Page 59 of Didn't See That Coming

“Except hand-holding.”

My head immediately whips back and forth. Ugh, the thought of having to hold his slimy hand…

“Hand-holding, because we are going to be a couple, and that’s only expected. And I’ve got great hand-holding skills. I don’t get sweaty palms, I’ve got huge hands….” He wiggles his eyebrows. Oh lord, kill me now. He holds out a hand toward me.

“Jonas, I’d rather chop off my right hand than have to hold yours.”

He grins. “See? And they say romance is dead.” Then he nods at his hand. “Take it.”

“Nope.”

“Seriously, Kiki. Unless you want everyone to know the truth about Dudebro.”

It’s truly amazing how quickly this sociopath switches from grinning romantic fool to coldhearted mercenary. My insides recoil as I reach for his hand, but I have to hand it—haha, hand it—to Jonas: he’s right about having decent hands tohold. Not that it makes this situation any less bad, but at least holding his hand doesn’t feel like I’m holding a frog. Then he gives my hand a friendly squeeze, and I instinctively yank it back. So gross. God, I hate everything about this. “And there needs to be a deadline. One week, then we’re done.”

“Two. Until the Spring Dance.”

Two weeks of dating Jonas Arifin. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can do this, to keep my online identity a secret. To keep my friendship with Liam from being destroyed. I nod.

“Cool,” Jonas says easily. “Well, I’ll get out of your way. I’ll pick you up for school Monday morning.” For one horrifying second, he starts to lean forward, as though he’s about to plant a kiss on my cheek, but at the last moment he catches himself with a laugh. “Sorry! Force of habit.” He raises his hands in an exaggerated I’m-so-harmless way and winks at me before sauntering out of the study. I hear Mami ask him why he’s leaving so soon, and he tells her he needs to study as she clucks over him, happiness bursting out of her every word.

Dear god, what the hell just happened?

CHAPTER 15

Cassie stares at me open-mouthed the whole time I tell her about Jonas’s proposition. When I’m done, she doesn’t react, just continues staring at me, unblinking, until I wave my hand in front of her face. She starts, then blinks at me.

“So…” She shakes her head. “Sorry, I must’ve misheard.”

“Which part?”

“All of it?!” Cassie gestures wildly. “Jonas Arifin, son of a billionaire family, who’s dated literal supermodels and celebrities, wants to date…you?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “That’syour takeaway?”

“Kiki!” Cassie cries. “Don’t you think that’s at least a tiny bit ridiculous?”

“Yes. Very much so!” I cry back. “This is why I’m telling you, my best friend, about it. In the hopes that you come up with some good idea that would magically make all of this disappear.”

Cassie’s eyes are still barely blinking as she continues shaking her head at me. “Magically make Jonas Arifin disappear?Like, take him out into the woods and bury him, that sort of ‘disappear’?”

I groan. “No. I don’t know, like somehow make his threat go away. Without murder.”

Cassie sighs. “Okay, let’s think.” She closes her eyes and rubs her chin. “Right, so to solve any problem, we need to look at the root of the issue. Solve the cause, not the symptom.”

I nod eagerly. “Yes, you’re right. Exactly.”

“So the root here is…what is it? Why does Jonas want to date you?”

“He gave me a bunch of reasons. He said that we’re like enemies to lovers in real life and it’s really romantic. He thinks I must have feelings for him, because I’ve been so ‘obsessed’ with killing him over and over in-game. I mean…” I shrug. “Who knows?”

“Hmm.” Cassie rubs her chin again. “Okay, I’m seeing a pattern here. My theory is that Jonas is so used to everyone kissing his ass that he thinks he’s genuinely amazing. And then you come along and you make him realize that he actually kind of sucks, and I think it’s shaken him to his core. I think he’s trying to prove to himself, more than anyone else, that he is lovable, and the way he’s trying to do that is to makethe one person who hates him love him. It’s all about fixing histattered self-confidence.”

“Oh god,” I groan. “I think you’re right. I really did hurt this stupid baby’s feelings, didn’t I? I didn’t know being honest about how much he sucks would affect him like this.” I rub my hands across my face. “Okay, so how do I fix this?”

“I don’t know. He’s feeling shitty about himself—rightfullyso, because he sounds pretty shitty—but if you don’t want to deal with it, then maybe you could somehow reassure this baby that he’s awesome?”

The thought of affirming Jonas about his repugnant self istoo much to bear. “I can’t. The last thing this asshole needs isyet another person telling him he’s great.”

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