The breeze ruffled Annabeth's blonde hair and the air smelled like the coffee and baked goods. I sipped my hot chocolate as she talked excitedly to Hazel about architecture and buildings. Suddenly, a dude I had never seen before strolled over to Annabeth. He was holding a red rose and looked nervously at me.

Annabeth glanced at me and said, "Not now, Ryan." The guy turned and walked away, fiddling with the rose.

"Annabeth?" I asked her. "Who was that?" She stared at her feet.

"Oh, no one."

There was guilt in her voice that she couldn't mask.

"Are you dating someone else?" I tried to sound mad, but my voice trembled. She didn't answer.

"Percy, you can't jump to conclusions!" Hazel said, putting an arm around Annabeth.

"Well you explain to me why he was holding a rose!" I retorted, my face red. I stood up and shoved my chair aside. It screeched loudly as it scraped the cement floor.

"He could have been giving it to someone else and- " Hazel sputtered.

"But why go to Annabeth first? Huh?" I people in the cafe turned to stare at us.

"Are you calling Annabeth a cheater?"

"Well, maybe I am!"

"Stop!" She screamed. We stared at her. "Percy, I need to explain." Tears streamed down her face.

"There's nothing to be explained." I muttered angrily under my breathe. Hazel glared at me.

"It's just-" I stormed away before she could finish her explanation. We had been through so much together. I hurt me to think that she was with someone else.