LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . hoo

EPILOGUE.

almost two years later

* * *

Mia's life was chaos, but at least she could depend on certain moments to block out the chaos and just . . . relax.

Like now, sitting in the Jackson apartment, talking to Mrs. Blofis — Sally, Mia could not get used to calling her that — for her weekly relaxation time. Apparently Sally worked for a writing company that was a part of Mia's growing empire, so she made a point to visit, because Sally deserved it.

"You've come very far, Mia," Sally told her. She didn't look up, engrossed in delicately tearing a cookie in half, but she hummed in question. "Look at you, traveling halfway across the world to put some good in the world! You should be proud."

Mia felt a corner of her lips raise. "I'll be proud when I've succeeded in my goals. But I appreciate it nonetheless." She looked down at her phone, letting out a sigh as she stood up. "Unfortunately, I have to go," she apologized.

Sally gave her a small smile. "Who are you having dinner with?"

"Some deadbeat CEO," Mia huffed, rolling her eyes. "Nina said something about it being a good opportunity. Which means that I will be stealing his company, because Nina's good ideas either involve tactical robbery or paying millions of dollars for an insane plan, or both. I mean, I've made up insane plans for free. You know. I hung out with your son, after all."

"You dated him," Sally added.

Mia sighed. "That will always be the most insane thing I've ever done," she said regretfully. "Even beating the Eclipse Ball. I can't believe Nico ever convinced me to do that disaster of a speech while he attempted to ruin all of the attendees' lives using my credit card and war elephants. I will never know how he got Hannibal cross-country."

Sally laughed, and opened her arms so Mia could fall in them, hugging her tightly. "Come back safely."

"I will," Mia pulled away, a real smile on her face. And then she heard the door open, too early for Mr. Blofis to be home — and her heart sank when she a familiar voice that she hadn't heard in person for two years spoke.

"Hey, mom! I — who's that?" Confusion was evident in Percy's tone. Mia didn't turn to look at him, but she could practically see his face; his eyebrows furrowed, sea green eyes narrowed.

Right. Percy's home. Mia totally hadn't forgotten about that. She'd wanted to leave long before he'd even got here, but it was so comforting, being in this apartment, talking to someone who wasn't all that connected to a life that she'd forced herself to live. Sometimes, she'd get breaks from her life when Nico and / or Hazel came over, but even vacationing somewhere nice didn't give her a break — not when those trips were usually work trips. These moments were her best reprieve from her never-stopping, hard life.

Mia exhaled and turned to face him. He looked mostly the same as the last time she'd seen him; a little older, of course, shorter hair because that was the Romans' style, tan from the California sun. "Hey, Percy."

He stared at her for a second; at her face, her newly dyed pink hair ( was a week and a half new? ), and her black jumpsuit, and he told her: "Why do you always have a new identity every time I meet you for the first time in a long time?"

Mia's eyebrows slightly raised. "It's not a new identity if I'm always Amelia Starfury."

"You told me that you liked Amelia more when I asked you on the Pax," Percy remembered. "You hate being called by your full name."

"Well, I've had to grow used to it, so going by it for nine months did wonders for my mental dislike for it," Mia shrugged. "Everyone around me calls me it now."