Counting Down with You(44)

He takes heed of the one I’m reading and chuckles. “A Shakespeare retelling, huh? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

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?”

Ace gives up and crouches down beside me instead. “I’m not a bad boy just because I wear a leather jacket,” he says, shaking his head. “And maybe I cut classes a few times. But that’s it. You know, half the time that I’m not at school, it’s for a piano competition, so the school faculty knows about it. I’ve even won quite a few trophies for Midland High. I think that disqualifies me from being a ‘bad boy,’ Ahmed.”

His hand is still holding mine. It’s nice and warm, comforting in a way it shouldn’t be.

“Ace, there’s no point in denying it.” I finally sit up. “Everyone knows the truth.”

Ace laughs, throwing his head back. A warmth blooms in my chest, almost as if my heart is swelling from how ridiculously content I feel in this moment.

It’s weird. It’s really, really weird. I don’t want it to go away.

I hold my other hand toward Ace. “Come on, show me how to ice skate. Otherwise I’ll have to ask Mia.”

Ace laughs again but takes my other hand, pulling me to my feet. I knock into his chest once I’m standing, but he wraps his arms around me to keep me from slipping again.

“You have to be more careful,” he says, tapping my nose. “But you know what? I think we can work through this. Or maybe work, work, work it out. Something like that.”

I gape at him. “Was that another High School Musical reference?”

“Don’t let him fool you, he knows all the words by heart,” Mia says as she skates closer to us. Daniela is holding her hand but neither of them are in danger of falling like I am. “Every time I have a marathon, he joins me. He even knows how to play some of the songs on piano.”

I give Ace an incredulous look. “Who are you?”

Ace shrugs, a smirk tugging at his lips as he runs his fingers through his hair. “The man of your dreams, obviously.”

“Does that work for you?” Mia asks, raising an eyebrow before looking at me. “Karina, you’ve got to raise your standards. You can’t let my brother get away with saying shit like that.”

“Oh, trust me, I don’t,” I say, shoving gently at Ace’s chest. All that accomplishes is me having to flail until I reach the metal bar at the edge of the rink.

Mia and Daniela are laughing again, but there’s fondness infused in their expressions that stops me from feeling embarrassed. It helps that Ace is watching me with his own fond look.

“You’re a safety hazard to yourself,” Ace says, skating over effortlessly. “Come on, take my hand.”

Before I do, I remember the threatening texts Nandini and Cora sent me earlier and I sigh, taking out my phone. “Before we continue, can you guys take a picture of Ace and me? For Instagram?” I look hopefully at Mia and Daniela.