by: Amy Fellner Dominy
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Release Date: March 2, 2020
Publisher: Entangled Publishing ~ Crush
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May the worst date win.
Mai Senn knows Anthony Adams is no good for her – no matter how hard she might crush on him. She’s valedictorian; he’s a surf bum. She’s got plans, he’s got his art. Complete opposites in every way. Vinegar and baking soda, they once joked. A chemical reaction that bubbled.
Yeah, they bubbled. Maybe still do.
Good thing Anthony’s got the perfect plan: two weeks to prove just how not good they are together. Whoever can come up with the worst date—something the other will seriously hate, proving how incompatible they truly are—wins.
Like taking a snake-phobe to the Reptile House at the zoo (his idea).
Or a cooking class where they don’t even get to eat the food (her idea).
It’s all about the competition, and it’s meant to help them finally crush their crushes. But it wasn’t supposed to be so hot. Or so fun. And when Mai’s future becomes at stake, will she be able to do the right thing and quit Anthony forever?
“It doesn’t matter what I want. There’s no point to it. Our lives are going in different directions. That’s why I broke up with you in the first place.”
I pick up a rake that’s fallen, balance it against the others. “We didn’t break up. We were never officially boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“We played pool chicken. I had my thighs around your neck.”
“While I’m not arguing the point, it doesn’t make two people boyfriend-girlfriend.”
She’s back to messing with her collar. “What are you saying?”
“That it never got to the point of boyfriend-girlfriend because that’s not in the cards for us. But we had this thing between us. Call it chemistry. Call it an attraction.”
“Attractions fade.”
“Exactly,” I snap. “But usually you wait until it does before you end things.”
She runs a hand down her neck to the pulse jumping at the base of her throat. “And I didn’t wait?”
I shake my head. “And it hasn’t faded. At least not for me. I’d say from that kiss on Thursday, not for you either.”
“But I don’t want to like kissing you.”
“You think I want to like kissing you? You live by a long list of rules and you’re so focused on the future, you don’t know how to live in the moment.”
She scoffs. “What about you? You’re unambitious, you don’t work hard at anything, and your idea of the future is this afternoon.”
“Which brings us back to why we’re no good together.”
“Then why are you here?”
I grab a fistful of hair at the nape of my neck, as helpless as I’ve ever been. “Because the only way I’m going to get over this is to spend time with you.”
Her voice rises with disbelief. “So you signed up for a two-week trail project?”
“Did you want me to drop by your house?”
Her eyes widen. “No.”
“It’s not like we were going to bump into each other. Besides, I figure two weeks should be plenty of time.”
“For what?” Her hands are twisting restlessly—I’m not sure if she knows she’s doing it. I reach out and quiet them with my own. Slide my palms over hers, pull her fingers around mine. The air turns heavy as both of us breathe quicker. I feel the tremble under her skin. She’s feeling this every bit as much as I am.
Hates it every bit as much as I do.
“To get over this. Us. Whatever it is.” I shrug. “I just need to spend more time with you and all the ways we’re different are going to start bugging me.”
“But.” She glances at the closed door. “Grant is here. He’s a family friend. Our moms talk nearly every day.”
“So?”
“So I don’t want him to know about you. I never told my parents about… Well…”
I cock an eyebrow. “Baseball games? Drives we took?” My voice deepens. “What we did in my back seat?”
“Shhh!” she hisses.
But our eyes lock with the shared memory. We’re both breathing hard, our gazes doing a dance to and from each other’s mouths.
“You can’t look at me like that,” she says.
“You’re looking at me the same way.”
“This isn’t right, Anthony.”
“So let’s do something about it.”
She’s tugging at her collar again. “You really think spending time together will work?”
“I know it will. Two weeks, max.”
I’m sure her calculator brain is burning up, it’s working so hard. Voices are getting louder. Amber and Grant. “But not at the trail project.”
“Then where?”
“I don’t know. I have to think about it.” Nervously, she glances at the door “We’ll meet tonight and discuss this thing. Whatever this thing is.”
“This,” I say, “is a two-week fling.”
I pick up a rake that’s fallen, balance it against the others. “We didn’t break up. We were never officially boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“We played pool chicken. I had my thighs around your neck.”
“While I’m not arguing the point, it doesn’t make two people boyfriend-girlfriend.”
She’s back to messing with her collar. “What are you saying?”
“That it never got to the point of boyfriend-girlfriend because that’s not in the cards for us. But we had this thing between us. Call it chemistry. Call it an attraction.”
“Attractions fade.”
“Exactly,” I snap. “But usually you wait until it does before you end things.”
She runs a hand down her neck to the pulse jumping at the base of her throat. “And I didn’t wait?”
I shake my head. “And it hasn’t faded. At least not for me. I’d say from that kiss on Thursday, not for you either.”
“But I don’t want to like kissing you.”
“You think I want to like kissing you? You live by a long list of rules and you’re so focused on the future, you don’t know how to live in the moment.”
She scoffs. “What about you? You’re unambitious, you don’t work hard at anything, and your idea of the future is this afternoon.”
“Which brings us back to why we’re no good together.”
“Then why are you here?”
I grab a fistful of hair at the nape of my neck, as helpless as I’ve ever been. “Because the only way I’m going to get over this is to spend time with you.”
Her voice rises with disbelief. “So you signed up for a two-week trail project?”
“Did you want me to drop by your house?”
Her eyes widen. “No.”
“It’s not like we were going to bump into each other. Besides, I figure two weeks should be plenty of time.”
“For what?” Her hands are twisting restlessly—I’m not sure if she knows she’s doing it. I reach out and quiet them with my own. Slide my palms over hers, pull her fingers around mine. The air turns heavy as both of us breathe quicker. I feel the tremble under her skin. She’s feeling this every bit as much as I am.
Hates it every bit as much as I do.
“To get over this. Us. Whatever it is.” I shrug. “I just need to spend more time with you and all the ways we’re different are going to start bugging me.”
“But.” She glances at the closed door. “Grant is here. He’s a family friend. Our moms talk nearly every day.”
“So?”
“So I don’t want him to know about you. I never told my parents about… Well…”
I cock an eyebrow. “Baseball games? Drives we took?” My voice deepens. “What we did in my back seat?”
“Shhh!” she hisses.
But our eyes lock with the shared memory. We’re both breathing hard, our gazes doing a dance to and from each other’s mouths.
“You can’t look at me like that,” she says.
“You’re looking at me the same way.”
“This isn’t right, Anthony.”
“So let’s do something about it.”
She’s tugging at her collar again. “You really think spending time together will work?”
“I know it will. Two weeks, max.”
I’m sure her calculator brain is burning up, it’s working so hard. Voices are getting louder. Amber and Grant. “But not at the trail project.”
“Then where?”
“I don’t know. I have to think about it.” Nervously, she glances at the door “We’ll meet tonight and discuss this thing. Whatever this thing is.”
“This,” I say, “is a two-week fling.”
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Amy grew up loving to read and figured out at an early age that books were magical and necessary. She started submitting her own stories to be published when she was thirteen. Amy is now the award-winning author of nine books spanning young adult, middle grade, and picture books. Titles for Entangled include Announcing Trouble and the companion novel, How to Quit Your Crush. Amy lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and a puppy who is training them.
Places to find Amy Fellner Dominy:
You can follow the How to Quit Your Crush Blog Tour here.
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