First and Forever (Heartache Duet #2) - Jay McLean Page 0,81
were when your dad took a picture of you two! And the smile on your dad’s face when that guy shook your hand and told you to follow your dreams! You told me all this when I was lying in your arms one night, and you said it was one of the best days of your life because you got to meet your hero, with your hero: your dad! So, no, Connor!” she yells through her cries. “It’s not just a fucking jersey. It’s an amazing memory you got to share with your dad. And you can’t take advantage of that because… because you don’t get them back! You don’t get do-overs!”
My heart sinks, and I realize this isn’t about the jersey or the money… this isn’t even about me.
“You don’t get do-overs, Connor, you just—” She stops there, her sobs too strong she can’t do anything else.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her into me. This time, she lets me. She cries into my chest, her tears soaking through my shirt. I stroke her hair, every part of me grieving the loss of her own moments with her mom. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head. She looks up, her cheeks wet. Her forceful sob causes a hiccup, and then another, and I frown down at her, place my mouth to hers, inhaling her cries into me. “I’m sorry, Ava. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I’ll give it back,” Rhys says, rubbing her back. He offers me a sad smile and then leaves us alone.
“It’s not just a jersey,” Ava murmurs.
I search her face for a semblance of peace. “I know.”
Another sob escapes her, and she places her ear to my chest. “The fireflies might come back, but they won’t bring the magic with them.”
Chapter 33
Connor
Ava sits next to me in multimedia, her head on the desk, her arms shielding her. Miss Salas notices, and I nudge her leg with mine under the desk. Ava looks up, wipes the drool off the corner of her mouth.
She told me she hasn’t been sleeping well, and not because of anything her mom’s doing. She’s just stressed about the uncertainty of her future, and I try to understand. I’ve offered to stay with her, but she refuses, and so I continue to give her space while she continues to give me time.
The door opens unexpectedly, and Trevor appears. The room gasps and Miss Salas screeches, “Young man! What do you think you’re doing?”
“One minute,” Trevor mumbles, searching the room for Ava.
When he spots her, she sits taller. “What’s wrong?”
Trevor empties the contents of a paper bag he’d brought with him all over the desk. He picks up a plastic crown and puts it on Ava’s head. Then he tears open a packet of confetti, tiny bits of paper flying through the air, leaving a mess all around us. He picks up a handful and throws it at Ava. Next comes one of those party horns. He puts the end in his mouth and blows. “Happy birthday!”
I chuckle.
More confetti.
He tells her, “Sorry we forgot this morning.”
“It’s okay,” Ava murmurs, a hint of a smile tugging on her lips.
He pops a party popper in front of her face. “Happy eighteenth.” Then he adjusts her crown. “I’ll see you at home. I gotta go!” He squeezes her cheeks with one hand, puffing out her lips. “I love you, you little brat.”
“I love you, too.”
“Get out of my classroom!” Miss Salas yells.
“I’m going,” Trevor sings. “Jesus, you haven’t changed a bit.”
The class erupts in giggles, and I turn to Ava. “Crown suits you.”
She smiles. “You think?”
“You could wear a potato sack and still be beautiful.”
She moves closer, rests her crown-covered head on my bicep, and hugs my arm to her. “Hey,” she whispers. “What time do you leave?”
My stomach turns. “I go to the airport right after school.”
She pouts.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m missing your birthday, but it’s part of the schedule—”
“I know,” she cuts in. “It’s all part of being All-American MVP, right?”
It’s incredibly painful to force a smile, especially after all the lies I’ve had to tell. “It’s just one night in Georgia.”
She nods. “Maybe tomorrow we can do something together. Just you and me?”
My smile widens, genuine this time. “I would love that, Ava.”
She exhales with a laugh so pure and so her, and she leans up, presses her lips to mine. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I shake my head in disbelief. I’ve wanted this moment with her for