Page 10 of Never Ever Getting Back Together

“No. But I’m not above begging.”

“Okay. Maybe try begging a little harder.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

I wait.

“Please, Maya. I ambeggingyou. Please don’t make me do this without you. I promise I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll be ensuring VIP treatment for you. Anything I can give you, I will. Just, please.Pleasetell me I haven’t just signed up for this for nothing.”

He’s convincing.

He always has been.

The weird thing about this call is it’s reminding me whyI fell for him to begin with. I’ve spent so long being mad at myself for not seeing who he was, and for taking him at his word. But you know what? It wasn’t fair to blame myself for that. There weren’t signs. Not really.

That’s what makes him so dangerous.

“I guess,” I say finally, “I could take a look at my schedule and shuffle some things around.”

“Wait, really?”

“Since you asked so nicely.”

“You have just made my day,” he says. “Oh my god. Awesome.”

“I’m actually sort of busy right now, though. So, if you could just tell Gwendolyn…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll let her know. So, you’re in? It’s a definite yes?”

“Yeah. I’ll do it. Why not?” Okay. This is happening. No backing out now.

Cool. Cool, cool.

H e l p.

“Awesome. This is so awesome. Well, I am very much looking forward to this now.”

“I’m glad. Sorry I can’t chat. I’ve got important stuff to… stuff.”

“No, please, go ahead. I’ll, ah, talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay. Bye, Jordy.”

“Bye, Maya. It was really good to talk to you. Really good.”

Rosie looks like she’s about to combust. I hastily hang up the phone, just in time, as she lets out a squawk of disgust. “Is he forreal?”

“All bullshit, all of it,” I say. “He can’tbreathewithout a lie in the exhale.”

She nods, then bites her lip. “Hey, Maya? I thought of something while you were on the phone.”

Oh, good,that’sa promising tone. “Yes?”

“Do you think Skye will be there?”

My smile of victory fades into a horrified frown.

Shit. I forgot about Skye.

---