Heartache and Hope (Heartache Duet #1) - Jay McLean Page 0,57
Connor, those days are rare. And if you want her in your life the way I know you do, you have to prepare yourself to care about her during all the times in between. Because you don’t get to pick and choose.”
“I know,” I reply, my voice hoarse. “I’m aware of all of this.”
Nodding, he asks, “She stay with you last night?”
I return his nod.
He smirks. “Five hundred bucks and I won’t tell Trevor.”
“Dude, I don’t have five hundred.” I don’t even have five.
He chuckles. “I’m kidding, man.”
Ava opens the door, saying bye to Krystal and her mom over her shoulder. Then she turns to us, her eyebrows raised. Her grin warns me of what’s to come. “You guys are so cute,” she hollers. “Now kiss!”
Peter shakes his head. “It’s good to have you back, Ava,” he says, widening his arms for her to embrace him, which she does. “I’ll be gone when you get back from school, so this is goodbye.”
Ava pouts, looks up at him. “I’ll see you soon, though, right?”
“I’m a phone call away if you need anything.” He kisses the top of her head, but his eyes are on me. “Anything, Ava. I mean it.”
“What’s with you?” Ava asks, squeezing my hand that’s settled on her lap as we ride to school.
I ask, distracted, “What do you mean?”
“You’re being weird. Distant.” She starts to release my hand, but I hold hers tighter.
“Sorry. It’s just…” I struggle with my phrasing, then just come out and say it. “Peter gives me the creeps.”
She giggles. “Maybe you should go beat him up.”
“Maybe,” I say, pushing away those thoughts. “Hey, just curious. If you had to score that fight, who do you think came out on top?”
She doesn’t skip a beat. “Me.”
“You?”
She shrugs. “I got the guy.”
I barely sit my ass down for first period when the teacher calls my name. “You’re needed in the principal’s office. Now.”
Rhys is already in the office, along with Coach Sykes, and there’s a sinking in my gut because I know where this is going.
Principal Brown says, “Due to your lack of class attendance yesterday, I’m suspending you both for tomorrow’s game.”
Coach swears under his breath, throws his hat across the room. “Dagnammit, gentlemen!”
“Ooh, he maaaad,” Rhys sings, and I can’t stifle my chuckle in time.
“You think this is a joke, Ledger?” Coach says, getting in my face.
I flatten my features. “No, sir.”
“It’s probably for the best,” Coach retorts. “We don’t need a face like yours representing the team.”
I flinch and turn to Rhys. “How bad do I look?”
He shrugs. “Nothing a little trip to Sephora can’t fix.”
“I’m glad you gentlemen are finding this amusing,” says Brown. “But I’ll have you know that a scout from Duke is attending the next game, and while he’ll be looking for boys to hand acceptance letters to, you two will be riding the bench.”
When you think college ball, you think Duke. For so long, the idea of going to Duke had been exactly that: an idea. A pipe dream, really. But now… now I was here and fuck.
Rhys doesn’t care as much as I do. Sure, he’s the team captain, but college ball is as far as he wants to go with it. Plus, he has the finances to get into most places. And yeah, I’m sure more opportunities will present themselves, but they won’t be Duke.
I try to push all those thoughts aside as I make my way up the bleacher steps, toward a waiting Ava.
“Is it true?” she asks the second I’m in earshot. “That you were suspended for a game and Duke is going to be there?”
“How do you know?”
“Rhys.”
“Rhys has a big mouth.”
“Connor, I’m serious,” she whines, tugging on my arm so I sit down next to her. “Maybe I can talk to Principal Brown. It’s the least I could do considering it was my fault you both—”
I grab her legs, cutting her off, and settle them over mine. I place my hand on her thigh, just below her skirt. “You didn’t force me to skip class and act like a Neanderthal. It’s on me, and I’ll bear the consequences.”
“But—”
“Ava, please, let it go. I get this half hour with you, and I don’t want to waste it arguing about dumb shit. Now kiss me already.”
“Okay,” she says, kissing me once. Her lips lift at the corners, and my eyes drift shut when she runs her fingers through my hair.
“Ava?”
“Yeah?” she murmurs, her mouth pressed to my neck.