"So I don't know why you're—"

"It just can't happen, okay? We were not meant for each other. End of story."

"Annabeth..."

She fixed Reyna with her best glare that signified the end of the conversation. Normally, Annabeth knew that Reyna would not let her get past this topic without talking, but something must have held her back.

Reyna shook her head and shrugged. "Okay, what did you call me for?"

"I just—I need someone to tell. And I feel like I'm gonna freak out, but I don't know why. It's like every plan I had laid out on the table all flew away when he came and stepped into the office. I can't—I don't know what to do," Annabeth said in a rush.

She could feel her pulse steadying, and the running thrum in her veins being reduced to dull singing. She hadn't known that she was so tense before: like her mind and body had stopped functioning properly when she saw him. Like she let go of herself.

But then the sudden tingling feeling burning on the top of her spine she felt earlier reminded her of a feeling she hadn't quite learned to let go. And she didn't know how.

"Breathe, Annabeth. Breathe," Reyna whispered while holding both of her hands. She then realized she was shaking.

"Relax, take it easy." Reyna leaned forward and stared at her eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

"I—I don't know." Annabeth shook her head. "I honestly don't know."

"You have to know why Annabeth. Why are you freaking out?"

"I'm not ready to face him. It's just I didn't think I'll see him again. And I have resolved myself to forget everything, and all of a sudden, he comes back."

"I know how you like your plans, but you have to remember that not everything goes your way." Reyna folded her arms on the table. "Sometimes you got to accept what life throws at your way because you have to."

"And so what if he's back? If you're freaking out then he'll most likely be out of his mind," Reyna exclaimed. "You're the strongest person I know. You can take on that hunk of a man."

"I don't think he will," Annabeth muttered quietly.

"What?"

"Be out of his mind. He's the most laidback man I'd ever known."

Reyna let out a full blown laughter. "And look at you, the Annabeth Chase who is always so calm and collected, freaking out over a guy. I think he'll make an exception."

"Like that is supposed to make me feel better."

"Can I ask you one last question though?"

"Ask away."

"Are you afraid of what he'll do, now that he's back?"

"No, no. God, no." Annabeth took a deep breath and touched the mark on top her spine. It still tingled under her touch, albeit not as strong as before, but it's tingling and sending shivers down her blood. She didn't know what would happen if she stayed with him longer. She didn't even want to entertain the possibility. "I'm more afraid of what would happen to myself."

Reyna looked at her with a perplexed expression. "What do you mean?"

"I mean—"Annabeth gestured wildly with her arms, "—he's my soulmate."

"And so what?"

"I'm just afraid he will—I mean, we're soulmates and we used to be together so—" she rambled on, her words getting mixed up and jumbled together like a disarrayed puzzle.

"You're afraid he's going to develop feelings for you again?" Reyna asked, quietly.

"No. Yes. Maybe," Annabeth's shoulders slump in defeat, her eyes catching on her soul mark's reflection on the cafe window. "But I'm more afraid if it happens the other way around."

In front of her, Reyna's eyes widen. "Oh, girl."

...

Without looking up from her phone, Annabeth quickly entered the empty elevator in her new project's building. She was hoping to get a few things done before she could mentally prepare herself for working with Percy. In the back of her mind, she didn't mean to think so rudely, but it's just a means of...self-precaution before she could actually end messing up her work because she was thinking of ways on how to interact with him without being totally awkward.

Once the doors started to close, she then briefly looked up to press her floor number when she noticed that it was already pressed. Whirling her head back, her eyes landed on a figure slouched on the corner of the elevator, his eyes bright and seemed to be grinning at her.

"Percy."

He tipped his head at her. "Annabeth." She turned back to her phone, trying to resume what she was reading but found that she could no longer concentrate now that her mind registered that she's alone in a closed space with him.

The rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence before he spoke up. "Hey. Are you busy?"

For a moment, her heart stopped and her mind quickly froze over. She knew she should probably stop putting two meanings behind his words, but it just so happens that he sounded like he's gonna ask her out or something.

Annabeth knew that it's too early for her to be thinking like this, but she couldn't exactly rely on her thoughts when it came to him.

"Yes," she blurted out. And before he could say something else, she added. "I'm very busy."

Percy nodded his head. "Figured. You can't seem to take your eyes away from your phone."

Ah, so he wasn't gonna ask her out.

"Ah, well yes." Annabeth glanced back at him. "Is that all?"

"Were you thinking of something else?"

Her cheeks started to flush for even assuming so much, and she had to face the doors to hide her blushing face from his sight.

"No," she gritted out. "Ah, I just wanted to apologize again for my behavior yesterday. It was entirely unprofessional to ambush you like that."

He shook his head. "No worries. It was probably overwhelming to have your guilty secret coming back at you."

Annabeth quickly turned back to him, her eyes hard. "Excuse me?"

"What?" Percy barked. He stepped closer to her, his form towering over her and his eyes blazing. "Isn't it true that I'm that guilty secret from your past that you want to hide away from? So others would not know about your true colors?"

She couldn't remember moving closer to him, and raising her hand, but she did hear and remember the resounding slap on his cheek once her palm had connected with it.

His eyes looked taken aback and still angry, but underneath those were the hues of guilt reflected on his irises.

Fuck being civil. Fuck trying not to be awkward. If he's going to be a jerk, then she'll be the meanest bitch he could ever hope for.

"Fuck you, Jackson."

a/n: hi so i'm back again with another chapter after long months of being inactive. Sorry for this percabeth fight but it has to happen (and many more in the future). I really don't like writing them OOC but whatever, i hope they're not too OOC

don't forget to leave a review if you liked this chapter (or story). They really make me happy

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