I sigh, avoiding his gaze. My heart is pounding unevenly with the knowledge of what this will bring. “Yes. But you only get three weeks. And I want my books. If you’re going to use me, I get to use you, too.”

Ace slumps into his seat, his eyes fluttering shut. “Thank God.”

“Don’t thank God, thank me,” I say, nudging him with my shoe. “And take notes.”

He sits up straighter and grins at me, dimples as sweet as ever. Allah, why? “As you wish.”

“Don’t quote The Princess Bride at me,” I say under my breath.

My friends are staring from a few desks away, and I give them a look, which I hope they understand as I’ll explain later. We’re not in the business of keeping secrets, and I sure as hell am not going to break that rule.

“Is our entire relationship going to be you bossing me around?” Ace asks, reaching over to play with a strand of my hair.

I bat his hand away, heat rushing into my cheeks. If he’s going to keep touching me, I’m going to spontaneously combust. “You signed up for this.”

His expression is annoyingly smug when he says, “Yes, I did.”

“You’re pretending to date Ace Clyde?” Cora says in disbelief, her fork halfway to her mouth. “In exchange for books?”

Nandini looks between us. “Is this all a dream? Maybe we’re in Inception?”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Cora says, shaking her head. “Who are you? Are you Karina’s wilder identical twin?”

“Shut up,” I say, dropping my head to the table. Telling them about it is making this situation far too real. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. “I don’t know why I said yes. Why do I ever agree to anything?”

“Because you’re too nice,” Nandini says, patting my cheek. “You should’ve just told him to go fuck himself. I don’t care if it means his dad knows he’s being tutored. Babe, you’re an anxious mess right now.”

I don’t bother asking how she knows that. I keep bouncing my leg and biting my nails, which is as sure a sign as any that there’s an uncomfortable weight pressing against my lungs, making me want to roll over and die.

“Don’t say that!” Cora says. “Ace is hot and he’s offering to buy her books. That’s like...perfect for Karina.”

“Yeah, but in case you happened to forget, Karina’s parents are batshit,” Nandini says, “and if they find out about this, it doesn’t matter how hot Ace is, because they’re going to kill her.”

“Kill me first,” I beg hopelessly. “At least it’ll be quick.”

“See? This is why she should’ve told Ace to go fuck himself,” Nandini says, running a soothing hand down my back.