Piper's guilt was consuming her every second of the days that passed with you in her arms. The way she held you tightly with every hug. Kissing you for the longest of time so long as the air did not fade away. Laughing at the made-up songs you sang as the two of you sang together during late summer nights outside in the Oklahoma woods of Piper's home. There was also a time she had wished she could say 'I love you' but... that wasn't possible.

Not when she's still mourning over the loss of Jason, her ex-boyfriend and best friend. Sometimes, she could almost see Jason in you. The crooked smile, the spark of hope in your eyes, and the firm loyalty to those closest to you. It was like you had the best aspects of Jason. Too much like him.

While her memories have finally started to set in reality, both the fraudulent and the genuine ones, the daughter of Aphrodite still feels immense guilt for trying to move on freely. Not when she was still conflicted about what she thought she had with Jason.

You listened to her worries and apologies towards you, staying silent as your girlfriend spoke about the world she belonged to- or still belonged to- as she still became pulled in by other demigods or the Greek Gods themselves. You knew of her previous relationship, one with another demigod that was a false start to her new life as a demigod. But the way Piper always spoke of him told you that she was not over him. Sometimes, you could almost hear her whisper Jason's name when she thought you weren't listening.

"All those memories- false memories- did a number on me," Piper explained as she held you close into her arms. "The way that goddess pushed us together and my mother wants us to be seen as the perfect couple... It did a number to me. To my feelings and who I want to be."

"It also makes me feel so guilty about being with you... Using you." Piper confessed. "I feel like I'm using you to help myself move along but I-I can't."