BooksBarbecue
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

“I guess I’ll really have to bring my A game then,” Ace says and nudges me. Slowly, I nudge back. “But it should be easy since my name is Ace.”

“Shut up,” I say, a laugh slipping from my lips involuntarily. “What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s not my fault you can’t appreciate the fact I’m a true comedian,” he says. “It was funny, wasn’t it, Miss Cannon?”

Miss Cannon is looking between us, a look of understanding dawning on her face. I think her smile might even be wider than before. “Hilarious, Alistair.”

Ace winks at me. “See?”

“Yeah, I see,” I say, rolling my eyes.

Before we leave, Miss Cannon rests a hand on my shoulder. “Could I speak to you briefly, Karina?”

I nod, gesturing for Ace to go ahead. He lingers in the doorway for a moment but when I wave insistently, he disappears, the door closing behind him. “What’s up, Miss Cannon?”

She presses her lips together, considering me. “I received an email from your parents over the break.”

My heart plummets. “You did?” I say, voice shaky. “What did it say?”

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

She leans against the whiteboard. “They said you wanted to stop tutoring Ace. Is that true?”

“No,” I say immediately, my fingers clenching into fists. “No, it’s not. They’re just—it was a misunderstanding.”

Miss Cannon looks me over in concern. “Are you sure? This is a safe place for you to speak your mind.”

“I’m sure.” My nails dig into my palms almost painfully. “I want to tutor Ace. Really. Please disregard their email.”

“That’s not what I was referring to,” Miss Cannon says quietly.

I falter, unsure what to say. The same way Ace can’t save me from my parents, neither can Miss Cannon. She already does enough by providing me a safe haven at school.

“I’m sure,” I say again, looking away from her earnest expression. “Thank you, Miss Cannon.”

She sighs softly. “If you need anything, I’m here, Karina.”

I nod and leave her classroom. Ace is waiting outside and at the sight of my expression, he silently offers me his jacket.

I smile faintly as I accept it, but my mind is whirring. None of this is going to be easy. My parents are going against me at every step, knowingly or not.

For as long as I live under their roof, this will be my life. Refusing to live by their rules is the start of a war I don’t know how to fight.

you look at me across a bloody battlefield

and I swing until my knuckles are bruised

I will run until my lungs collapse

for you

I will kiss death and smile

for you

even in hades, I will fight

for you

46

T-MINUS 2 DAYS

Ace is trying to ruin my life.