Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 34

Percy POV

The plane wheels screeched against the tarmac, and I felt the familiar lurch of landing deep in my stomach. I gripped the armrest, trying not to let the nervous energy spill over. California smelled different already—like warm air, salt from somewhere near the coast, and something tangibly... new.

Jason nudged me lightly, a grin on his face that was both teasing and excited. "Welcome to the land of endless sunshine and terrible traffic."

Piper rolled her eyes but smiled. "And we're not even in LA yet."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My hands still shook slightly as I unbuckled my seatbelt. Two months. Two months of planning, saving, thinking about this exact moment. I needed to see her. I needed to fix what I'd broken. And now, we were here.

The airport was a whirlwind of sounds—rolling suitcases, distant announcements, people hurrying along—but I barely noticed. My eyes kept scanning, as if looking for some kind of sign that Annabeth was already here, waiting, or that something had gone wrong and I'd never get to see her again.

Jason, noticing my tension, clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, man. She's not going anywhere. Let's just get our bags and head to Reyna's place."

Reyna's place. That was going to be our temporary home while we tried to track her down. I felt a pang of nerves. I didn't know what I was expecting—maybe a little apartment in some quiet neighborhood—but hearing about Reyna before, I knew this wouldn't be completely ordinary.

We moved through the crowd, grabbing our bags from the carousel. Piper chatted easily about the city, pointing out the differences from New York, but I barely registered it. My thoughts were elsewhere, tangled with the memory of Fredrick Chase's words, the weight of what I'd realized about my own heart, and the ache that had been building ever since the breakup.

Finally, we were out on the street. The sun hit me like a warm wave, and I could feel the tension in my shoulders begin to loosen, just a fraction. Jason hailed a rideshare, and soon we were cruising through streets lined with palm trees, the buildings stretching in bright, clean lines, unfamiliar but inviting.

"So, this is Reyna's neighborhood?" Piper asked, looking out the window.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "She's our host for now. Apartment 3B. Pretty quiet area, at least from what I've heard."

Jason nodded. "Good. Quiet is exactly what you need, Percy. Well... quiet and maybe a little motivation."

I looked out the window, watching the city blur by, and for the first time in weeks, I allowed myself a flicker of hope. California wasn't home yet, not in the way New York had been. Not yet. But it was the place where I could chase her, where I could make things right—or at least try.

When we finally reached Reyna's building, my stomach twisted with anticipation. It was smaller than I expected, tucked back from the street, with a neat courtyard in front. The kind of place where neighbors might wave politely but leave each other alone. Exactly what we needed.

Reyna herself opened the door almost immediately, her dark eyes scanning us with that same calm, calculating expression I remembered from the stories Jason had told. She stepped aside.

"Welcome," she said simply, voice steady. "I wasn't expecting visitors yet, but you're welcome to stay. Apartment 3B is ready."

Jason grinned. "You've got yourself some new roommates," he said, nudging me lightly.

I swallowed, my throat tight. "Thanks," I said softly, barely meeting her eyes. Part of me was itching to ask if Annabeth had been here, if she'd come while we were in transit—but I held back. That surprise would be better in person.