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Back Counting Down with You Save as PDF
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

Ace looks down, his cheeks a lovely pink color I’ve only read about in books. “What do you think about dinner and a movie tomorrow?”

I knew it was coming, and yet my breath still hitches. “Are you asking me out?”

Ace’s smile doesn’t waver as he tilts his head at me. “Yes, I am.”

I think I’m choking on my lungs. Ace wants to go on a date. With me. A date.

“Okay,” I say, my voice high-pitched.

“Okay?” Ace repeats. There’s the beginning of what looks like it could be a full-blown grin hinting at the corner of his mouth.

Before I can second-guess myself, I nod. “All right.”

“All right,” Ace says, as if it’s that simple. The grin comes to life. It looks like the sun is shining from Ace’s eyes—the sun, the stars, and the moon, all together. “It’s a date.”

I’m helpless to do anything but grin back, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. “It’s a date.”

37

T-MINUS 10 DAYS

I’m the stupidest person alive. Why would I ever agree to a date with Ace Clyde?

“I am freaking out,” I say to my laptop, where Nandini and Cora are on FaceTime. “Why would you ever let me do this? What kind of friends are you guys?”

“Don’t start,” Nandini says. I don’t have to look away from the mountain of clothes piled on top of my bed to know she’s rolling her eyes.

She’s in the middle of assembling a puzzle with her brother, and Cora is in the bath, bubbles hiding half her face. They’ve been trying to calm me down for the last twenty minutes.

Four candles are burning in my room right now, and frankly, I’m worried I’m one candle away from starting a house fire. “I’ve never been on a date! How does this even work?” I start pacing back and forth, my fingers buried in my hair.

I told my grandma I was going out with a friend today, and she didn’t ask me who—I have a feeling she knows—but anxiety still tugs on my heartstrings.

“You’re being ridiculous, Karina,” Cora says, her voice shockingly gentle as she blows a bubble at me. “Relax. Don’t put out on the first date. Or do. Just enjoy yourself.”

“I haven’t even kissed a boy and you think I’m going to put out on a first date?” I ask, eyes wide. “Do you think Ace thinks that, too? I’m meeting him at his house.”

“I was joking,” Cora says, eyebrows raised as she lifts a bottle of face wash. “Does Ace seem like the type to pressure you into anything?”