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

Oh. Clearly it’s an off-limit subject. It’s not really my business anyway. I have other things to fuss at Ace about—namely, our newfound relationship.

“What? Shouldn’t your girlfriend know about your aspirations?”

“If you think shaming me in front of her is going to make me change my mind and suddenly decide to apply to Yale, you’re wrong,” Ace says, his jaw clenched. “Karina, let’s go.”

“Uh.” I look down at my still-full plate. It’s barely been ten minutes. Then again, it’s not like I’m going to sit here while Ace stomps away. I glance around the table apologetically. “I’m sorry. I hope you don’t mind excusing us.”

I push back my chair and mutter another apology under my breath as I chase after Ace, who’s disappearing farther down the hallway. “Wait!”

Ace falters and looks at me. We’re far enough away now that he appears more relaxed, but it reminds me of the calm before the storm. “See? I told you I’d get you out of there quickly.”

I gape at him. “That’s not—you didn’t—what is the matter with you?”

Ace smiles bleakly. “Too much to list. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I say, reaching out to swat him on the arm. “What was that?”

“Shhh,” Ace says, holding a finger to his lips. He points above us. “Cameras.”

“What?” I’m definitely in a sitcom. Or maybe a drama. Normal people don’t have surveillance cameras in their homes, even in sitcoms. “Why?”

“In case of intruders,” Ace says, shrugging a shoulder. “Dad’s a cutthroat businessman. Has a lot of enemies.”

He seems like a cutthroat father figure too, but it isn’t my place to comment. Maybe everyone’s family is secretly messed up.

“We’re going to talk about this later,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I have a lot of words I’d like to say to you.”

A smile tugs at Ace’s lips. “Save it for the bedroom, sweetie.”

I call him a dick in Bengali so the cameras won’t pick up on it. He raises an eyebrow but keeps smiling, so I don’t really feel like I insulted him. I have a feeling he’d smile even if I said it in English.

“I told you there was a spark in you, Ahmed.”

I groan and shove him, walking ahead to get to his room. “Just take me home.”

Ace only laughs.

17

T-MINUS 23 DAYS

In the car, I don’t have a chance to yell at Ace about the dating thing, because at the last minute Xander shows up and requests a ride to Walmart. There are approximately six cars in the Clyde estate’s extensive driveway, and I know for a fact Xander has his license, because I saw him get into his own car earlier today.