She looks down at the water as Nora looks down at the flowers in her hand. She hands a few to her daughter and she accepts them. They both drop them into the water, silently crying. "W-what..." Mia closes her mouth, trying to not cry. "What do we do now?" Mia asks. Nora looks at her daughter and wraps her arms around her daughter. Mia slowly laces her arms around Nora's waist. Mia quietly cries and tightens her grip around her mom. Mia has been keeping so much of her pain in this entire time, but now it felt like she could barely keep it together.

Mia nervously looks down at her hands as the door opens. The blonde looks up and she felt her heart stop, she wanted to leave. But her legs weren't moving, her heartbeat echoes throughout her ears. "Five minutes." The officer says.

Mia licks her lips. "I knew you would come...one day." He says. Mia lightly touches her bracelet. "I'm here for one reason, and one reason only." Mia says, finally talking. John tilts his head, "And why is that?" He asks.

"To tell you...that you don't scare me. You're going to rot in here." Mia states. "I'm looking at you now and I see that...I should've NEVER been scared of you. You're a coward and you mean...NOTHING to me." Mia seethes. With each word, John got more furious. "I'm not under your thumb anymore, John..." Mia straightens her back with confidence.

John shakes his head, he rubs his hands against his beard. "Em, come on--"

"Don't call me that." Mia snaps. "You FUCKING monster!"

Mia stands up, she looks at the guard. He walks over to them, John looks at Mia then the guard. "No, no--FUCK MIA!" He shoots up from his seat and grabs her wrist. Mia gasps in pain. "Go to Hell, Johnny." Mia shoves him back as the guard pins him to the table. Mia grabs her purse she sees her bracelet on the table and she grabs it and sprints out of the visiting area.

==========

Mia looks at Clay, her hands in his. She could barely breathe, her eyes were burning from the tears that were ready to leave her eyes. "M-Monty?" Mia questions, she looks at all of her friends. They give her sympathetic looks and she exhales, tears pricking her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mia." Clay wraps his arms around her. Mia hugs him back and quietly cries. Mia saw their expressions filled with sympathy for her figuring out that Monty killed Bryce.

But their expressions were filled with sympathy, because that wasn't the truth. Monty didn't kill Bryce. They just needed everyone to believe that. And of course they all talked about telling Mia. But they don't know what could happen, if she would go to the police with the actual information that Alex killed Bryce. Maybe she would keep it a secret, but Clay didn't want her to carry that burden or knowing who was the real killer.

After they were all sitting in silence Mia inhales. "I...I should get home." Mia wipes her tears. Clay stands up from the bed. "I can take you home if you'd like." Clay says. Mia touches his hand and shakes her head. "No, I just...I need time to...think..." Mia says quietly.

Mia looks at him, "I'll be fine." Mia says, she grabs her bag. The blonde turns and looks at all of them with a soft expression. "I-I'll see you guys later." She walks out of the room. Clay presses his hand against his mouth.

Mia sits in her car for a second. "You know...I didn't kill your brother, right?"

Mia turns her head and looks at Monty. She closes her eyes and shakes her head slightly. She opens her eyes and Monty wasn't there anymore.

==========

"Caleb, Tony, and Mia. We're not a religious family but we can say a prayer, if you'd like?" Clay's mom offers. They were all sitting around the table, Mia was in between Clay and Justin.

Mia looks at Tony and Caleb. "I gave up on the Catholics when they gave up on us, Mrs. Jensen." Tony quips.

"I'm a recovering baptists myself." Caleb adds. Mia sighs, "Uh, we don't usually have Thanksgiving dinner at my house." Mia says, her cheeks heating up.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mia." Clay's dad says. Mia presses her lips together. "Well, our tradition is to just go around the table and say what we're thankful for." He says. "I'm thankful for having so many people around the table."

"I am thankful for Tony." Caleb says, causing all of them to smile.

"I'm...that family can be...where you find it." Tony says.

"I am thankful that Clay is here, and that he has so many people that care about him." Lainie says.

Mia touches Clay's hand and he gently squeezes it. "Uh, I'm...thankful to...have family at all. And...I haven't stayed clean...all this time. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lying to you guys." Justin begins. Tears brim his eyes and he wipes his nose. "And I...I probably need more help." Justin says quietly.

Justin looks around at everyone and he tries to laugh off his pain. "I didn't mean to bring...bring the mood down." Justin says. Mia gently touches his hand. He looks at her and she nods her head, telling him she understands.

"We will get you whatever help you need, Justin. We promise." Lainie says.

Mia raises her brows. "Uh--I'm thankful for...Clay, and I'm also thankful for...being alive today." Mia says, "And...I...never actually thought that I'd be thankful for that, honestly." Mia chuckles. "And, the fact that I feel that way now makes me feel...whole again." Mia finishes.

She sees the proud expressions on everyone's face. Clay touches her thigh and Mia smiles. "I'm thankful to be here with all of you. And, um...I'm thankful to be alive." Clay says, the somber tension floating in the air.

With the same thought in their head, Mia and Justin speak. "Amen!"

Clay exhales, and Mia laughs softly. "Amen! Let's eat!"

==========

"You did, but I'm not sure you meant it, then." Nora says.

"Mia tells me you're a good young man." Nora says.

"I'm trying to be, Mrs. Walker. I'm...really trying hard." Clay says.

Nora steps aside and Clay enters. He stops walking and turns to Nora. "Your daughters is very important to me. I just...I'd like to make sure you know that I would never do anything to hurt her, and she's very brave." Clay says to Nora.

Nora inhales, "Mia is a...stubborn girl, she's very intelligent...but she leads with her heart. Sometimes...even into things that do not involve her." Nora states.

"Yes. I'm afraid we both have that in common." He laughs quietly, but Nora doesn't crack a smile.

"But I...I would do anything to protect her. I mean--not that she needs me to, obviously. Other way around." Nora says.

"She offered to run away with you. Even though she had nothing to do with that investigation, she gave you the offer anyway." Nora states.

Clay's eyes slightly widen. "Uh--"

"I'm not asking, I know this...I heard it." Mia's mom says, stunning Clay. "But you didn't let her."

Clay shakes his head, "No, I didn't want her too." He says.

Nora nods her head, she walks into the kitchen with Amara Josephine in there. "Would you like some tea? While you wait." Nora looks at him.

Relief flows through Clay. "Yeah, please. Thank you." He says.

Ani and Mia walk downstairs talking with smiles on their faces, they were both wearing dresses. Mia and Ani look away from each other as they see Clay in the kitchen with Nora and Amara Jospehine.

"Damn..." Mia mumbles.

"Mom." Mia says as she stands by Clay.

Nora looks to her daughter standing by her boyfriend. "Is everything...okay?" She questions.

Nora inhales, "Yes, why wouldn't they be?" She questions.

Mia looks at Clay and he nods his head. Mia raises her brows and chuckles. "Damn." She says.

"Mia..." Nora says in a warning tone.

Mia rolls her lips into her mouth. "Sorry, we're gonna go now." Mia says.

The three leave and head over to Monet's.

==========

As Mia was in the bathroom Clay and Ani were discussing the plan they put in motion and it worked. They were waiting for everyone to get together so they could hang out. Mia came back to see everyone there. "Well, I wasn't in there for that long." Mia says with a snort. Clay walks over to her and she kisses his lips.

"So... you and my mom have a nice conversation?" She asks.

"Uh--yeah, I mean...I guess it was nice." Clay shrugs.

Mia presses her lips together and smiles. She peers into his blue eyes, "I love you." She says quietly.

Clay tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I love you, too." He says. Justin clinks a fork against his mug, catching everyone's attention. "All right, everybody. Everybody! Come on." Justin says.

Mia and Clay hold hands as they walk over to where they were gathering. "Hey...uh...I caught Tyler taking our picture a few months ago while Mia and I were working. And I wanted to go all...Alec Baldwin on him." Justin explains, causing some laughter. "Until Mia stopped me and I saw the picture. I told him he should do an exhibit here at Monet's. And he finally agreed. So here's Tyler." Justin points at Tyler.

Everyone claps as Tyler stands in front of them. "Uh...Hi, um...So there's a picture of everyone that's helped me this year. And I wanted to say thank you. Uh...having friends is an amazing thing." Tyler says as he walks off.

Justin points to Robby, he pulls a rope and the sheet falls off the wall, revealing the pictures. Mia smiles, "Holy crap!" She exclaims. She claps with everyone else. Mia points at one picture of Clay. "Dude, you look so hot right there." She says in his ear.

Clay shivers and he looks at her. Mia looks at him and he smiles. He points at one of the pictures, "Yeah, that dress on you..." Clay inhales, "That's pretty hot." He whispers.

Mia's smile falls and heat rises to her cheeks. She swallows, "That was...that was..." Mia clears her throat and coughs. Clay laughs at her bashful state, he finally got her. Mia nods her lip, "Well played." She chuckles.

Tony walks over to the couple. Mia turns and smiles, "Hey, Tony." She greets him.

"Hey, Mia--can I talk to you for a second?" Tony asks.

Mia nods her head she turns to Clay. "I'll be back..." she says softly, she walks to a secluded area with just the two of them.

"What's up?" Mia asks him.

"Uh--do you remember when you called me after you woke up in that Motel Room?" He asks, the memory flashing through both of their minds.

"How could I forget?" Mia questions.

Tony crosses his arms. "Well, I was wondering that maybe...if you ever need someone to talk to...you could call me again?" Tony questions.

A small smile grows on both of their lips. "Tony, are you...asking me to have you as a sponsor?" She asks.

Tony nods his head, "Yeah...I mean, I just...I know how hard it is to get help, because of prejudice." Tony shrugs.

Mia bites the inside of her lip. "Yeah, but...you have to live with that everyday. And what my dad did to you family it's not fair--"

"It's not your fault either." Tony says to her. "I stopped talking to you because of what your father did to my family and because of what Bryce did to Hannah and Jess, and who knows how many other girls."Tony rants.

Mia wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. "You're one of my closest friends and I'm sorry about how I've been treating you." Tony apologizes, hugging her back.

Mia shakes her head. "You had every right to be mad." Mia says. She separates from him, "I can pay you--"

"No, you don't have to do that." Tony shakes his head.

Mia raises her brows, "Tony..." Mia drags out his name.

Tony slightly shakes his head, "Fine, but like...10 bucks." Tony says.

Mia rolls her lips into her mouth and nods her head. "Yep, yep, of course."

Mia sits on the couch with Justin, Clay, and Jessica. "That's the trick, you have to make it out alive." Clay says.

"You know what? I want better than that." Jessica states. "We've been through so much shit and I just want something different. I want more." Jessica adds.

"I'm with you." Mia says.

"We deserve some fucking happiness." Jessica states.

"Yeah, we do." Justin agrees.

"Yes, we do." Clay says.

Mia runs a hand through Clay's hair and smiles at him, he looks at her and couldn't help but smile back, her smile always made him feel better. He looks down at the charm bracelet he gave her that was still on her wrist. He lightly touches it, "Thank you..." Clay says.

Mia pulls her brows together and smiles softly, "For what?" She asks.

"For standing by me through all of this." He chuckles. Mia leans forward and kisses his lips. She separates, "I'll always stand by you, Clay." She says.

"All of you." She looks at Justin and Jessica. Justin smiles and so does Jessica. "I love you guys!" Justin says in a cheesy voice.

Clay shakes his head, as the other three laugh. "Oh, my god. Shut up," Clay says.

"Way to ruing the moment." Jessica adds.

"That was gross." Mia adds.

"I'm embracing the moment." Justin laughs.

Mia lays her head on Clay's shoulder. "Can you get me some more coffee, please?" Jessica asks.

"Yeah, in a minute." Justin says.

"This couch is really comfy." He says.

"So comfy." Clay agrees. "I'm so tired." He says.

Mia chuckles, she intertwines her fingers with his. She keeps her head on his shoulder, Clay lays his head on the side of hers, the both of the for the first time in forever at peace.

A/N: That's the end of Book 3! I'm excited for Book 4 which will of course be the last book...big sad. Writing this story has definitely made me think about how much this series means to me, and I appreciate all of you sticking around to read it. Until next time❤️❤️