Page 94 of Actually Yours

“There’s a tiny scene where feelings are expressed with a Christmas card, Jake. Come on, keep up!” Bella looks annoyed again, so I nod, even though I’m lost. “And now we can use the same movie for your grand gesture.”

I keep quiet, not wanting to irritate her further. But I honestly don’t know what she’s talking about.

“Bella, give the man a chance to catch up,” Lilly chides.Thank you!“The boy brain doesn’t have immediate access to all the essential romantic knowledge like we do.”

Oh, OK.

Bella picks up her phone and starts typing. “Here!” She thrusts the screen in front of my face. “Watch.”

I take the phone from her. On it is a YouTube video where a young Keira Knightly is standing in front of a door, while the guy fromThe Walking Deadis expressing his love to her on giant pieces of cardboard paper.Ah, now it’s making sense.

“You think I should…?” I give Bella her phone back, pointing to where the scene is paused. “Do that?”

They both nod enthusiastically, hearts floating in their eyes.

“Do you think it would work?”

They look at each other and then back at me. “Oh, it will work. As long as you know what to say on the cards. She will eat it up.”

Huh?Declaring my feelings on large pieces of paper is not how I thought this would go down. But I wanted it to be a grand gesture, and what is bigger than this?

“Will you help me?”

They smile at me.

“Absolutely,” Bella says. “But the first thing you need to do is message Amelia. She’s dying a slow death with that Christmas card out there and you not responding.”

I nod. I can do that. “So, send her a message and then what?”

“You pour your heart out on six to ten large pieces of cardboard paper and leave the rest to us.”

My stomach clenches at the thought of putting myself out there in such a big way. But Amelia deserves it and hopefully, with the help of her friends, I can pull this off and we can be together. Properly, with no barriers or miscommunication between us.

“Done. I’ll message her now.”

Amelia’s friends hug me one by one.

“You won’t regret this, Jake,” Bella whispers in my ear. “Just trust us. After this stunt, you will have won the girl.”

I squeeze her back and hope that both Bella—and Taylor Swift—are right. And this is how I get my girl.

CHAPTER 19

Amelia

Thank you for the Christmas card.

I’ve read Jake’s text message so many times it no longer holds any meaning. The words make little sense, it’s like I’m reading gibberish.

“Thank you for the Christmas card?!”

I thrust my phone in Bella’s face, not for the first time, hoping she will provide some clarity. “What kind of rubbish message is that?”

She smiles at me, looking serene. I’m going to need her hot Italian blood to fire up soon and get on the same page as me, so we can both explode together.

“I think it means that he’s thanking you for the Christmas card.”

Helpful, Bella. So freaking helpful.

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