BooksBarbecue
Back Counting Down with You
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 at his watch with a frown. “You have a curfew of 5:30 p.m.?”

I smile bitterly. “5:15, actually.”

He blinks at me like he’s unsure what to say, and I don’t blame him. I’ve seen enough movies and read enough books to know that most sixteen-year-olds have a curfew of 8:00 p.m. at the earliest. But I’m not like them. My parents are the way they are, which means there are a million things other people can do that I’ll never be able to.

“So are you...all right? Are you going to be in trouble?” he asks.

I shake my head. “They don’t come back for a month,” I say and bite the inside of my cheek. Ace doesn’t need to know about my family life. In fact, this conversation doesn’t need to happen at all. “I should head home anyway. We’ll reconvene tomorrow in the library? You’ll actually be there this time?”

Ace keeps staring at me, and my stomach twists. The look on his face makes me feel like he understands more than he’s supposed to, and I’ve known him for all of a day.

“Well?” I ask, forcing myself to speak up despite the unease weaving through me.

He leans back in his seat and flicks his fingers in another salute. “Yeah. See you then.”

I nod and gather my stuff in a calmer manner. I put everything away neatly before grabbing my paper plate and milkshake to throw out. “Thanks for the food.”

Ace tilts his head, his stormy eyes meeting my dark brown ones. “Any time, Ahmed.”

Right. I doubt he’ll even remember who I am after the Regents. Still, I wave as I head for the door. I check my texts and snort at the ninety unread messages from Nandini and Cora.

As I walk home, I can’t help but wonder who Ace really is beneath his intense stares. Even though I don’t plan to act on it, I think I’m just as curious about him as he is about me.

Maybe in these next three months I’ll come to know the real Ace Clyde. Based on our study session today, I don’t think I’d mind all that much if that were the case.

8

T-MINUS 26 DAYS

“Myra, you look so tired,” Dadu says, pressing her wrinkled hands against my cheeks as she observes the dark circles underneath my eyes. “Did you get enough sleep last night?”

“I’m fine, Dadu,” I say, gently pulling her hands away. “I’ll sleep a lot tonight, if that’ll make you feel better.”

We’re sitting in the living room, Dadu and I on the couch and Samir on the floor in front of us.