Counting Down with You(86)

Nine days to decide.

I technically have until college applications in the fall, but I know if I don’t do it when my parents come back, I probably won’t do it ever. Especially because Dadu will go home to New Jersey and I’d have to do it on my own.

And facing my parents alone about this? Just the thought makes me want to walk into traffic.

No, if I do this, it has to be the day they come back.

But I don’t know if I have the strength. I don’t know if I can throw all my parents’ hard work back in their faces.

“Dadu, why is life so hard?” I ask, flopping onto her pillows.

She squeezes my ankle. “Your Dada used to ask me the same thing.”

“Did you have an answer for him?”

My grandma laughs lightly and looks at her bedside table. A photo of her, Dada, and the rest of our family is framed there. “Of course not. I don’t think he was ever genuinely asking. Life is hard because it is. There’s no easy answer. It’s just a matter of whether we’re willing to face the hardships. Even when life was hard, your grandpa was always willing to face it with me.”

“It makes sense,” I say, smiling. “Everything is easier with your support.”

“Easier,” Dadu echoes, her gaze still focused on the photo. “But not easy.”

I sigh wistfully. “Yeah. But not easy.”



40


T-MINUS 8 DAYS

With only eight days left, Ace and I agree to make the most of our time.

For our second date, Ace doesn’t tell me what we’re doing. Instead, he blindfolds me before I can even walk out of my house, which is all kinds of ridiculous. It’s clear how fond of him I am, because I mutter only one insult and indulge him otherwise, even though I’m pretty sure we’re in a different car.

We drive for maybe twenty minutes before Ace stops the car. “We’re here,” he says, and I can hear the grin in his voice.

“What a lovely view,” I say, still blindfolded.

Ace sighs in exasperation. “Hold on.” His long fingers come around the back of my head, untying the cloth. His rings brush my ear, cold against my skin.

It was already late when Ace picked me up. The sun had set a few minutes prior to his arrival. Now, when I pull the blindfold away, the sky is completely dark.

I look around, trying to figure out what we’re doing, but there’s nothing around us for miles. We’re in a clearing beside a cluster of trees, and Ace is smiling like we’re at the top of the world.

That’s when I realize what type of car we’re in. It’s some kind of pickup truck that looks like it belongs in a junkyard. I’m surprised we made it this far without the vehicle breaking down. “Who did you rob to get this death machine?”

He bumps his shoulder against mine. “No one. It belongs to my stepmother.”

“Are you going to kill me or something?” I’m only half joking. “This truck will definitely lead to my death somehow.”

Ace rolls his eyes and climbs out of the truck. I laugh and follow him.

When he pulls away the built-in tarp, I see how nicely decorated the truck’s bed is. There are piles of soft blankets and fluffy pillows alongside a basket filled with junk food and soft drinks.

Ace watches me with a hopeful expression.

“What’s this?” I ask softly.

He shrugs sheepishly and gestures toward the sky. “I thought maybe we could watch the stars? I come out here when I can. It’s a little hard where we live because of light pollution from the city, but it’s pretty clear over here. I thought you might like it.”

“Are you kidding?” I ask, climbing into the back of the truck. I settle into the blankets and offer Ace a reassuring smile. “I love it. Thank you for putting it together.”

He laughs and he looks nervous. My heart honestly hurts. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I pat the spot next to me. “Let’s look at some stars, Ace.”

And so we do.

We watch the stars, and Ace points at the brightest one and mutters something outrageous about how it’s not as bright as I am. All the while I try not to break my face from smiling too big.

Ace is beautiful, the pale moonlight washing over him in ways that highlight the shadows on his face. When he speaks, he’s focused solely on whatever he’s talking about. He points out his favorite star constellations and tells me all their stories. He might just be the most captivating human being I’ve ever met. I’m still listening to him talk when he suddenly sits up and shrugs off his leather jacket.

I’m confused until Ace rolls his shirtsleeve up and points at his solar system tattoo. “Sometimes, I bring my telescope out here, and I can see some of the planets when I use the right settings. It’s what inspired me to get this.”

I smile, lying back on the blankets. “I hope you know your tattoo still contributes to your bad-boy reputation.” I giggle when he hits me with a throw pillow. “What? Am I wrong? You’re a sixteen-year-old with an illegal tattoo!”

“How can you lecture me about what’s illegal when you’re a thief?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “You’ve stolen my heart, after all.”

I attempt to scowl. I really, really do. It just doesn’t work, not when I have all this bright lightning zinging through me. “That was terrible.”