“Thank you.” I wave a hand in front of my eyes like the cool air will keep them from watering. “I missed you both impossibly. Thank you for putting up with me these past two weeks.”

“You’re stuck with us for life,” Nandini says.

I smile shakily. “Pinky promise?” I raise my pinky toward the camera.

“Pinky promise,” Nandini says, holding her pinky up.

Cora nods eagerly, holding up her pinky. “Pinky promise. NCK forever.”

All three of us start laughing and it feels right. I’ve missed this. I’ve missed them.

But there’s still one more person I need to talk to.

T-PLUS 15 DAYS

Monday morning, I wait in front of Ace’s locker. It means not seeing Nandini and Cora until English, but this is something I have to do in person.

My heart is racing in my chest but, for once, it’s for a good reason. I’m nervous but I’m also excited to tell him everything.

Earlier, Ace said I was the reason he found the bravery to talk to his family. As it turns out, he’s also the reason I found the bravery to talk to mine.

Maybe we bring out the best in each other. That’s not something I’m willing to lose.

I’m staring out the window at the end of the hallway when someone walks up behind me.

“Karina?” Ace says incredulously, and when I turn, he’s stopped in his tracks, staring at me with wide eyes.

I smile. “Are you still waiting?”

Ace looks gobsmacked, his lips parted with no words coming out. He finally shakes his head, as if he’s trying to gather himself. “Yes. Of course, yes.”

I take a small step closer. It’s dizzying to have Ace so close but so far. “You can stop.”

“Stop...waiting?” Ace asks. He looks even more dazed than I feel.

My smile widens. “Yeah. I’m here. To stay.”

Ace’s eyes glitter. “Yeah? What happened?”

One more step closer.

“I talked to my parents again, but with Dadu’s help this time. I convinced them to let me study English.” It’s so hard to contain the hope rising inside me, trying to burst through the surface. It doesn’t help that Ace is looking at me like I’m the only person in the world. “I’m applying to Columbia in the fall. I was thinking we could work on our college essays together, if you want. Maybe after prom?”

Ace laughs breathlessly. “My English tutor might get jealous.”

Another step. The butterflies in my stomach are growing jittery, fluttering around in a frenzy. “That’s too bad. I think your girlfriend takes priority over your English tutor, though.”

He raises his eyebrows, a beautiful and familiar grin tugging at his lips. “My girlfriend?”

I nod, cheeks warming. “If that’s okay with you.”