Those memories [COMPLETED] (Behind Their Backs series book 2)

Annabeth: I Almost Cry In A Public Coffee Shop

Chapter Sixteen

Okay. I'm freaking out. What do I wear to this? What do I say? What if I accidentally mess up and he thinks I'm weird? What did I even ask him to this? Why did he say yes? Oh my god this is so not gonna end well.

It's Tuesday and I'm going to meet Percy in a hour. I dropped Kat off at school earlier this morning, now I'm just staring into my closet deciding that I have absolutely no wearable clothes on this weird date-type thing.

After twenty minutes deciding what not to wear, I have decided to wear a pair of ripped mom jeans, a cute sweater shirt and a my high top Converse's. Casual. Normal. Totally me.

I run a brush through my slightly knotted hair and put on a swipe of mascara before I realize that if I don't leave now, I won't make it.

When I arrive at the coffee shop, two minutes late, I walk in to see no Percy. Phew. I take a seat at a table in the corner and pull out my phone. After a few minutes of scrolling through Instagram, I finally look up to see a slightly disgruntled-looking Percy dashing through the door. He sees me, and I wave him over.

"Hi Beth," he says, pulling out a chair and making himself comfortable in it, "Sorry I'm a little late."

"Oh don't be. I really thought I'd be the one late," I say, watching a smile appear on his rather attractive face.

"You look beautiful today Beth," he changes subject, making me blush. "Oh. I always liked making you blush An-Beth."

He did it again. He almost called me Annie. Like he used to. I miss that. I kinda wish he still called me Annie.

I decide to change the subject. "So what's new with you?"

"What? Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Percy replies. "Er- what about you?"

"Yeah same here I guess," I state awkwardly.

We fall into an awkward silence. We stare into each others eyes for what feels like forever.

"Are you dating someone or like I don't know, married?" He says abruptly, before regretting it and apologizing, mumbling, "Nevermind don't answer that. I shouldn't have asked that. Jesus, Percy, nobody's says that."

"Oh um it's okay I'm not married. I guess I've never had time for dating, ya know, being a single parent and all that."

"Oh yeah I feel you, Beth. It's hard. I've always felt like I'm betraying something." He says it like he wants to comfort me but I feel the opposite. What does he feel like he's betraying? Surely he doesn't want to tell me that it's Amber. Maybe Percy Jackson is just slightly embarrassed that he can't date women because he has a daughter.

Percy must be able to read my mind because he says, "I guess I'm more betraying someone rather than something. Between you and Amber, it's just weird."

"Me?" I blurt out. "Why me?"

"Because Beth, I loved you for a very long time and maybe I still kinda do plus there's the fact that we have twins together."

"I loved you too you know. I didn't really want to leave you and Amber either, but I had too," I say while my heart melts. He maybe still loves me. That's something.

And maybe, just maybe, I still love him back.