BooksBarbecue
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

I click into the first one and press play. The sound of piano notes fills the room, and it’s different from what I’m used to, but it isn’t bad. Just unfamiliar. Hopeful.

“Is that new, Myra?” Dadu asks from the other room.

“Yes,” I say, staring at my phone in consideration. “It is.”

“I like it,” Dadu says. I can almost see the smile on her face.

“Yeah, Dadu,” I say, closing my eyes and letting the music wash over me. My vehement protest of having a crush feels even flimsier now. “I think I do, too.”

21

T-MINUS 19 DAYS

“I’m telling you, my new manager is the devil incarnate,” Nandini says, scowling. “I told her I can’t work multiple shifts during the week because of school, but she keeps scheduling me in anyway.”

“Murder is always an option,” Cora says, filing her nails. “Say the word and I’m on it.”

“I’ll drive the getaway car,” I add, squeezing Nandini’s arm. “Are you sure you can’t get a job somewhere else?”

“I could, but I love my coworkers too much to quit,” she says, laying her head on the table. “This is the worst.”

“I bet I can get her fired,” Cora muses, turning her full attention toward us. “I’m not above throwing a tantrum in the movie theater.”

Nandini snorts, and I’m glad to see the shift in her mood. “At this rate, I might take you up on that offer.”

I smile faintly, running my hand through her short curls.

Ace shows up a minute later, dropping off coffee and a doughnut. I roll my eyes and pinch his arm with my free hand.

He grins down at me. “I need to ask you something later. I’ll walk you from AP Physics to English so we can talk about it.”

“What are you going to ask for now? My homework?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Very funny, Ahmed,” Ace says and leans down to kiss the crown of my head again before making his way out of the cafeteria.

I’m used to Nandini and Cora’s incredulous stares by now, so I wave it off. It’s a lot harder to wave off the rising warmth inside my chest, the sudden fluttering of my pulse. “It’s part of the facade.”

“This is ridiculous,” Cora says, shaking her head. “At least tell him to stop bringing you coffee. I already do that.”

Before I can stop her, she grabs the coffee Ace brought and takes a sip.

“He even got your order wrong,” Cora says, gesturing at the cup. “This is too sweet.”

I wince. This isn’t a conversation I ever intended to have. “It’s actually right.”

Cora stares in disbelief. “This is right,” she repeats.