Page 8 of Serendipity

I typed everything he told me to buy into my notes app, then got dressed and headed outside into the snow to get to the grocery store.

Once I got there, I grabbed a cart and pushed it inside, and before I could even reach the fruits, Jonah stepped in front of me.

“Busy?” he asked, tilting his head to the side and giving me that half-grin guys always used to seem charming.

“Hi, Jonah. I’m just getting a few things for tonight. I thought you were off to go skiing with your girlfriend.”

“That got canceled. She headed back home for the holidays. It’s a Christmas miracle,” he chuckled.

I scrunched up my nose and wondered if that was an actual funny thing he just said.

It wasn’t.

Jesus.

He really should break up with her if he just keeps lying to her.

“There’s a party at Quincy’s tonight. Think you could join me? Don’t really wanna go alone,” he said, checking me out from head to toe and making me extremely uncomfortable.

“Sounds fun,” I said with a fake smile. “But I can’t. I have a boyfriend at home who’ll be waiting on me.”

“Bummer. Another time?”

“No,” I replied honestly. “Why don’t you ask someone else? I’m sure there are hundreds of girls at Lakewood who would go with you willingly.”

“I don’t wanna ask anyone else,” he said, raising a brow.

“Are you sure? Would you have gone out of your way to ask people for my number if you hadn’t seen me here or have you been stalking me?”

His grin grew, and I was starting to think that he thought I was playing hard to get.

“Why make it so hard when you could just say yes and be my date tonight?”

Was this guy for real?

Holy shit!

“Jonah, I have a boyfriend, and you have a girlfriend. There will be no other guys I’m going to date. And you shouldn’t ask other girls out either. It’s not fair to your girlfriend,” I told him, hoping he would understand and walk away.

“Oh, come on, babe. Redheads like you are known for partying and going wild. I’m sure your old man won’t be offended if you hang around guys your age for once.”

Right.

That was it.

“Have a nice day, Jonah,” I muttered, pushing my cart past him but not getting too far.

He placed his foot in front of the cart to stop it, and I looked up at him with a serious look on my face.

“Don’t be like this, babe.”

“Don’tbabeme, Jonah. I’m sure you don’t even remember my name. I really have to go. Just accept my rejection and move on.”

He didn’t move for a while.

Was he seriously trying to remember my name?

Jesus Christ…

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