The Party

Percy POV

"Percy, what exactly are you showing me?" Annabeth asked. Her hands took the camera and analyzed the make and model.

"I can't say anything, but you can figure it out," I said weakly.

The lumps of emotion in my throat made it hard to speak. I wanted to tell her everything, but I couldn't. Annabeth finding out is different than me telling her. If I tell her, Posideon can use that against me. However, if I simply show her the camera, it doesn't mean anything.

I wanted to say something to emphasize that point.

"I'm only showing you this camera because I want you to have a private office. You worked hard to become the boss, so you deserve to know that someone's spying on you. This has nothing to do with you and me," I added.

Annabeth looked at me fondly. While I was speaking, my head was shaking. Essentially, my mouth was saying one thing while my body was saying something else.

"So, that's the only reason why you came here?" she asked.

"Yes. That's all," I replied.

Maybe, Annabeth needed some time to process all the information, but I knew that she would figure this out. She was too smart not to.

I slowly walked out of the office. I walked backward because I wanted to gaze at Annabaeth for as long as possible. I wasn't even sure if Octavian had more than one spy camera. For all I knew, there could be multiple cameras in the room. The thought of many spy cameras made me feel immensely insecure and scared.

However, Annabeth would probably search her entire room for more. And, she would get to the bottom of who's spying on her.

The elevator ride down was too quick.

I was walking in the parking lot when I received a phone call. My eyes bugged out of my head as I stared at Annabeth's name on my phone.

"Hey, Annabeth. I told you that-"

"Meet me at the Friends cafe. I want to talk to you," she instructed.

Her tone made it clear that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. I agreed to her request before starting to drive to the cafe a few minutes away.

Annabeth arrived after a few minutes. I already ordered our favorite coffees, and the barista brought them over for us. Annabeth sat across from me with a neutral expression. We sat quietly while drinking our coffee.

"So, you wanted to meet me here," I acknowledged.

"I understand that you can't tell me anything. However, can you nod or shake your head after I ask the questions?" Annabeth surmised. I nodded with a smile.

"Okay. First question: are you being forced to date Rachel? Or, better yet, were you forced to leave me?" she asked firmly.

My breath caught in my chest, and I nodded.

Her gray eyes sparkled intently. She took another sip of her hot coffee before leaning forward on the table. Her hands were a few inches from my own.

"Do I have something to do with the pressure that Poseidon is putting on you?"

I nodded again.

"Did the cameras capture pictures of us together? Are they blackmailing you with my company and reputation on the line?"

I didn't want to answer that one. To be honest, I don't want Annabeth to blame herself for this. I decided to protect her. It wasn't her fault. If anything, it was Poseidon's, Octavian's, Mr. Dare's, and Athena's faults.

Regardless, I nodded in response.

Annabeth was so smart. She figured everything out in a few minutes, and she was strong enough to confront me about the truth.

Silence suffocated the space between us. Annabeth's eyes twinkled with water, and I hated seeing her emotionally because of me.

"It's not your fault, Annabeth. I made this decision," I whispered.

"You were put in this situation because you want to save me. It doesn't a genius to realize how much this situation is hurting you," Annabeth replied. I reached across the table and wiped the stray tear from her right cheek.

"I'd do anything to save you, Annabeth."

This time, we sat in comfortable silence. It was so good to be around Annabeth again, and now, she knew the truth. As such, she also knew how much she means to me even though I didn't tell her anything aloud.

Well, I told her a lot with my last sentence. I sighed.

Her hands reached out and grasped mine. My arms were resting on the table, so it was easy for her to hold my hands. And, I loved it.

"I have one final question," Annabeth started with a smile. "Do you love me?"

I nodded without any hesitation.

***

I want to undo the decision that I made. The truth is that I love Annabeth, and there's no one else that I'm willing to be with. As such, I'm going to do everything in my power to cancel the union between me and Rachel Dare.

The first step is to get evidence against Titan Industries. I want to cripple their illegal businesses. This isn't just to help me. It's also to stop them from illegal activities. I don't believe that it's right for them to continue drug dealing and money laundering.

Everyone knows that they hold illicit operations, but no one's doing anything about it. I'm (at least) going to try.

Fortunately, I already know where to start.

Leo Valdez is holding a massive party at his father's estate. One of the reasons why I like Leo so much is that he is very down to Erth. Even though he runs a repair and vehicle business with his dad, he decided to live like a commoner.

As such, any party he hosts is done at his father's home. His apartment isn't large enough to facilitate his popularity.

I walked through his father's garden. I've been here before, but it looked different on the summer night. Because Leo likes orange, the marigolds were blooming vibrantly.

It was a backyard party for Calypso. It's her birthday.

As Cally's boyfriend, Leo took it upon himself to host a massive party. Everyone was invited to celebrate Calypso's 25th birthday. She's the person I need to talk to.

Calypso might not want to help, but I have faith that she's a good person. I believe that she wants to stop her business's immoral actions.

"Percy, why are you outside, bro?" Jason asked from behind.

I turned around to see my friend approaching me. His hand was wrapped around Piper's waist as they walked toward me. I felt slightly jealous of them. They were free to announce to the world that they were in love.

I can't do that with Annabeth yet.

"Yeah. Is everything all right?" Piper asked kindly.

"Everything's fine. I just wanted a break from the party. The whole week was excruciating. I thought that the party would help, but now I'm nervous to talk to Cally," I replied.

"Wait, is this because you guys used to date?" Jason asked. Piper nudged him with a look that shared her disapproval.

"Babe, you are clueless sometimes. Percy and Cally went on one date, and they both decided it wouldn't work. This isn't about that," Piper said. "I think that this is about Annabeth."

"How did you know?" I pondered.

"It's pretty obvious. As soon as Annabeth arrived, you couldn't keep your eyes off her. Plus, she kept looking at you too," Piper smirked.

We walked through Hephaestus's garden and towards the house. It was a modest mansion with a very technological vibe to it. I would never live in a house like this because I'd be scared that the technology would come to life and eat me.

"I don't understand why you and Annabeth can't just get together."

I gazed at the ground as my cheeks tinted pink. Annabeht and I had already gotten together for weeks. However, I decided to separate from her, so now, we're not together. Most of my friends didn't know our secret though.

"WAIT A MINUTE," Piper exclaimed. "SOMETHING DID HAPPEN BETWEEN YOU TWO."

"It's a long story, Piper, and I'm on the losing side of it at the moment."

Jason and Piper paused on the front porch. The music and commotion from inside permeated the open air. Talking about this did help a little.

"Wait, does Annabeth not want to be with you? Is that why you resigned?" Piper asked. "I thought that you're with Rachel now," Jason continued obliviously.

"I don't want to be with Rachel, but I can't be with Annabeth. It's a very complicated thing, and I don't know," I faltered.

Silence followed as we listened to the sounds of the party.

Then, Jason surprised me.

"My dad wants you to sign the union contract," he blurted out. Piper and I both gaped at him while he covered his face. "I thought you wanted to be with Rachel. I didn't realize that they were forcing you two together. As such, I told my father that I'd talk to you."

I groaned while stomping my foot in annoyance. Now, the Olympus Magnate was even using my friends to persuade me.

Jason looked sympathetic as he brought the contract out of his blazer's inner pocket. I stared at the paper, which came in my hand. It was the same contract Poseidon was trying to get me to sign. The contract is a commitment to Dare.

"Jason, honey, why would you do this?" Piper asked sadly.

"I didn't know the situation. I thought that Rachel and Percy were together, so I didn't think that this would be a big deal."

"Well, it is, bro," I replied.

I ripped the contract in half and threw it in the trash.

Jason aand Piper stared at me before they both engulfed me in an embrace. They knew how much this was hurting me. I'm a loyal person. As such, it stung deeply that I couldn't be with the woman I love.

"We'll help you in any way possible," Jason informed.

We walked back into the busy mansion where music was blasting and people were screaming. The cake-cutting had already happened. The food was dispersed in several locations around the first floor for people to eat.

The large living room was designated for dancing. Disco lights were flashing around as I made my way through the crowd. I wasn't in the mood for dancing.

Neither was Annabeth.

She was sitting in the dining room beyond the dance floor. She had front row tickets to the dancing actions. I pushed my way through the shoving and dancing adults. Some of them wreaked sweat and alcohol.

If I hadn't mentioned already, this was a long party.

Finally, I reached Annabeth and sat in the seat next to her. We didn't talk much after I showed her the truth. I knew that she figured everything out. She was taking active steps to fix the problems.

I heard from Silena that she fired Octavian from her company two days ago.

Of course, Octavian doesn't care much. He simply went to work for Olympus Sails under my father. He was still following me around as a spy. He was at the party too. However, Octavian was too busy drinking and dancing to notice me and Annabeth.

"Annabeth, how are you holding up?" I asked cautiously.

I spoke quietly, so it made it hard to hear my voice. The party was very loud and obnoxious, so I had to raise my voice and ask again.

"I'm fine, Seaweed Brain. However, I'm a little upset," she replied sadly.

I could imagine that she was upset about me and the situation that we were in. However, I knew that she understood the dilemma. There was a reason why we kept our relationship a secret, but it didn't help. They still found out about us and have leverage. They were using leverage to control our lives.

"I know that the situation is bad, but we're going to get through this. I told you that I'm gonna get us through this, Annabeth. We'll be together again."

"You don't know that," Annabeth sighed. "That's not why I'm sad right now."

"Then, what?" I asked curiously.

"I'm upset that everyone is with the people that they love. Jason has Piper, and Leo and Cally are getting along great. They can share their relationship." Annabeth faltered while her voice quietened. "I can't even kiss you right now."

I smirked. "You want to kiss me?"

Annabeth glared at me. "This isn't funny, Seaweed Brain. I'm serious."

I moved closer to Annabeth. She was wearing a purple dress today. It was more business-like than a party dress. She must've come right from the office. Regardless, she looked so beautiful with her wavy hair, smooth skin, and stormy eyes.

My hand covered hers on the dining table. Her hand was so warm, and I loved holding her hand. Her eyes lingered on our interconnected fingers.

"I'm going to kiss you now," I whispered. "I don't like seeing you upset."

Then, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. I didn't care that we were in a public setting. The only thing that mattered is making her feel better. I deepened the kiss for a few seconds before pulling back. Fireworks exploded in my gut.

"Can you smile now? For me?" I asked gently.

Annabeth smiled lightly, and it made my day. Seeing her smile (and knowing that I put the smile on her face) was enough for me.

I could go through any hardship just to see her smile once more.