Love Games (Leo Valdez/ PJO Fan Fiction)

Chapter 32 - Don't Let Me Go

I promised one day that I'd bring you back a star. I caught one and it burned a hole in my hand. Seems like these days I watch you from afar, just trying to make you understand" Don't Let Me Go, Sam McCarthy and Harry Styles.

Corey's POV

I lay in my bunk, my hands tucked under my head. Though there is a dull, brown roof to the cabin, I can still hear Delia's animated voice describe the constellations. I can still see the stars shining above me as if there is nothing standing in the way of my body and the sky. 

Sleep doesn't come easily to me these days. Some nights, I would just smile to myself as I recalled the events of the day. My problems seemed to vanish into thin air. 

There is this daunting thought coursing through my mind: What if she won't forgive you?

I am a selfish fool to think that a simple letter would make her forgive me. There was no way she could forget the past and everything that I've done to her.

How could I ask her to forgive me when I still haven't forgiven myself?

The other children of Aphrodite sleep louder than you'd think they would. Seriously, their snores are not something that would traditionally come out of a "pretty" person. It's ungodly what comes out of their mouths.

This makes it easy for me to escape into the night and have some time to think. My mind has been running in circles, asking questions a simply don't have the answer to. 

Without being a proper son of Aphrodite, who am I? I'm another teenager, lost in the maze of myself. It doesn't make sense, but that's the only way I can describe this feeling. The future is approaching so quickly. I don't know if I'll live that long to get married and have a child. It angers me that I may never find out who I am. But for now, I'm just Corey. 

The night is warm without the air of humidity suffocating me. It's fresh and crisp, like an autumn day. It's unlike the cruel heat that has burned my skin multiple times. The moon is full, aiding the stars in bringing light into a world of darkness. There is no one I can share this beauty with. I am alone. 

"It isn't that difficult to figure out what's right," I tell myself. "Why couldn't you just see that Delia was the best thing that ever happened to you? How could I be such an idiot? How could you break her?"

"I'm not broken."

My ears perk after a melodious voice sounds. "Great. I'm hearing things now. Just great," I say sadly. I'm so disillusioned that I can see through roofs and hear voices. Fantastic.

"Corey. You're not an idiot. Well, you are an idiot. But I can forgive you for that."

At last, I tear my eyes away from the sky and look at what's in front of me. "Delia."

Her blonde hair messily lays on her shoulders, obviously tangled in many spots. She isn't wearing her glasses, it's just Delia as herself. Not as a daughter of Athena, just as the Delia. And she's beautiful.

I wait for her to say something, knowing all that I can do is wait at this point. I had my chance, it's time for Delia to decide what is right for her. But she doesn't say anything. 

Delia throws her arms around my neck, bringing my body close to hers in a tight hug. "You're both the best and worst thing that has happened to me," she says, her head resting on my chest.

"What do you mean?" 

Her vibrant blue eyes meet mine, her focus completely on me. "You've hurt me unintentionally," she begins, almost apologetically. "But you've done something that makes up for it."