It took Percy a couple minutes to catch his breath but once he did, his expression grew serious. "Why didn't you want to see him? And how did he even know your name? I thought you didn't know him here."
Penelope sighed. She really hadn't wanted to discuss Roman or anything that happened on the other side with Percy because she didn't think he would understand. But he had just run about a fourth of a mile down the beach with her over his shoulder so she figured she owed him.
She sat down on the sand and pulled her knees up to her chest in a self-comforting gesture. Thinking about Roman over the past few weeks had been painful but seeing him in person was much worse.
"I don't. The guy next to him is my boss; he's the one who called out to me. I didn't want to see him because it hurt, okay? I spent a lot of time with the other Roman so seeing this one not know me would feel wrong," Penelope explained.
