Hold Me Close

Ch. 22

Percy

As soon as Leo left, Annabeth turned to me. As soon as I looked into her eyes I could see something had changed. She was showing me her emotions.

"I've been rude." She said softly, "I'm sorry. I'm just... I haven't been able to trust guys for a while. Leo is the only one."

I nodded, understanding, but I wondered why she didn't trust guys. I felt sick at the thought that one could have hurt her.

"It's okay, I understand." I smiled.

"No, it isn't really okay." She shook her head, "It was uncalled for and... I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." I reached over and took her hands.

Annabeth smiled at me but tore her gaze away after a bit. My face felt hot.

"Percy, I should tell you the truth." She took a deep breath, "I was put up for adoption at two years old. I was adopted by a man at five years old. I had two siblings, a brother and a sister, and I haven't seen them since I was seven. When I ran away. Leo and I found each other in an alley and we've been together since then. Twelve years.

"I... I didn't trust you because I thought you were like all the others. My ex boyfriends who... Who I don't want to talk about."

"You don't have to." I assured her, but I was eager to find out more. I wanted to know everything about her. I hungered for the knowledge of her life and her personality and her happiest memories. I wanted her to tell me.

"When we found you I knew you... I knew that you were different from all the jerks I'd dated but I didn't want to believe myself. I wanted to push you away and I wanted it to be just me and Leo again." I swallowed as she said that, feeling pained, but nodded.

"But now I know that you're not and... I'm sorry. I'm awful." She buried her face in her hands, "Don't hate me..."

"Annabeth.." I reached forward, softly turning her face towards me, "You know I couldn't."

"You should." She hugged herself. I removed her arms from around herself and instead replaced them with mine. I hugged her and she hugged me back. She was warm and small in my arms. Her hair smelled like lemon lollies. Sweet and reminding me of my mom's job at the candy shop. That was one of my favorite candies.

"Thanks, Percy." She pulled back, smiling. I rubbed her arm.

"You don't have to feel like you should be hated, Annabeth. I don't hate you. I actually think you're amazing." I admitted, "You're brilliant and funny and kind... Don't think I hate you. Please."

"I would hate me." She whispered.

"You shouldn't." I smiled softly.

"Thank you, Percy." She took a deep breath. Then, her gaze flicked down to my lips.

I couldn't help but feel excited as she did the exact thing I had been trying to keep myself from doing. I moved my line of sight as well, wondering how it would feel to kiss her.

"Leo's gonna be out soon." Annabeth took a deep breath, swallowing.

"Yeah..." I muttered.

"Um... Percy... I think I kind of... Maybe... You aren't like all of the other boys I've been with and..."

"I like you." I blurted. Annabeth's eyes widened then she smiled.

"I knew it." She teased. I blushed. Then, she reached forward and hugged me again, "Thank god... I like you too..."

"We sound like teenagers." I muttered into her hair.

"We are." She pulled back slightly.

"Teenagers shouldn't be left in a car alone. Leo." I playfully glared towards the gas station and she laughed.

"Isn't this the cheesy part in the movie where the boy asks the girl if he can kiss her and the girl blushes and says yeah, sure, whatever." Annabeth asked.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

I put my hands on the sides of Annabeth's face and leaned forward to kiss her softly. Now, I had never kissed a girl before so I had no idea what I was doing, but it was sort of instinctual. My lips glided against hers and electricity arced through my body from my hands and lips. Annabeth leaned into me, her hands on my chest, and my heart hammered a beat for her.

At first Annabeth was stiff under my lips but then she warmed up, kissing me back with just as much fervor. She tasted like mint.

We didn't go far with the kiss. I kept my hands on her face until I felt the overwhelming need to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer. She ran her hands up and down my chest and sides but didn't go anywhere else. We kissed for a while but not to where it would be considered making out. We pulled back and smiled halfway through and we laughed.

I was overjoyed that she didn't hate me. That she liked me. That she was kissing me. She had finally opened up her heart for me and I swore that is protect it until the day I died.

Her touch was addictive, I decided, aching with need for her. I'd never felt like this before for another being. I wanted her in my life. I wanted her touch and her laughter to follow me through my days and I never wanted her to leave me. I didn't want this moment to end. It couldn't end.

And it didn't at that moment but I knew it had to. I would stop feeling her soft lips against mine and her hands against my chest and we would have to calm ourselves before Leo came back. Act normal. But how could I act normal when Annabeth Chase had just kissed me? Had just smiled against my mouth? Had just pulled me closer like she needed me there as much I needed her?

I ran my finger up and down her spine. We had pulled away already but I didn't want her to be out of my arms. I wanted her lips against mine but I also wanted her safely tucked away where no one could hurt her. I wanted to keep her safe but I knew she was perfectly capable of that.

Annabeth bit her lip and her breath fanned against my mouth. Our foreheads were pressed together and I could feel as well as hear when she sighed in content. I knew she could feel my rapid breathing.

Annabeth tilted her head again and kissed me softly, pulling at my lips. I tightened my grip around her.

"Act like nothing has happened." Annabeth breathed, "Let's keep Leo in the dark for a little while longer."

I smiled in agreement and kissed her softly one more time before reluctantly pulling away.

I couldn't wipe the grin off my face and had to hide it with my fist as Leo stepped into the car. Annabeth was having a hard time as well, I could tell, but she managed better than I did.

After a while of driving she had scooted all the way back over to me and now I held her as she slept on my shoulder. She was opening up to me finally and now it was so strange after her giving me the cold shoulder to have her being so... Friendly with me. I smiled as I thought that she must have been bottling in her feelings as much as I was. Just like I had she was letting her emotions spill out. And the relief was enormous.

I kept her close and, when Leo wasn't looking, softly traced my thumb down her jaw-line, kissed her forehead, and leaned my head on hers. When he was looking it just seemed that she'd fallen asleep on my shoulder and I obviously didn't mind. He wouldn't suspect that now, finally, we had admitted to each other what we felt. He probably knew that something had happening but not this.

A heat bloomed in my chest. A heat, not just the heat in me for Annabeth I felt in me, but a heat for what was to come. This journey, wherever it may lead us, had brought us together. And it had changed my life.

All because a blonde girl burst through my apartment door and dragged me down the fire-escape.