LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . pjo

XXVII.

MIA WAS LITERALLY dying because of a boy.

Even though, as a child, she and Sophia had promised to never be involved with boys, and now look at her. Getting stabbed in the shoulder because her boyfriend would've been stabbed and probably wouldn't have died, considering his immunity due to the River Styx.

She should tell Sophia about the fact that she wasn't single. She probably wasn't in Manhattan. And maybe . . . Mia should say goodbye.

"Silena," Mia croaked. Silena was calling Percy and Annabeth, telling them to come over. Blackjack had dropped Mia off on the terrace and flew away. The commotion had alerted Silena, who'd immediately ordered for Cabin 11 to help get her on a lounge chair, get blankets to put on her, and treat her wound as best they could. Now it was just Mia and Silena, the latter telling her she was stupid for getting stabbed.

Silena hung up the phone and turned to glare at Mia. "What, Mia? I've told you everything I think about your stupidity."

"I owed him," Mia giggled, but it hurt. "For last summer. And because he makes me so happy, even though I don't deserve his love. And if I die right now . . . I'm free from this hell that I put myself in."

"You deserve happiness, Mia," Silena said gently, her face falling. "And you didn't want to join Luke. I did. And now Charlie's dead for it."

"I hate this, Silena," Mia said. "I fucking hate this. But I can't let Soph die, because I failed. Speaking of her . . ." she nodded toward the phone. "Can you call her for me?"

"Yeah," Silena breathed out. "What's her number?"

So Mia talked to Soph as Silena wiped away the sweat on her forehead, despite how cold she felt. Must've been the poison.

"I don't have too much energy to talk, Soph," Mia told her. "I might die."

"What?" Sophia asked, her voice groggy. At least she'd picked up her phone, even though it must've been around three in the morning. "I know there's stuff happening in Manhattan, but—"

"I literally just got stabbed with a poisonous knife, Soph," Mia groaned. "You could stand to be a little more awake."

"Holy shit," Sophia gasped, and Mia could hear her pacing. "What do you want me to do, you stupid idiot? Come over there?"

"No, like you said, stuff's happening in Manhattan," Mia snickered. "But I just wanted to tell you . . . I love you. Just in case."

"I love you too," Sophia's voice cracked. "But you'll get to tell me that again. I'm sure of it."

"If you insist," Mia said, her voice heavy. "Anyway, Percy asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes."

Sophia literally squealed so loud, it alerted one of the maids. Mia heard it from the other side of the phone call. She giggled as Sophia went on and on about how excited she was that Mia was dating Percy and how cute they are and how Percy should join the family.

"No, he would not want to take our last name, do you see the reputation it's gained?" Mia asked just as the terrace doors opened, and she looked up to see Percy's familiar sea green eyes and she looked down at the phone. "Hey, Soph, I've gotta go. Know that I love you more than everything, alright? I will see you again."

"Yeah, let me sleep, you bastard," she could practically feel Sophia rolling her eyes. "I love you too. More than the stars that are shining and dying out. Bye, sappy idiot."

"More than the stars," Mia agreed. "Bye, sappier idiot."

Silena hung up the phone, and she saw Percy kneel down beside her and move the hair from her forehead, kissing it as he grabbed her hand. "Mia . . ."