A Game of Promises

Chapter 34: Find You

"Are you sure she didn't get stung by a Tracker Jacker? I heard that someone else did."

"No, no. Annabeth is way too smart for that. She must not be around here."

I feel a sharp pang in my chest as I realize that they're talking about me. Percy is looking for me. He's still searching.

"Right, well I'll go left, you go right? Meet back here in twenty minutes, 'kay?" Bella says. I can already hear her walking away.

"Okay," Percy agrees. I realize that he's coming in this direction. He's coming towards me.

Heart thumping, I'm not sure what to do. Do I just wait or sit or run to him? I don't have to make a decision. Percy appears in front of me, the rain making his hair wet. I remember that he isn't wet if he doesn't want to be. He must be concentrated on something else.

"Annabeth?" He asks, a question more than anything else.

I nod, unable to say anything.

He runs towards me. I find my legs pulling myself forward. As cheesy as it sounds, we run into one another, the rain making us slide a bit more than I wanted.

"You're here. Annabeth, ever since I saw you last night, I've been searching so bad. So so bad. I thought something bad had happened. When the cannon went off..." Percy trails off, his voice cracking. He holds my head in his hands, pressing his forehead against mine.

"I'm here. Gods of Olympus, I'm here. I'm so sorry. Percy, I never wanted to leave. I thought you somehow be safer if I wasn't there. I thought you would survive if I wasn't there."

Percy makes a noise in the back of his throat. "Survive without you? I can't. I tried and I can't. Living without you is trying to live without breath. I love you, Annabeth Chase. I love you. I'll run away with your footsteps. I'll build a city that dreams for two."

"What if I leave again. What happens?"

"And if you lose yourself, I will find you," he says, his voice full of promise.

I kiss him. He tastes like saltwater. The rain on his lips makes it more wetter than normal, but I don't mind. I'm with him. And as long as I'm with him, I'll always be safe.

We pull away, gasping for breath. I look at him, really look at him. After leaving him, I don't ever want to forget his face.

In the back of my mind, I feel a sense that this has already happened before, but for a longer amount of time. I can't imagine ever being apart from Percy for months. I can't imagine being separated from him again.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you too," he replies.

I could have stayed like that forever. I wanted to. We were high on words we almost used. I needed him even more. But a scream pierces through the air.

Percy curses. "Bella. I forgot all about her."

I take his hand. "Let's go."

He gives me a grateful smile before running towards the direction of the scream.

We run past trees and through the rain. We slip, but never fall. We hold on to each other, balancing each other out. He holds me up, and I hold up him.

I see an area of the forest that I haven't yet noticed. Birds fly around everywhere. At first, I don't know what the problem is. Then the birds open their beaks.