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“Maybe a season two idea.”

“But that won’t benefit me at all,” I protest as he shoves me into the car next to Jordy.

I play with my jacket zipper as we drive through the hills,heading god-knows-where. All I know is, we aren’t heading to puppies, and if we aren’t heading to puppies I’d rather we weren’t heading anywhere at all.

“I hope you’ve stretched,” Jordy says, shattering the silence after a lifetime.

I side-eye him. “I know we aren’t going for a hike, Jordy.”

“I know you know. I said what I said.”

He gives me a smug, teasing smile. I refuse to take the bait, and stare out the windows instead.

Trees.

Roads.

Houses.

Businesses.

“Okay, fine, where are we going?” I snap.

“I can’t tell you,” he sings, and I clench my fists.

“Tell me right now or I’ll make sure your family suffers for generations.”

“How will you do that?”

“I don’t know,” I say, folding my arms. “But I’ll think of something.”

“You know,” he drawls. “I believe you would, too.”

“So, what is it?”

“You’ll just have to make me suffer,” Jordy sighs. “Guess I’m a sucker for pain.”

Oh, I’ll give him pain, all right.

Finally, after driving through the outer suburbs of Loreux and all the way into the city center, we roll into the lot of a public park. If all this buildup is so we can go for a walk through a random park, I’m pushing Jordy into the first pond we pass.

We get out of the car, and I furrow my brow as I hear music in the distance. And people. A lot of them. Over the smell ofplants and nearby sprinklers, I can make out the faint scent of sunscreen and fried food carried on the wind.

“Why?” I ask Jordy as he reaches my side.

Gwendolyn, Isaac, and Grayson—who I guess was traveling with them—get out of their own car and head right over. “Okay, you two, stand over here,” Isaac says, steering us to an enormous linden tree.

While we wait, Grayson films a quick segment for the camera. I make out the words “surprise” and “doesn’t know.” I raise an eyebrow at Jordy, who gives a cocky shrug.

Finally, Grayson and the cameras reach us.

“So,” Grayson says, turning to me with a megawatt smile. “Maya. I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here.”

“Flatter walking terrain?” I say sweetly, and Grayson laughs way too loudly.

“Ha,no.Now, your first date with Jordy was a while ago, so I’m not sure if you remember this, but Jordy remembers every moment, and he told us about a detail you left out.”

Oh yeah? Like a helicopter?