love is embarrassing | j. grace

xxviii. L, is for the way you look at me

             twenty eight. L, is for the way you look at me

IVY WOKE UP TO JASON leaving. He unwrapped himself from around her and tiptoed to the bathroom, Ivy sighs and rubs her eyes. She was not looking forward to finding whatever it was that shook Reyna so hard it messed up her relationship with her and Jason.

When Jason returned from the bathroom, Ivy was fully dressed in athletic shorts and a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Jason smiles at her, taking long strides to stand right in front of her.

"When are you leaving?" Ivy asks him as he leans forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Right now," Jason says, "When are you guys going?"

"No idea," Ivy shrugs.

Jason laughs, but stops abruptly by a knock on the door.

Ivy shushes him quickly and pushes him out of sight. She opens the door to see Leo smiling, "Hey, where's Jason?"

"I don't know, not here, obviously," Ivy replies.

"Okay," Leo eyes her suspiciously, "Um . . . if you see him tell him we're looking for him."

"Right."

"He wasn't in his cabin. He's not above deck."

"Okay."

"Right," Leo says again and she sees his eyes quickly scanning around the room.

An awkward silence follows, she frowns. Things between the pair were still odd after the quest. She'd unintentionally pried through his mind, made him relive one of his worse memories . . .

"See you," Leo speeds away.

Ivy slams the door.

"You better go," Ivy tells him, "Before Coach Hedge realizes you're missing."

Jason nods, "Okay, bye," He kisses her on the cheek and speeds out the door, shouting a fast "love you!" Ivy would've missed it if she wasn't paying close attention to him.

The door slams and she stares, eyes wide. Jason just told her he loved her, accidentally. She wonders if he even realized what he'd done.

Another knock at the door takes her attention away from Jason, "Yes?"

"Ready to go?" Piper asks, peaking her head in.

Ivy nods, following behind the girl.

Ivy distractedly walks along the Battery with Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel. It was uncomfortably hot but there was a pleasantly cool shade underneath the trees.

"Okay, if you could have any other god or goddess as a parent, who would you pick?" Ivy asks into the silence, she didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts.

"Um, I don't know if we should —" Annabeth begins.

"Athena," Piper answers almost immediately.

"Great, I'd pick Venus," Ivy says, "Because then I'd be better at all the romance, friendship, emotions thing."

Ivy sees the three girls share a look. She clears her throat awkwardly.