BooksBarbecue
Back Counting Down with You
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  7. Part 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. Part 2
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. Part 3
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Next week?” Ace repeats, his voice quiet. “Karina, did I do something wrong?”

Samir is still standing there, looking between us with a forlorn expression on his face. My blood feels like it’s boiling, blistering my skin.

I clench my hands into fists. “Samir, can you leave? This conversation doesn’t concern you.”

“Myra Apu, I—” Samir says, but I give him a sharp look, and he closes his mouth. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m going.”

I look back at Ace, but I don’t have an answer to his question. I don’t know how to explain my parents. I don’t think I have it in me. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about this now. You shouldn’t have shown up at my house.”

Ace falters. “I just thought...”

I press my lips together and some of my lingering bitterness sprouts to the surface. “I don’t think you did think, Ace. You can’t just show up at my house because I’m not answering your texts. And honestly, you probably shouldn’t come here at all in the future, especially without a warning. My family isn’t like yours. I could get in serious trouble if you keep doing this.” I take a deep breath and lower my voice, my shoulders hunching. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t think you’d keep showing up. I’m telling you now, though, and I need you to respect my boundaries. Can you do that? Please?”

He blinks at me in shock, but I don’t take back the words. He can’t keep doing this. I can’t let him. I’m lucky Dadu is willing to look past Ace’s behavior, but if he ever tries this when my parents are back...it’s better I tell him now than face the consequences later. I know what being caught hanging around Ace entails. I only agreed to three weeks for a reason.

“My lines are not your lines,” I say, when he keeps staring at me silently. “Please be careful about crossing them.”

“Okay,” he says again, looking down. “Of course. I’m sorry. I crossed a line. I won’t cross it again.”

I nod slowly. “Thank you.”

Ace bites his lip. “This last weekend, when you weren’t replying to my texts... I don’t know what I did but I’m sorry for that, too. I didn’t mean to do it.”

It’s not your fault, I want to say but I can’t force the words past my lips. If I do, I’ll have to explain everything. I can’t do that on my doorstep, with Cora and Nandini one room over, and my grandma and Samir upstairs. There’s too much to unpack.