Ask Again Later
Page 20
“This is good,” she said.
“Very good,” Dan agreed.
“Thanks for adopting me tonight, you guys,” Ryan said softly.
“It wouldn’t have been the same without you.” Neel slid his leg closer and hooked his foot behind Ryan’s ankle.
The sun still had some rising to do, but I didn’t get to see the rest, since Chase decided he should kiss me. Dizziness swept through me as my overtired body tried to process the delicious feeling of his lips against mine. I couldn’t seem to piece together everything that had led to this moment, but I knew I didn’t belong anywhere else.
Maybe, just maybe, there’s such a thing as fate after all?
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the people who helped me to deliver Heart’s story to your hands. To everyone at HarperTeen who took a chance on a first-time novelist, especially Erica Sussman, editor extraordinaire and fearless anti-ellipses warrior. To super agent Laura Bradford, for patience, tough love, and handling all the scary bits of the publishing world.
My critique partners are the best, and I can’t imagine doing this without them. To Jessica Souders, for your incomparable insights, for always being my personal field guide, and for believing I’d make it to this point even when I didn’t. I would definitely not have made it this far without you. And to Heather Whitley, who could start a practice as a professional character therapist. Your enthusiasm and encouragement always bolster my courage.
To the Wednesday night Barnes & Noble crew for keeping a fire lit under my bum and squeeing every step of the way. To the Inkslingers, especially MJ Heiser, James McShane, Nancy Keel, Ryan Hunter, and John Crumpley, without whom I would probably still be hiding behind a silly screen name, afraid to put myself out there. And to my many writing friends on-line and off-, who inspire and encourage me whether or not they know it.
To my family, especially Lindsay Maruszewski, my number-one cheerleader. My mom, who gave me a love of books, my stepfather, who supports everything I have ever done without hesitation. And everyone else in my family who reacted to my desire to be a writer with “Of course!” and “How can we help?” Thank you for always always always believing in me.
To Jack, thank you for being patient with me when I have to do writing work. Someday you’ll be old enough to read this book, I promise. And to Joe, for always treating me like I was a pro. Thank you for so many carry-out dinners, taking the kiddo when I needed time, gold medal–worthy financial gymnastics, only thinking I’m sort of crazy, and being totally unsurprised every time we got good news. Maybe someday I’ll let you read my book.
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About the Author
LIZ CZUKAS is a freelance writer who lives outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ask Again Later is her first novel. She collects college degrees she doesn’t use, types too loud, and always has a song stuck in her head. In high school, Liz did go to two proms but not at the same time. You can visit her online at www.lizczukas.com.
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Credits
Cover art © 2014 by Alison Carmichael
Cover design by Michelle Taormina
Copyright
HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
ASK AGAIN LATER
Copyright © 2014 by Liz Czukas
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Czukas, Liz.
Ask again later / Liz Czukas. — First edition.
pages cm
Summary: Instead of a “No Drama Prom-a” with a group of friends, seventeen-year-old Heart LaCoeur must choose between two boys with good reasons for asking her, but a flip of a coin leads not to one date but two complete—and very different—prom nights.
ISBN 978-0-06-227239-3 (pbk.)
[1. Proms—Fiction. 2. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.C9993Ask 2014
2013005073
[Fic]—dc23
CIP
AC
EPub Edition © JANUARY 2014 ISBN: 9780062272416
14 15 16 17 18 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
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