Reyna seemed a little odd today. She’s very quiet and that is very unlike her. The lesson that Jason learned by working together with Reyna all those years were once she was among her friends, she would be very talkative and very outgoing. But today she seemed off. She invited me to her cabin, apparently she redecorated it. Now it looked more modern and less Roman. “You like it?” Reyna asked. I stayed speechless as I saw the pictures lining up the walls. I smiled and teared up a bit when I saw them, especially the one when Reyna and I won the war games. I remembered kissing her out of nowhere and afterwards, Dakota patted my back and just laughed and shook his head. I managed to blink my tears away though. Reyna made some hot chocolate for me and herself and we toasted for the future.
Suddenly Nico emerged from the shadows and it took everything in me not to jump back and scream like a girl. The mood was happy until Nico almost killed me and demanded an answer why Percy’s missing “Percy’s gone. Gaea took his life.” I told him. The truth had broken the son of Hades, he sobbed at the floor, with both Reyna and I hugging him. Then he shadow travelled outside. “I’m just going to go to my room now,” Reyna told me, “just make yourself at home.” She turned and got to her room. Making myself at home was easy, because this is my home. Sometimes I had a sleepover with Reyna when we were still fellow praetors, so I know my way around her cabin. I guess she still haven’t changed where she put places, only the style.
I was searching for something to snack on, she usually puts some on the scone drawer. When I opened it, it was full of crumpled papers and letters, all of them had my name written in cursive on it. I took one and opened the seal. It said:
Dear Jason,

There’s no point in writing this letter for you. You’ll probably never read it anyways. But if you do, I want you to know that I love you. Remember the first time we met? When I yelled at you for splashing mud over me and my book? I’ve known since then that I wanted to be fellow praetors with you, to be together. I know you’re with Piper now and that you don’t love me back. But I don’t care, I want you to be happy. Go ahead. Be happy. I will always love you.. Even if you don’t love me back.
With love, Reyna

I read that letter over and over and over again, afraid that I read some parts wrong. I folded the paper back inside the envelope and sat down on the couch. My head began to swirl. How could this be? Reyna loved me all this time? How could I be so stupid? How could I not see it? I need to tell her I love her too. I need to tell her I haven’t forgotten about the kiss we shared. The fireworks that I felt while kissing her. The butterflies in my stomach when I talk with her. But I can’t break Piper’s heart. Oh my gods, why does my life has to be complicated? First, I got kidnapped my Hera and my memories of Reyna and I were erased. Now, I find out that both Reyna and Piper is in love with me. I bury my head in my hands and just let the tears fall to the floor. As I let my tears fall, I could barely hear Reyna’s sobs from her room, the to of us just sits there.
Reyna must have been really hurt all this time I be with Piper. But she wanted me to be happy. Arghh, love can be confusing. I really am starting to hate Cupid (or Eros, whatever) Now I know the pain Nico di Angelo had when he had a crush on Percy. Not knowing what to do, but helplessly in love with someone. I knocked on Reyna’s door, “Reyna? Are you alright?” I asked pressing my ears against her door. “Please let me in. Reyna I’m sorry that I was blind all this time! Please, Reyna, open the door.” I said, my back against the door. Little did I know, Reyna was sitting on the other side, hearing every word I say, muttering, “I’m sorry Jason, I’m so so sorry.”

Jason stood up, took a paper and a pen, and wrote

’Hey, it’s Jason. Will you please unlock your door?’

I slid the note under the tiny space under the door. A few seconds later it slid back out

‘Why should I? What would you do, once I unlock it?’

I picked up the piece of paper and felt that it was wet with tears,

'Just open up, Reyna. I need to tell you something important.'

I heard the lock on her door click, but the door didn’t budge. I knocked on the door and whispered, “Reyna? Will you come out?” There was a moment of silence, and right when I was about to ask her again, she answered me. “I’m not in the mood to talk to you Jason.” I still could hear her sobbing inside her room.
I wanted to tell her that I’m sorry for not noticing. I wanted to tell her I’m sorry for breaking her heart, to tell her I’m sorry for leaving her with the burden of ruling the camp alone. I wanted to tell her that I saw her letter for me, but I guess I’ll have to wait until she calms down a bit more. I took another piece of paper since the previous one is still with her, and wrote

'Goodbye Reyna, come meet me when you’re ready. I'

I tried my best to scratch out the ‘I love..” part. I’m afraid that if Reyna sees it, she’ll pull away and our friendship would be over for good. I don’t want that to happen. I slide it halfway through the crack, and saw it disappear as Reyna took it. I turned and left her cabin.
The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly, the opposite of what Jason is feeling right now. The first thing that came into my mind was ‘I should go tell Percy about this. Maybe he can help me.’ Then I remembered that Percy’s gone. I couldn’t talk to him because he’s dead, soul somewhere in the Underworld, probably with Nico di Angelo beside him. I went to go buy some hot chocolate, and then went up to the Garden of Bacchus, Reyna’s favourite spot to hang out with him, drinking hot chocolate after a hard day of praetorship. I looked downwards toward New Rome. I could hear laughter and music all the way from above the hill. Being here reminds him of Reyna. He still remembered the lines from the letter that he read previously. ‘Go ahead. Be happy. I will always love you. Even if you don’t love me back.’ Those words kept on ringing inside his head. All those years, she had love me. I was madly searching my brain for any memories I had with her.
“Jason?” I heard someone call my name from behind. Her voice sounded familiar, Reyna. It was her voice. I turned and found out that I was right. “Hey, Reyna.” I greeted her. She looked at me for a while and then turned her attention to the city below us. “Beautiful isn’t it?” I asked her. Trying to break the silence between the two of us. “Yeah.” Reyna answered me. “Everyday I think of maybe living here, after retiring from praetorship. Maybe with a particular someone. My ears turned red because I understand what she was talking about. “I saw your letter.” I blurted out. Her eyes widened and asked me with a nervous tone. “Wh-what letter?” “The one where you say you love me.” I cursed to myself. Why did I say that? Now she’s just going to stay away from me. I looked to Reyna and saw her hugging herself, it is quite chilly in here, so I opened my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She winced at my warm touch. “Such a gentleman, huh Grace?” She said to me, a wide grin on her face. It was pleasant to see her smile that way. It was a very long time since I saw her that way. I can’t help but smile too.
“Anyways, I need to talk to you about something.” Right after I said that, her smile disappeared, replaced with a frown. I wished I could take that back. I’d do anything to see her smile that way again. “About what?” She asked, eyes fixated on the distance, no longer looking at me. “About everything, about us.” I said, I really need to know her true feelings for me. “As far as I know, there is no such thing as an… us.” She said, pointing to both of us. “I saw your letter cabinet.” I just can’t take it anymore. I needed answers. Her cup of hot chocolate fell slipped out of her hands and spilled all over the ground. She immediately crouched down and try to clean it up. I summoned some hot wind to dry it up. She still crouched, eyes on the floor, refusing to look at me. When I finally saw her face, I saw that her eyes were glistening with tears, about to break loose, to spill all over her face. “Just ignore what I just said.” I told her. “I can’t stand seeing you sad.” She looked so forlorn that Jason can’t bear the guilt weighing him down. He should’ve been by Reyna’s side all along. He should’ve told her his feelings for her when he still could, when they were still young and innocent and care-free. Now it’s too late. Too late to tell her. Too late to be with her. Too late for everything.

Notes

Hi! It's Eliza !!! Hope you enjoy this new chapter update!!
Again, sorry for all the spelling and grammatical errors in this chapter (and the whole story too)

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