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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

“Great!” I say and wince. I don’t sound great. Ace can probably tell, too. “Sorry. I’m just antsy. Anyway, I think we’re finished for today.”

Ace looks me over, his lips pressed together and his eyes focused on my leg, still jiggling up and down. “Can I help?”

“No. No. Uh, I should probably head home. You probably should too, right? I saw your brother Xander earlier in the library, checking out an Italian cookbook. Maybe he’s cooking dinner for your family tonight. Or maybe it’s for school, I have no idea. Does he take AP Italian? I heard rumors during freshmen orientation that the AP class cooks Italian cuisine. That’s why I took Italian over Spanish in the first place. We haven’t cooked yet, but—” I abruptly cut myself off, blood rushing to my cheeks. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

Ace is watching me in bemusement. “You saw Xander doing what?”

“Nothing,” I say, quickly packing up my things. My mouth is far too dry. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Ace is still staring at me, lips parted on an unasked question.

“Right?” I ask again, almost insistently. I know I’m a nervous wreck, but hopefully he doesn’t take that as a reason to end our tutoring arrangement.

After a moment, Ace leans an elbow on the table and sets his chin in his hand, looking up at me through dark lashes. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ahmed.”

I slump in relief. “Yeah, see you then.”

As I walk away, I can feel his gaze burning a hole in the back of my head. I turn and meet Ace’s eyes one last time, and his lingering stare feels like a warning.

10

T-MINUS 24 DAYS

“I’m a horrible tutor,” I say, slamming my locker with an air of finality and revealing Cora and Nandini on the other side. “Why did I agree to this when I’m a mess of a human being who can barely keep my head on straight? I doubt he’s learned a single thing.”

“Is that really your fault?” Nandini asks, scratching her neck. “It sounds like he’s being difficult.”

“Don’t even use the word difficult,” I hiss before pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m clearly destined to make a fool of myself, and it doesn’t help that he’s barely trying to learn. I don’t even know why he asked to be tutored.” I drag my fingers down my face, trying not to groan. “As much as I hate my parents’ rules, maybe they were onto something with the boy one.”

Cora laughs into her elbow, attempting to disguise it into a cough. “Karina, sweetie...no. Boys are not the problem here.”

My shoulders slump. “You would say that. At least you have girls to choose from, too! Nandini and I are stuck with these useless, uncommunicative, and unproductive disasters.”

Nandini tuts sympathetically. “Have you tried marriage counseling?”