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TWENTY-SEVENSkye

When Maya arrives back at the mansion, I’m right there to greet her. She practically launches into my arms, and I spin her around in a hug by the steps.

“Wish we got that on camera,” Isaac muses, before saying goodbye to us.

“So,” I say, taking pains to sound casual as she wheels her suitcase to our room. “How did it go? Any success?”

“Honestly,” she says, “maybe. Solid maybe.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Like, you know Jordy, it’s hard to tell what the truth is and when he’s just bullshitting his way through life, but I definitely felt like I left him wanting more. I did everything I could.”

“You weren’t too nice to him?”

“Landed on a happy medium between hate and love.”

“Did you kiss him?”

“A bit.”

“Oh.” I try to ignore the sensation that washes over me at this. It’s quite difficult to ignore it, however, because it’s the distinct sensation of being crushed beneath a falling elephant. “Good. That should’ve helped.”

“Depends how strong my powers of seduction are,” Maya says.

“Very.” The word escapes my mouth before I have the chance to grant it permission.

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t worry.”

Maya gives me a curious look, but I just wiggle my eyebrows at her.

“Soooooo,” she says, closing the door gently.

My heart skips a beat, which my heart simply does not do. My heart is usually extraordinarily calm and rational, especially when it comes to actions as simple as closing a door. “So,” I say. It comes out fractured, and I clear my throat.

Maya leans against the door, then kicks off from it and claps once. “It’s just the three of us now. I think we should talk strategy.”

Oh. I’d thought… she was going to say something else. “Strategy.”

“Yeah. Like, I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna get picked for the final night alone with Jordy next week no matter what, because Ijustsaw him. But we should think of some things for you to do and say if you get through, because, honestly, it’s about fifty-fifty between you and Perrie, and having that last night with him will go a long way, considering you haven’t really had that big long date with him yet. Hey, how’s this? I’m planning! Are you proud of me?”

My smile is so tight I can almost hear it creak with the effort. “Mm!”

Maya, totally oblivious to my discomfort, plows on and starts pacing. “And, also, I was thinking we should pre-plan what we say when we reject Jordy next week. We could probably come up with the same speech, I guess, because it’s not like both of us will get a shot to use it, right? I was thinkingsomething along the lines of ‘Actually, Jordy, I want to askyoua question. Why would Ieverwant to be with a slimy, lying, misogynistic, cheating asshole who’s only here to make headlines that have nothing to do with his sister?’ Good, huh? Because, by the way, he basically said that to me last night. Like, what a fucking narcissist, right?”

“One week to go, then it’s over for good,” I say, watching her carefully. Has it occurred to her that, if one of usdoeswin, there’s a chance that we’ll be separated from that moment onward? And after the finale, we’ll be flying to different continents?

“I know,” she crows. “I amso! Ready!For this to be over!”

Apparently not. Color me shocked at the shortsightedness.

“But I’m also freaked out, you know?” she says, swinging around to face me. “Like, there is asolidchance of Perrie winning this thing. Then what? It’ll all just be for nothing?”

“I don’t know,” I say. “I want to see him suffer, too, but I wouldn’t say all of this was for nothing. I’ve actually enjoyed it here, funnily enough.”

Maya surveys me fondly. “That’s really nice,” she says.