Troubled

31

chapter thirty-one
percy

"I love you."

The words came out fast and left Annabeth with a blush.

Annabeth Chase loved me. Annabeth Chase loved Percy Jackson. God, it just sounded good.

After not even a month of dating, nearly five months of knowing each other, she already knew that she loved me.

"Look, I'm sorry. You clearly don't feel the same way, so just forget it—" she started. I could tell her face was even more red than I thought humanly possible from the moonlight.

"I love you, too," I interrupted. "I love you more than I thought possible."

A smile erupted on her face as I took an unintentional wrong turn. "You love me."

"Well, you said that you loved me, too, so I think that makes us even," I said smugly. She rolled her eyes as the smile on her face widened. "I know tonight didn't go as planned, but I think that it was a fairly good night."

"Oh, yeah?" Annabeth replied. "I would say so, too. Besides the fact that my relationship with my family is nearly gone. I don't care, though. It's not like they actually want a relationship."

I shrugged. "I dunno, they must care about you enough to warn you to stay away from trouble boys like me."

"You know, I think they might want to save their reputation more by doing that," Annabeth replied. "I'm the first one to defy their respectable family rules and all that."

"Your family has rules?" I asked surprisingly. "Like, about who you can date and all that?"

She shrugged. "I mean, they're not official or anything, but they reacted a whole different way when I told them I was dating Luke. They were disappointed, of course, I could see it on their faces. But they didn't say anything. Because of the Castellan name."

"Ugh, family name pride sucks. I should know," I said. Annabeth raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Hey, I know I'm not rich with a good family name, but I'm pretty sure the reason my father left our family was because he didn't want illegitimate children like me."

Annabeth sighed. "People suck. I don't get why names have to mean anything. The Castellans are messed up, Percy, but they get respect. Same with my family. My family is old money, meaning their name is power. The Chase name means something, apparently. And so did the Pallas name."

I nearly drove off the road out of shock. "Wait, you're related to the Pallas's?! Like, as in, Athena Pallas?! She's so snooty and rich!"

"That's my mom," Annabeth admitted.

"Oh....I'm sorry for calling her snooty."

"It's okay, she deserves it," Annabeth admitted as she stared straight ahead. "You know, I haven't talked to her in about four years. She's too busy, I don't know, ruling the world or whatever."

I shook my head. "You know, she's stupid. Sure, she has that huge architecture firm, but she's stupid if she doesn't wanna talk to you, because you're the best person I know."

Annabeth s face went red as she laughed. "I don't think my mom would appreciate hearing that very much. So, your dad is rich and famous, too?"

"I have no clue," I admitted truthfully. "I've never met the guy. Nonetheless had a conversation about what he's been up to all these years. I think he's rich, though.

At least that's what my mother insinuates when we talk about him. She always tells me not to hate the dude and that he was really a good dude, but I can't stand him. I don't care what she says."

"Well, I also think he's stupid if he doesn't wanna talk to you," Annabeth said as I parked her car in the student parking lot.

I laughed as I helped her out and started leading her to her dorm while holding her hand. "Thanks, but I've made my peace with it. Here, take my jacket. You look cold."

When we reached her dorm she planted a kiss on me and then opened the door. I could barely see Thalia inside the dorm, who glared at me.

"I love you, Percy."

"I love you, too."