Page 12 of The Kiss Class

Dadaszek, forgive me for the Christmas gift trip to Europe if you hate it. I know how you feel and won’t ever spring something on you again.

“Cara is going to fall for Nolan,” Ilsa says, like they have a bet on the side.

The two of them banter back and forth about my one true love and how they’ll get matchmaking credit and become my favorite sister. In this family, there are no favorites, but we faux fight about it anyway.

Just then, my phone beeps again.

Ilsa squeals and checks it. The facial recognition feature thinks we’re all the same person, so we have access to each other’s devices, which tells me one thing. While I was mixing the shortbread dough, she took the liberty to reach out to the guy whose number she nabbed from our father’s phone.

Let’s just say this isn’t the first time an attempt of this sort has been made. In the past, I was able to intercept a not-so-innocent love note before she pressedsend. For the record, I did not have a crush on Augie Mitchum. We helped each other with math.

i(<3)uwas the answer to a problem. Ilsa trying to translate it toI love youwas incorrect.

Her eyes bulge. “Oh, he’s flirty.”

“What did you write?” I lunge for my phone and scan the messages.

Me: Hey, we met after the game last night, and I got your number from a friend. I hope that’s okay. I was the one wearing the red scarf.

“I have a pink scarf.” My nostrils flare. “You posed as me.”

Ilsa shrugs. “Jack said it was fine if I acted on your behalf. We’re identical triplets. Nolan wouldn’t know the difference with me all bundled up.”

Knight in Shining Armor: What are you craving right now?

Me: Snacks.

Only the “Me” is Ilsa, pretending to be yours truly.

Never mind my cheeks, my entire body heats with the burnof embarrassment. “Ilsa, I would never have written that. I don’t even know what that means.”

“Exactly.” She winks.

Anna says, “It’s a way of telling him you think he’s cute without telling him you think he’s cute.”

“But I didn’t see him, you did,” I say to Ilsa.

“You’d approve.”

“My judgment cannot be trusted. I thought a guy on the plane was cute, and it turns out that he smelled like?—”

My phone beeps in my hand, and Ilsa snatches it, rapidly typing out a reply. I practically have to wrestle it from her.

Knight in Shining Armor: If you were a piece of fruit, what would you be?

Me: A perfect peach.

I gasp. “Are you saying I have a big butt?”

Anna taps my rear end. “You have a perfect butt.”

“I’m not cut out for this.” I hide my face in my hands.

“That’s why we’re here to help.”

“Anna just means that when talking to guys, sometimes you have to add some of Dadaszek’s favorite hot sauce to spice things up.”

“ButKablamski!is not hot,” I say, ever logical.

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