I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw something, so far I couldn't even hear it smash into a thousand pieces, shattering until it was as irreparable as my heart. I wanted the old Annabeth Chase back, fiery and confident and strong and loving and not this broken remnant of who I used to be. I wanted the anger and grief to vanish from Percy's face forever. More than anything, I wanted Clarabelle Jackson to once again walk on this Earth. I needed it.

Unfortunately, the world didn't work like that.

The sun had disappeared long before Percy left my arms. Tessa sat, perched on the edge of the couch, just watching. None of us spoke. The only sound in the house were Percy's ragged breaths and the loud, insistent beating of my heart.

After hours of sitting—watching and observing—her eyes filled with tears, Tessa left. Silently, ensuring she didn't disturb the calm that had fallen over the two of us, Percy and I. The brief moment that would only exist while he was here and we shared our grief.

Finally though, he drew back, his eyes red-rimmed and his features still lined with raw pain. "Thank you," he whispered, his words coming out in almost a croak.

"You're welcome," I murmured in response, my voice soft.

"Annabeth, please don't make me go home tonight." He sounded desperate, a man drowning. "I can't be alone. Not tonight. Mum is with the police still, going over the case. Then she has to work an extra shift and I can't— I can't take the silence."

"Percy, it's fine. I'm sure Tessa wouldn't mind if you shared her room." My throats burned with the effort of saying those words. I'd always assumed, or known, that Percy had slept with Tessa. He loved her and she loved him, of course they had. But it didn't hurt any less.

I knew that Percy couldn't sleep on the couch, alone, tonight. The weight of the silence would be unbearable. I understood the feeling—I drowned in it, night after night, the suffocating silence pierced only by hallucination of Clara standing at the foot of my bed, her head thrown back in an otherworldly scream.

"No, I can't, that wouldn't be fair to Tessa. Not after we ended things. Not when I— I mean. She doesn't understand how I feel like you do. Would you—could I?"

My breath caught in my throat when I understood what he meant. He wanted to sleep in my room. I hated myself for the butterflies that fluttered uncontrollably in my stomach. Unspoken words hung thick in the air. Even though I killed your sister and Tessa did nothing, only I can help you get over this grief and I hate it and I love it and I hate myself for loving it.

"Percy, I—"

"If it's not okay, that's absolutely fine," he rushes out. "I could sleep on the couch, or I could go home. Or I'm sure Leo or Grover would let me crash on the floor of their rooms. You don't have to—if Tessa would be upset or if—it is awkward or you don't want me to then I could leave." His eyes begged me though, insistent. He was lying. He couldn't go anywhere else. It was only here, only with me. Only with me because I understood. Not because I meant anything to him, not like Tessa did. It was becoming harder to remind myself of this fact.

I held up a hand to stop his words, however beautiful they might be. "No, it's okay. Of course you can stay in my room. Maybe it will help with the silence."

He smiled gratefully, a small curve of his lip that didn't convey the true joy that he so often felt. It tore at my heart and repaired it at the same time. Relief and guilt washed over me. Relief that someone else was feeling as alone as me, that they felt the silence like it was a living thing, something that wrapped around my heart with its icy tendrils, and guilt at the relief I felt.

I was so sick of feeling guilty.

I took Percy's hand in mine, leading him from the living room and up the stairs. As we passed Tessa's room, her light snoring—her only imperfection—signified that she was asleep.

More guilt. More relief. I wouldn't have to deal with her jealousy until the morning.

I opened the door to my room softly, so I didn't break the spell that had fallen over the pair of us. I led him inside.

My room was as neat as it had always been, everything arranged in perfect order and my bookshelf arranged in height order.

The double bed looked both too big and too small at once. I wasn't going to make Percy sleep on the floor and he knew it too. I heard him catch his breath.

"Which side would you like?" I asked.

"You know you don't have to let me sleep here?" Then, "Left."

I didn't need to get ready for bed—it had been late when Percy came over, and I was already dressed to sleep. Percy was wearing sweatpants and an old top that I knew he slept it. I remembered him wearing it once when he was over, spending the night with Tessa.

I crawled under the blankets, their comforting warmth heating my skin. Percy slid in next to me, his breathing laboured. I stared up at him through the curve of my eyelashes. His eyes were trailing across my face, looking at me in the way I had for so long wished he would. Like a was beautiful.

I felt beautiful.

He must've seen something in my face because his arm reached out, hesitant. An invitation. I couldn't stop myself from accepting, and it was inevitable the moment he asked me if he could stay.

My head and hands were resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist, delicately at first, then slightly tighter. I was laying in Percy Jackson's arms. Goddammit Annabeth.

"Why were you crying earlier?" he whispered into the darkness.

I looked up at him. "Because I hate the silence."

He understood what I was talking about. The crushing silence of a world without Clara in it. Without her beautiful laugh and her cheeky arguing and her melodious voice.

He didn't respond, but his arms held me tighter.

That night, it wasn't silent. Or maybe it was. Maybe the silence just wasn't as loud, and after so long living inside it's icy grip, it was all the reprieve I needed.

A/N: Yeah? Yeah? What do you think?

Where do you think this plot is going?

For your information guys, this book is going to be 30-35 chapters. Almost half way!