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

It’s too easy to say “Shut up,” and everything seems to fall back into place after that. “He’s a literary genius. It’s not my fault you can’t appreciate that.”

“Hey, I respect old Willy here as much as anyone else,” Ace says, sitting on the edge of the table.

I groan. “Don’t call William Shakespeare ‘old Willy.’ He’s not your friend.”

“How would you know?” Ace asks, his teeth flashing in a grin. “Maybe I can talk to ghosts and me and Willy are best friends. Have you ever thought of that?”

I close my book to level him with a flat look, even though my stomach is somersaulting. “You’re such a nuisance.”

Ace doesn’t seem bothered by my reaction, reaching for my books and carrying them in one hand, fingers are splayed out against the spines. “Come on, let’s go buy these.”

I exhale quietly, my shoulders slumping. “Okay.”

When Genesis rings up our books, she slides me a coupon despite Ace saying, “Hey, I paid for it. Shouldn’t I get the coupon?”

“No,” she says, winking at me. “I’m all about supporting women. Equity and all that. Your mom would approve, Ace.”

I can’t help my laughter.

Ace sighs, but his expression is warm as he glances between us. “I guess I’ll just have to bring Karina here all the time then.”

When I reach for the bag of books, he grabs it first. “I’ve got it,” he says, nudging me lightly. “I’ll put it in the car, and we can head to the ice rink.”

“Have fun, lovebirds!” Genesis says, grinning. Something twists uncomfortably in my chest, but I still manage to smile back at the bookstore manager.

I’m overthinking it. I just have to remember that this is all part of Ace’s act. Nothing more, nothing less.

23

T-MINUS 19 DAYS

“No, Ahmed, just hold on to my hand,” Ace says, only for me to fall again, hitting the cold ice with a painful thud.

Mia and her girlfriend, Daniela, laugh at me from a few feet away, and I groan. “Just leave me here to die.”

From above me, Ace looks like every parent’s nightmare. Tall, dark, and handsome with a giggling problem. Or maybe that’s just my nightmare.

Or a dream come true, whispers a traitorous voice in my head.

“We’re all in this together,” Ace says firmly, reaching down to grab one of my hands, even though I resist.

“You just quoted High School Musical at me. What kind of bad boy are you?”