“I’m not dressed,” I say. “I can’t meet your dad in a hoodie.”

“You’ve already met my dad,” Ace says, shaking his head at me. He looks amused, as if this is funny and he’s not trying to drag me to his house against my will.

Drag might be an exaggeration, but still. He didn’t tell me where we were going until we arrived, and now it’s a match of wills.

“Yeah, but I didn’t care then! Now we’re like...dating. And he’s your dad.”

Ace huffs fondly. “Karina, my dad already likes you. I told him everything, and he thinks you’re a good influence. It’s just dinner.”

“No offense, Ace, but that sounds really fake,” I say, planting my feet solidly on the ground and refusing to budge. “Your dad probably hates me. I lied to him the first time I met him. Ya Allah, he definitely hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Ace says, squeezing my shoulders.

“Ace, I look disgusting,” I say, crossing my arms. I falter for a moment but then push forward, because I need to assert my boundaries. “You should have told me we were going to do this. We’re supposed to be in this together. You can’t just make decisions for the both of us. It’s just—I’d appreciate if you told me next time.”

Ace’s expression falls. “I just thought that—no, never mind. You’re right. I’m sorry. It was wrong. There’s no excuse, but I promise it won’t be a repeat occurrence. I’m still learning your lines, but one day I’ll know all of them and I’ll never cross them again.”

I examine his expression, trying to see if he really understands. It’s more obvious in some moments than others that we come from two different worlds, and this is sadly one of them. But he looks genuinely contrite, so I nod. “Okay. Thank you.”

He offers me another apologetic smile. “Always.”

There’s a moment of silence Ace breaks by clearing his throat. Tension slips from both of us as we settle back into our usual routine. I’m glad I told him my feelings, though. That’s the only way this relationship is ever going to work. And I want this to work, despite the odds stacked against us.

“If it helps, I think you look great,” Ace says, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes. He hesitates and reaches for my braid, untying it. He runs his fingers through the strands until they come loose. “There. I don’t know how anyone could look at you and not see the most beautiful person in the world.”

Blood flows to my cheeks fast enough to give me a head rush. Or maybe that’s just Ace. “You need glasses.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “I’ve got twenty-twenty.”