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 shake my head, laughing. “What are you talking about?”

Dadu reaches for the bowl instead of answering. I let her take it without complaint and smile when she tries to feed me. I part my lips, and she gives me a large serving, causing my cheeks to puff out.

“I don’t know why, but you’re happy, Myra. I’m glad to see it. You deserve it.”

I try to speak through my food but don’t quite manage it.

Dadu smiles and wipes the side of my mouth with her saree. “I’m happy for you.”

She leaves the bowl on the table and stands before I can finish chewing, making her way back to the kitchen. I stare after her retreating figure in bemusement.

After I finish my dessert, I open up Snapchat and look at myself in the front camera, trying to discern whether there’s something noticeably different about my face.

I don’t see anything, so I put it off to familial love. I’m the same girl I’ve always been.

As I’m closing the app, I get another text from Ace.

Alistair Clyde:

pls send me the pics?

Me:

hold onnnn

Me:

[14 attachments]

There’s no response, which is unexpected, given that Ace usually replies within minutes.

Except then I get the strangest notification of my life.

@AlistairClyde tagged you in a photo.

Oh no.

I open Instagram incredulously. Staring back at me is one of the pictures Daniella took earlier today. It’s the one where Ace is spinning me and I’m staring up at him, entirely overwhelmed.

There’s a reddish tint to my face, as close to a blush as I can get with my brown skin. Ace is staring down at me, his expression cool, but there’s an intensity in his gaze that causes my breath to stutter even now.

The caption of the photo is: magic...

I remember his words from earlier; There’s something magical about this moment I don’t ever want to forget.

The longer I look at the photo, the more I focus on myself rather than Ace. I think I might know what Dadu was talking about. I think I might know what my mother was talking about.

There’s something different about me here, visible in the lines of my expression. I don’t know how to put it into words, but maybe my grandma already did. I look happier.

Am I happier?

Is this what happiness feels like?

I don’t have the answer, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find it. T-19 days until my parents come home and all of this ends. That’s not nearly enough time, but it has to be.

24

T-MINUS 18 DAYS