Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 40

Annabeth POV

The city moved around me, but I barely noticed it. Cars hummed past, the occasional bicycle bell rang, and distant voices floated through the streets—but I was lost in my own thoughts. My fingers brushed the silver chain around my neck absentmindedly, Percy's gift, the owl pendant still cool against my skin.

I walked without direction, letting the rhythm of my steps match the chaotic beat of my heart. Every corner I turned, every street I passed, I kept imagining him—the way he had smiled through tears, the way he had said goodbye to my parents. It didn't make sense, and it hurt in ways I couldn't name.

I pushed open the apartment door, the familiar creak of the hinges echoing through the quiet space. My shoulders slumped as I stepped inside, still lost in thought. The city streets outside had been a blur, my mind tangled with everything that had happened—the walk with Percy, the words he had whispered, the ache that still lingered in my chest.

But something felt... wrong.

Helen and my father were sitting on the couch, their faces drawn, voices low, heavy with some unspoken weight. My stomach twisted.

"Mom? Dad?" I asked cautiously, dropping my bag to the floor. "What happened? Why do you both look like... like this?"

Helen glanced at me, her gray eyes soft but filled with worry. "Annabeth... Percy came here today."

I froze, my pulse spiking. "What?" My voice was a whisper, trembling. "He... he came here?"

"Yes," my father said quietly, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "He came to see us... to talk about you. About everything."

Flashback:

Percy stood in the living room, his hands awkwardly at his sides, eyes trained on Helen and my father. He swallowed hard, voice catching as he spoke.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Chase... I wanted to tell you I'm leaving. I'm going out of her life for good. I care about her too much to keep hurting her."

"When Annabeth first gave us two months to work on our relationship in New York, I only thought about those 60 sixty days."

"But Annabeth, she thought beyond those 2 months and imagined a life with me."

I couldn't give her that love at the time; and she left. I didn't understand it at the time, but I loved her. And when I realized... it was too late."

Now again I'm trying to win her love back, but now I lost her trust. Now I don't want to hurt her anymore. I'm leaving her."

He reached into his pocket and produced a small, velvet box. "Give her this... please."

The Chases took it carefully, watching him as he blinked rapidly.

It was the watch, Annabeth gave him,

"I tried really hard Mr.Chase, to fix it and make it as beautiful as before, but Annabeth heart, can't see the beauty beyond those cracks."

"I hope she can see that beauty one day.."

 A smile breaking through the tears threatening to fall. "Wow... I'm crying."

"Well, it's what I deserve for hurting Annabeth."

As he wiped his tears and eyes.

Then, with a quiet nod, Percy turned and left, leaving the apartment heavy with emotion, the silver necklace now in their hands, waiting for their daughter.

PRESENT

Helen sighed, a mixture of sadness and something warmer in her voice. "He wanted to leave, Annabeth. He... he told us he was going to leave your life for good."

"Good that he left, he only thought he loved me, his love was a lie anyway." 

My mother's voice softened, almost like she was speaking to herself as much as to me. "Annabeth... you're seeing the lie in his love, the part that hurts, the part that leaves you uncertain... but I see love in him. Real love. He cares for you more than anything."

"Mom, that's not it, back he had a problem with me then, he should have told me, not his friend." I said firmly

"You told everyone in the living room that day your frustration with him and what he said, but he can't share his thoughts with his best friend?..."

"He said he loved you too much to keep hurting you, and... he wanted to give you this."

She held out a small velvet box. My fingers trembled as I took it, lifting the lid to reveal the delicate silver watch with an owl pendant.

"He cried as he left honey."  My dad said quietly.

My mind raced, and I couldn't stop the questions spilling out. "He... he cried? Did he... really cry? Dad? You know he's never cried in his life."

I held the watch in my hands, the silver cool against my fingers. 

I blinked rapidly, staring down at the velvet box in my hands. My parents' eyes were soft, full of understanding and quiet pride. My heart felt like it was simultaneously swelling and breaking.

"I... he really did care," I whispered, barely able to form the words. "He... he loves me."

Helen reached over and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth... I know it hurts. But the fact that he cared enough to leave with respect, to protect your heart even as he left... that's love. And he's given you the choice now. Always remember that."

I held the watch to my chest, the owl pendant catching the light, and for the first time all day, I felt... seen. Not just by Percy, but by my parents, by the world. And though the ache in my chest remained, it was now laced with something stronger. Hope.

I clutched the necklace tighter, the silver owl warm against my fingers. My chest felt tight, and I could barely breathe through the swirl of emotions inside me. The ache from before—the worry, the heartbreak—was still there, but now it was tangled with something else. Something urgent, something I couldn't ignore.

"I... I need to see him," I whispered, my voice barely audible, but firm, trembling with determination. "I need to see him now."

Helen and my father exchanged a glance, and then my mother smiled softly, her hand still resting on my shoulder. "Annabeth... he should still be at the airport," she said gently. "He hasn't left yet. You can go to him."

My heart leapt, a rush of hope and nervous excitement washing through me. My father gave me a small, approving nod. "Go to him, Annabeth. Just... be careful. But go."

I took a deep breath, the necklace clutched tightly in my hand, my gray eyes blazing with purpose. "I'm going," I said, my voice steady now. "I'm going to see him. I can't wait any longer."

Helen squeezed my shoulder. "Go, sweetheart. Don't let hesitation hold you back."

I nodded once, sharply, and turned toward the door, the sound of my heartbeat loud in my ears. Every step I took felt like it was fueled by the pull of something I'd known all along—Percy. I needed him. I had to see him. And nothing, not distance, not fear, not heartbreak, would stop me from finding him.

The city blurred past me as I drove toward the airport, my mind focused, my heart racing. Percy was out there, somewhere, and I wasn't going to waste another second letting him slip away.