Letting Go and Moving On

Chapter 12 Letting Go

Annabeth POV

To say that seeing Percy with another girl broke my heart was a slight understatement. Not that I still had a right to claim him, I was dead after all, but everyone knew we were soulmates. So watching your soulmate love another girl was hard. I couldn't blame him though. 

When Hades and my mom let me be with him one last time, I wanted that moment to last because me giving the boy I love permission to love another was not a great feeling. I watched him hold her hand, laugh with her, and sleep beside her in the same bed. I told him to do it, but I didn't expect to feel like I do. 

"I don't understand why you keep watching him when you know he's with someone else." Luke said, sitting beside me. I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I can't help it Luke. I miss him so much." 

In front of us, Percy was picking Nico up from school. It had been almost a year since I was able to see him, but here in Elysium, it felt like seconds. Nico got into Percy's car with a grin and started to grill Percy as they drove off. 

"So did you ask her yet?" Nico asked.

"Yeah I did." Percy answered with a glowing smile. 

"Well what did she say?" 

"We're planning a spring wedding." Nico's jaw dropped. 

"Yes! I knew it! Can I be one of your groomsmen?" Percy chuckled. 

"Of course." 

So Percy has asked Riley to marry him. I felt a tear slip down my face. I didn't know if they were tears of joy and pride, or tears of sadness and longing. I wondered if they could have been both. Luke's arm came around my shoulders. 

"Shut it off." He said. I stood and waved a hand through the image. Luke got up and the two of us headed back to where Selena, Beckendorf, and all the other fallen campers were hanging out. Jason and Piper were laughing about something with Hazel and Frank sitting beside them. Reyna was laughing with some of the boys but gave me an acknowledged smile. Things weren't so bad here.