Page 16 of Never Ever Getting Back Together

So that’s what her voice sounds like. It’s higher pitched than I’d imagined, and smooth.Honeyed,a voice at the back of my mind suggests. I didn’t realize until now that I’d assigned a voice to a person I’ve seen dozens of photos of but never met, but apparently I did.

Gwendolyn trills a carefree laugh that doesn’t quite match her judgmentally raised eyebrow. “Yes, any activities within the property walls are fair game from here on out. Just make sure not to leave the mansion. And, of course, make sure to leave yourself enough time to wash your hair before the party.”

Maya’s fingers go unconsciously to her shoulder-length, auburn hair. It catches the sunlight as it moves, causing it to shimmer with a golden highlight.

A girl I don’t recognize, who’s wearing her own glossy black hair in a long ponytail, raises her hand. “How long do these parties last for?” She speaks with a British accent. I suppose she’s someone Jordy met after he left Canada. After he left me.

“That’s at our discretion,” Gwendolyn says. “But if you’reasking if you’ll have a chance to speak to Jordy—yes. Everyone will have their chance to spend ample time with Jordy.”

No one else has any questions after that, so Gwendolyn promptly moves on to room assignments. I’m directed to follow Isaac, along with Maya, and he steers us out of the room and up the sprawling staircases.

This is going to be interesting.

“You two belong to me,” Isaac explains as we walk. “Anything you need, I’m your first call. If I’m not around, feel free to ask whoever you find, but if they can’t help you, they can always get ahold of me. We’re staying nearby, so I can be here in ten minutes.”

“We belong to you, huh?” I ask drily, trying to catch Maya’s eye with a smile. She meets my gaze, but remains expressionless. In fact, her face borders right on the edges of cold.

It seems entirely possible Jordy wasn’t simply being overprotective. “My job over the next seven weeks is tied to you,” Isaac says. “You do well, I do well, so you canbelieveI’ll be looking out for both of you.”

“Let me guess: You get a bonus if one of us wins?” I ask.

“If one of you wins, you’ll be sending me and my boyfriend to Phuket for Christmas.”

We grin at each other.

Maya glances between us, stares me down with a look so icy it makes my heart skip a beat, then turns her head to send a brilliant smile in Isaac’s direction. “I’d say those are good odds for you,” she says to him.

Isaac stops in front of a door. “You know? I’ve got a good feeling.”

Behind the door is a dorm-style room. The ceiling towers above us, giving the illusion the room is much more spacious than it is, but on closer inspection there’s only room for a rug, a desk and chair, and a set of bunk beds against the wall.

Maya and I look at him, waiting to be told whose room this is.

“Well,” he says after an awkward pause. “Here you go.”

“Who?” Maya asks, shifting in place.

“You. You two.”

Oh. Oh no. It never occurred to me, given we’re spending the show’s duration in a mansion, that we might be required to share rooms. If it were anyone but Maya, this wouldn’t be so bad. One roommate isleaguesbetter than the eight-to-a-room dorms I’ve been staying in over the last couple of months. But it is Maya. And she’s looking at me with an expression that can only be described as aghast. As though she’s found out she’s sharing a room with Jack the Ripper. Is it at all possible this is still a misunderstanding? Maybe there’s an entirely innocent reason for Maya’s reaction. After all, caution is good, right? You can’t everreallybe certain the person you’ve just met isn’t a serial killer. Ted Bundy didn’t seem the type, after all, and he turned out to be just dreadful. Maybe Maya simply has a healthy sense of stranger danger, and she’ll warm up to me after an icebreaker.

Okay, fine, I’m not convincing myself for a second.

“I wasn’t told we’d be sharing rooms,” Maya says thinly.

Isaac shrugs. “There’s not that many usable rooms in the mansion. Most are conference halls and ballrooms.”

I fold my arms. “Really?”

“No, that’s just the party line, honestly. Cramming you together forces you all to talk, and that gives us more content. You can shuffle around later, once girls start going home, if you want.”

“Can we shuffle around now?” Maya asks.

Isaac grins and pokes her arm. “You’re funny. I like you.”

“No, really, what’s your price?”

“Full of jokes. Okay, well, it’s time for my lunch break, soI’ll leave you two to get settled in. Bathroom’s down the hall, kitchen’s downstairs, wander around long enough and you’ll find everything sooner or later. If a door’s closed, knock first, because our team takes no responsibility for anyone walking in on anything they wish was kept private, otherwise, go nuts. Anything you need before I go?”

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