I tucked my arm around her as we walked toward the parking lot, our breath fogging the air. “So,” I said. “Still think this was a mistake?”
She tilted her head against my shoulder. “Definitely not.”
I smiled into her hair. “Good.”
And somewhere behind us, the Ferris wheel lights blinked one last time before going dark—like the universe was finally calling it a night too.
epilogue
MAKO
“All right, men, are we ready?” Tino asked. I looked up and down the hallway as if Bear and Crossy were going to spawn out of nowhere to join the mission.
“I’m not sure you can say men when it’s only me,” I pointed out.
Tino rolled his eyes. “Mako, we talked about this. We have to treat it as though the whole team is here?—“
“Bear hasn’t shown up for this once! I’m not sure he can be considered on the team.”
“—even when they’re stuck in a club meeting,” Tino continued, ignoring me.
I sighed but decided it wasn’t worth the argument. Tino pressed his back to the hallway wall and tapped the imaginary earpiece he didn’t have.
“Target is in Lilah and Poppy’s room,” he whispered.
“You know they can hear you, right?” I whispered back.
We were not secret agents. We were two sleep-deprived teenage boys in hoodies, creeping down the girls’ dorm hallway like criminals whose greatest enemy was a door advisor. Butwhen your best friend was locked in an ongoing custody battle over a stuffed penguin, you showed up.
The room was dark except for a string of fairy lights over the desk as Tino eased the door open. Tino slipped inside like he actually knew what he was doing, while I hovered near the door, keeping watch and trying not to think about how humiliating it would be to get caught stealing a plush toy. Tino beelined for Lilah’s bed, but froze as he came up beside it, which made me tense up too.
“No,” he muttered. “No, no, no.”
I stepped inside and scanned the room. Lilah’s pillows were stacked. Poppy’s desk chair was tucked in. There was no penguin in sight.
From the shadows near the window, Lilah’s voice floated out, smug and delighted. “Looking for something, Agent Valentine?”
Suddenly, the lights flipped on. I muttered a curse and held a hand over my eyes as they adjusted to the sudden light. Lilah sat cross-legged on Poppy’s, arms folded, like she’d been waiting for us. Poppy leaned against the dresser, chewing gum and grinning like this was the best show she’d seen all week.
Tino put a hand over his heart. “You moved him.”
Lilah shrugged. “Prove it.”
“This violates the Geneva Convention,” Tino said. “Penguins are neutral parties.” Tino scanned the room again, growing more frantic by the second. “He was here this afternoon.”
“And now he’s not,” Lilah said sweetly. “Crazy how time works.”
Tino scanned the room and straightened suddenly. “Where’s Saylor?”
The room went quiet. Poppy blinked. Lilah’s smile faltered just a fraction. Tino swore under his breath and spun toward the door. “She’s got him.”
I barely had time to react before he was sprinting down the hall. I followed, mostly because running after Tino had become a full-time job. I was on his heels by the time we reached Saylor’s room and when he burst inside, I came tumbling in behind him, almost leap-frogging over him as I slammed into his back. Saylor, who seemed to be sitting at her desk doing homework, yelped.
“What is wrong with you?” She yelled.
Tino ignored her as he focused on her bed. “There you are!”
He dove toward the bed, hands outstretched, fully prepared to tackle the mattress if necessary. I didn’t even notice the penguin sitting there until he pulled it out from under the covers and clutched it to his chest like a rescued child.
