Page 61 of Didn't See That Coming

“Oh yeah. I’m really into scrapbooking. I’ve got an entire desk full of scrapbooking supplies. Let me tell you what they are. So first, I’ve got my scrapbook, of course.” My mind fliesahead, trying to remember everything I know about scrapbooking. “Then I’ve got about twenty different kinds of washi tape. Do you know what washi tape is?” I tell him anyway, without waiting for an answer. “My favorite one has pineapples on it, and a blue background. And my second favorite is a rainbow-colored one. Now, my third favorite is a draw between…”

“Babe.”

Oh god, did he just call me babe? A repulsed shudder shivers up my spine, and I have to actively stop myself from gagging.

Jonas quirks up the corners of his mouth at me. “C’mon, you can’t seriously be into that stuff.”

Ugh, could he be more of a jerk? I mean, yes, I’m not actually into it, but I could be.

“That’s for old, sad women who own way too many cats for their own good,” he continues. “You’re way better than that. You should be into…” He waves a hand flippantly. “I don’t know, like, snowboarding, or deep-sea fishing. Oh hey, speaking of fishing—”

We weren’t speaking of fishing,I want to snap.

“My dad bought a new yacht. We should take it for a spin, huh? Go out to one of the islands and see if we can catch a shark.” He glances at me with wide, eager eyes and an expectant smile, probably expecting me to be hopping with excitement at the suggestion.

“Why the hell would I want to catch a shark?”

Jonas lets out a short, affronted breath. “Okay, don’t be appreciative of my awesome suggestion. Doesn’t matter, Ialready told the Lil’ Aunties about my yacht. They love the idea of setting up a double date on the yacht.”

Good grief. I could practically hear the excitement in Eleanor Roosevelt’s and SJP’s voices. If word got out that the Lil’ Aunties hooked their customers—I mean, clients—up for a yacht date, they would get so many new sign-ups.

“Fine, whatever. We’ll go on your stupid yacht.”

“You know, most girls would die to get on a yacht withme.”

“So they can throw themselves overboard, probably,” I mutter.

“Kiki,” Jonas sighs, “a little bit of sass is cute. But now you’re just being rude, which is honestly really unattractive.”

Anger lurches up my chest, and I have to fight to keep myself from exploding at him. Who the hell cares what Jonas finds attractive or not? Fortunately, we arrive at the school, so I don’t have to listen to Jonas telling me how to behave. I don’t even wait for him to turn off the engine; as soon as he’s parked, I open the door and jump out of the car like it’s about to catch fire. Thank god. I wouldn’t be able to stand another minute in there without hitting Jonas in the—

“Kiki?”

I glance up and oh god. Nooo!

Liam is standing there, one hand resting on the strap of his messenger bag. He’s looking really, really confused, especially as Jonas chooses this very moment to climb out of his stupid Aston Martin.

“Did you just—did you guys drive here together?” Liam looks back and forth at us with a puzzled frown.

“No, it’s not like—” I struggle for the right words, but let’sface it. In a situation like this, there are no right words. “I mean, yes, but—”

“My man!” Jonas says, lifting his fist for Liam to bump. Liam hesitates for a moment before bumping it. “How’s it going?”

Liam pushes his hair away from his face. “Uh, good. Did you guys get here together?”

Jonas grins. “Yeah, of course.”

No, no, no!

The confused frown on Liam’s face deepens. “Oh, why ‘of course’? Are you neighbors or something?”

“No!” I cry, and at the same time, Jonas laughs and says, “No, but we are dating, so.”

“Wait, no—”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it, though, okay? ’Cause you know, school rules and all that,” Jonas says, then—oh god—he winks.

My mouth opens and closes like a fish drowning on land. Liam turns to look at me, and I’ve never seen this expression on his face before. It tears through my skin and burns up my insides. It’s disappointment and hurt and surprise all rolled together, and there’s nothing I want more in this moment than to grab him and explain everything.

---