“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t even know myself.” I scratch the back of my head. “He didn’t tell me he was going to do that. I honestly don’t have a single clue what he’s up to.”

As if I’ve summoned him, Ace suddenly appears behind Nandini. Never have I more fully believed in the phrase speak of the devil.

“Morning,” Ace says, setting down a paper bag and coffee cup in front of me. “Have a good day, sweetie. I’ll see you later.”

Then he kisses the top of my head, his lips warm against my hair, and casually walks away like I’m not having a heart attack.

What. The. Hell.

Nandini and Cora are staring at me with wide eyes, and I open my mouth, but I don’t know what to say.

“I—” I shake my head, at a loss. My heart is beating too fast. “I’ll be back.”

I grab the breakfast he got me and hurry after him, ignoring my friends’ loud protests and all the eyes burning holes into the back of my head. The head that Ace just kissed. What the hell.

I don’t see him in the hallway, so I aim for the chemistry wing, hurrying up the steps. People are giving me odd looks, but I don’t care. What was Ace thinking? In what world is it normal to come up to your tutor and her friends, bring her breakfast, and then kiss her on the head before disappearing?

I find him standing at his locker, sifting through his things. “What is wrong with you?”

Ace looks at me, frowning. “Did I get your coffee order wrong?”

I splutter. “My coffee order?”

He grabs the drink from my hand and takes a sip. “Milk with three spoons of sugar, right?”

“I mean. Yes. But no! Forget the coffee! What are you doing?” I try not to think about how Cora still gets my coffee wrong but Ace remembered after I told him my order once.

Ace gives me a curious look. “Talking to you.”

“Okay, smartass,” I say. “You owe me an explanation, remember?”

A look of understanding settles over Ace’s expression. “Ah, that.”

“Yes, that!” I move to close his locker but catch sight of a notebook still encased in plastic and fall short. “Did you buy a notebook?”

“You said to,” Ace says and reaches behind his ear. I didn’t notice but there’s a pencil tucked there. “I even brought something to write with. Are you proud of me?”

I stare at him blankly. I am, oddly, kind of proud of him, but I can’t make myself say that when I’m still righteously indignant.

He smiles. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

When he grabs my hand, I don’t refuse and let him lead me to the stairway.