Page 135 of Heartache Duet

Ava’s quiet a beat before releasing a heavy sigh. “I don’t know, Connor. I think it’s going to be hard on both of us to navigate what we do from here. This isn’t easy for me, either. And you act like I’m holding all the cards, but I’m not. And it’s not like I don’t miss you. I do. I still jump when my phone goes off because I’m so used to it being you, but… we can’t…”

Turning to her, I see the sincerity in her eyes. I don’t know how to respond to what she’s saying, so I don’t. Instead, I ask, “Where’s Peter?”

“Inside. He has some work to do.”

I motion to her sweatshirt. “That’s a nice hoodie you’re wearing. A little big, though.”

Her eyes narrow. “You’ve seen the size of Trevor, right?”

“It’s Trevor’s?” I ask. “Not Peter’s?”

Ava shakes her head, her gaze locked on mine. “Why would it be his?”

“I don’t know.” I look down at my hands, crack my knuckles. “He’s staying with you and—”

“And you think I’m sleeping with him?”

Another shrug. “Mitch said—”

“Mitch is a shit-for-brains, Connor. Don’t listen to him.”

I push down the knot in my throat. “So you’re not…?”

“If I were going to make something work with anyone, it would be—” She breaks off on a sigh, then shakes her head as if clearing her thoughts.

I sit up higher and say, “Can we just talk? I won’t bring up us. I just want to hang with you for a bit.”

“Sure.” She smiles, but it’s sad. “I didn’t know your dad was going with you.”

“Yeah,” I sigh out. “He wasn’t going to go, but then I started thinking about it. I’d never flown before, and the idea of being at an airport… I don’t know. I had this whole stupid panic attack over it, which is dumb because—”

“It’s not dumb,” she interrupts, pouting.

I shrug. “It’s incredibly emasculating to have to ask your daddy to fly with you because you can’t get over your fucking childhood trauma, you know?”

She stares at me a moment, then lowers her gaze. “I think it’s incredibly brave you went at all,” she says quietly.

I rub my temples, a tension headache building. “How’s your mom?”

Ava heaves out a sigh, her frown all-consuming. “They’ve got her on so many meds, she’s not even my mom anymore. She’s barely human. I hate it so much.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ava shrugs. “Krystal’s been here during the break, so I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands.” She pats the bench we’re sitting on. “I got this.”

“I noticed.”

“And—” she holds up a baby monitor I hadn’t seen yet “—I got this for Mom’s room. It’s… wait for it… money.”

A low chuckle builds in my chest, and I look ahead when I say, “I’m never going to live that one down, am I?” That’s when I spot a dark car cruising down the street, slowly, no headlights on. “What the hell is this?”

She peers up, sees what I’m seeing. “I don’t know,” she mumbles.

I get to my feet.

She does the same.

The car turns at the end of the cul-de-sac and slows even more as it starts to pass. I step in front of Ava. “Get down!”

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