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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

My heart skips a beat. God, he’s still so much.

I close my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of cinnamon. “I missed you, too.”

Ace brushes a light kiss against my neck before sighing against my skin. “Do you think Miss Cannon will take points off my project for running out?”

“You’re unbelievable,” I say, and Ace pulls away almost immediately, only to greet me with a wide, dimpled smile.

“There’s my girl,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His expression shifts minutely, and he looks almost bashful, his cheeks dusting pink. “What’d you think of the poem?”

“I think you’re ridiculous,” I say lightly. “But it was gorgeous. I didn’t know you could write like that.”

Ace’s teeth flash behind his beautiful smile. “I had a good tutor and an even better muse.”

“Yeah, you did,” I say, reaching up to squeeze one of his hands. I shift my gaze for my next words. “But I still... I just need a little more time. I’m still struggling with... I’m sorry.”

“No,” Ace says, his thumb stroking the back of my neck. “There are no apologies between you and me. If you need me to wait, I’ll wait. However long you need. If it’s until next week, okay. If it’s until next month, okay. If it’s until next year, okay. If it’s until college, okay. There’s no deadline on this. On us. I promise.”

I can’t believe Ace is real. I can’t believe I somehow got this lucky.

Right now, none of my other worries exist.

This is one thing I will never let my parents touch.

“I don’t deserve you,” I say.

“You’re right,” Ace says, his face softening. “You deserve better. You deserve the world. My foolish, beautiful, fireproof lionheart.”

I shake my head, warmth rising through me. “Only one part of that is right. The part where I’m yours.”

“And I’m yours,” he says solemnly. “I’ll wait for you.”

There’s hope in my future. It’s small, but it’s there, and it’s growing with each passing moment. Stay as strong as you can echoes in my head.

I’m going to try. That’s all I can do.

52

T-PLUS 13 DAYS

I’m eating breakfast Saturday morning when my mom tosses a salwar kameez on the table. “Get ready.”

I look between the beautiful red garment and my mom. “Where are we going?”

“To visit your Dadu,” Ma says, before taking away my half-eaten roti. “I’ll wrap this. Get dressed.”

I want to protest and say I was in the middle of eating when her words register. We’re going to visit Dadu.