First and Forever (Heartache Duet #2) - Jay McLean Page 0,35
past us and into the kitchen. “I remember when I called it ‘homework,’ too.” He places his hand on Ava’s mom’s shoulder and kisses her right on her scars. “What’s up, Mama Jo?”
Miss Diaz taps his hand lovingly. “Connor, six-five is here.”
“I see him. You giving him more pointers on his jump shot?”
Jo clicks her tongue. “Weak.”
I can’t help but chuckle.
Trevor goes to the fridge and grabs a beer, then looks at our homework we have spread out over the table. “What are you guys working on now?”
“Serial killer,” Ava responds.
Trevor shakes his head. “I swear to God, one day the FBI is going to come knocking on our door suspicious about your search history, Ava.”
Ava shrugs, taking my hand and leading me back to the table.
Trevor says, “So, I assume I’m not being fed tonight?”
Ava grimaces. “Sorry, I lost track of time.”
“Pizza?” Trevor asks her.
Ava replies, “Sure.”
He points at me. “Pizza?”
“I’m down.”
Then he points to Miss Diaz. “Pizza?”
She nods, her arm going up in celebration. “Pepperoni pizza!”
I tap Ava’s leg under the table. “See that? Six syllables.”
We sit at the kitchen table downing slice after slice while Trevor and Ava banter back and forth and I do my best to keep up. Jo listens to their conversation, smiling occasionally. I put down my pizza and tell her, “So, Jo, I’ve been looking at old game tape of myself, and you know what I realized?”
“Weak jump shot?”
“Yep,” I lie.
“Because of your posture, right?”
“I guess so. But I can’t really tell and your living room—it’s not exactly the same as being in front of the basket, you know?”
She nods. “Yes.”
“So, I was thinking, maybe we could go to a court, and you could help me out?”
Ava and Trevor are suddenly silent, and Jo—she’s looking at me as if I’d just gotten Ava pregnant.
“Connor,” Ava whispers. I don’t know why she keeps whispering when her mom’s right there. “You know my mom doesn’t leave the house. Why are you asking her?”
I push my plate forward and settle my forearms on the table, leaning in so it’s just Jo and me. “Is it because you don’t like people looking at you when you go out?”
“Connor, enough,” Ava grinds out.
“Yes,” Jo whispers.
I suck in a breath, my mind racing when I ask, “What if we go at night when no one can see you?”
Jo blinks and then shakes her head, again and again, and she doesn’t stop.
“Connor, you should go,” Ava says, getting to her feet.
I ignore her and ask Jo, “And what if I promise you that there’ll be no one else there?”
Ava spits, “I mean it, leave!”
“Just let him talk, Ava,” says Trevor.
I add, “What if it’s just you and me and Ava and Trevor?”
Jo holds onto her amputated arm, hugging herself. “No, no, no, no, no.”
Ava physically pulls me up from my chair. Then, with her hands on my back, she pushes me out of the kitchen, through the living room, and right out her front door, slamming it shut after us. “What the fuck is wrong with you!”
I face her, my heart pounding. “What about you? You whisper shit in front of her as if she can’t hear. She’s not a kid, and you have to stop babying her.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” she yells.
“She’s a Marine, Ava. She’s stronger than you think!”
Her nostrils flare. “How dare you!”
“How dare I what? Try?”
“How dare you come into our lives and think that you’re going to make a difference! I’ve been dealing with this shit for three years, Connor!” She takes a breath, her anger heating her cheeks, burning liquid behind her eyes. “Remember everything I said in the car? I take it back!”
My heart drops. “No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do!” she yells. “God, just when I thought things were too good to be true, you—” The front door opens, interrupting her. She cowers, her arms going around her waist.
Trevor pokes his head out and says, “She wants to talk to you.”
“I’ll be there in a second,” Ava whispers, her intake of breath an attempt to regain some composure.
“Not you,” Trevor says, looking over at me. “You.”
I swallow, nervous, and wait for Ava to step aside so I can move past her. Jo hasn’t gotten up from her seat, but her gaze lifts and locks on me when I enter the kitchen with Ava only half a step behind me.
“Pwa-pwa-” She blinks hard. Once. Twice. “Pwamise just you, me, Ava, and Trevor?”