“Yes, silly. Why do you think I had us meet here today? When we came here the first time, I told you maybe when the year was over we could go out. Well, what was a maybe is now a definitely. It was never my plan, but I like you now, Max. As in like-like you.”
Then Ellie kisses me, and the world collapses in on itself. Her lips are soft and warm and perfect, and I’m so shocked, so stunned, I don’t immediately kiss her back. This isn’t like the quick “for luck” kiss she gave me before. This is a universe destroyer. Then her fingers begin tracing the back of my neck up into my hair, and oh God, there’s her tongue on mine. And now I’m kissing her back with my hands on her hips, and she’s not stopping me. We fall and become entwined on the radar dish, our mouths together, our hands on each other. The hot summer sun overhead could supernova right now and I wouldn’t care. Because Ellie’s right. Any lies she may have told led us to this perfect moment. I can leave here with her, the two of us a couple, and return to Asheville and my friends and not tell anyone what I know. Because, man, I’ve wanted this for so long, and Ellie’s mouth is amazing, and her hands are moving to all the right places.
I mean, I could do all that, right? Not tell the other three what I know? Isn’t it only a betrayal if someone gets hurt? I mean, yeah, it’ll be hard knowing Ellie set up Wheeler, Malone, and Adleta, but doesn’t the mastermind have to carry the heaviest weight? And isn’t your crew only your crew as long as there’s a job to pull?
Aren’t they?
Please?
Shit.
I pull away, and Ellie leans farther in. If she gets her mouth on mine again, I’m a goner. So I back safely out of the kissing zone and hold out a hand to stop her from advancing.
“I’m leaving,” I say.
“Max,” she says, taking my arm. “Everything’s fine. It all worked out for every one of us. If the phrase ‘the end justifies the means’ was ever fitting, it’s here. Yes, bad things happened, but we can forget about that and move on—together. The two of us.”
Ellie sounds sincere, but I can’t be sure if she really is. She’s that good of an actress. That’s the problem with liars—you never know if what you’re hearing is the truth.
“Come on, Max, admit it. You’ve had more fun this year than you’ve ever had, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then why end it?” she says. “Who cares how we got started? What matters is what we became. We’re an amazing team. What just happened proves it. And imagine what the five of us can achieve next year…and the fun you and I can have this summer.”
I see it all clearly now—Ellie Wick is the devil.
I stand up and step toward the ladder.
“So let me get this straight,” she says, standing too. “We had an awesome year, and I’m telling you I want us to be together, but you’re turning me down?”
“I can’t trust you.”
It’s a few seconds before Ellie says anything. “Have you told the others yet?”
“No, but they deserve to know.”
“They’ll hate me.”
“Maybe.”
Ellie’s eyes go slowly cold. It’s a disturbing, frightening shift. I swear the temperature drops twenty degrees.
“I can’t just let you ruin my life like that,” she says. “If you go through with it, then you’re my mortal enemy, Maxwell Cobb. Isn’t that what would happen in one of your little heist films? The crew leader kicks someone out and that person comes back for revenge?”
If she’s trying to shrink my balls, she’s succeeded.
“You don’t need to do that,” I say.
“No, I don’t. But think of the fun I can have. Or”—and she puts on a voice that could make cartoon birds flock to her—“you can forget everything and we can rule the school next year as a couple. It’s up to you.”
I understand now this was all a game to her. She’s even used that very word. Was she ever really as tortured by the Chaos Club’s prank on her dad as she said or was that just a convenient excuse to get us to play her game? I’ll probably never know. Heist victims are always left with unanswered questions. But if I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that I have the strength to handle whatever Ellie can throw at me.
“I can’t have a supervillain for a girlfriend,” I say.
“Oh, Max, you don’t know the meaning of supervillain yet.”
I start down the ladder, feeling her eyes on me.
“I can’t wait to hear you try to sell this story to people,” she says. “They’re going to put you in a mental hospital.”
“It doesn’t matter, Ellie. The right people will believe me.”
At the base of the tower, I wipe the rust off my hands.
“This is your last chance, Max,” Ellie says. “Summer fun with me or complete chaos. It’s up to you.”
But there’s no real choice here.
There never was.
Someone else might get scared and give in, but not me. Not anymore. Whatever I’m giving up with Ellie is nothing compared to what I’ve gained. With my crew on my side, nothing can touch me. Besides, every mastermind knows Heist Rule #25: Know when to walk away.
Before starting down the hill, I return Ellie’s smile.
“Game on.”
Acknowledgments