breathless ♡ {pipabeth}

crickets chirped.

annabeth.

i told percy that piper needed comforting and that i'd be right back. and as soon as i said it, percy recieves an iris message from jason and so percy leaves too.

we both leave the house at the same time and percy pecks me on the cheek before we split up.

"love you, annie," he says.

but i pretend i'm too worried about piper to hear, which in a strange way, was true.

i find piper by a fountain, picking at her blue polish. i sat down next to her.

"pipes?"

"annie," she smiled ruefully. her choppy hair was cut short in a bob.

"you cut your hair..." i stuttered.

"yeah, just now. with this." she held up her dagger. her rueful smile disappeared. "does it look bad?"

i took in a good look at her. her hair was light, framing her face. her eyes glowed and shifted.

"no, no, definitely not. you look... good," i blushed, hoping i hadn't said too much.

she sighed with relief. "oh, good."

"are you... okay?"

"really, annie, i don't know. i did the right thing, didn't i? there was no hope left for us... no..." piper quieted.

"...love. no love left." now i was completing her sentences. "if there wasn't anything left in the relationship, then you were right to end it."

"thank you,"

we sat in comfortable silence, listening to the crickets chirp.

"i'm not even sad. is that... bad? i'm just relieved." piper said.

"it's not bad. it's not selfish. you and jason... well, your love died out already. it was already over. you just confirmed it." i said.

"you, know, you're good at this." piper said. "relationship advice." she clarified.

i laughed. "i read a lot of relationship advice books before dating percy."

"oh," piper quieted when i said his name.

"piper? can i ask you something?"

"of course." she said immediately.

"since you just did it... how do you break up with someone?"