Page 237 of Heartache Duet

But she sees through me.

And that’s almost worse than being ignored.

I don’t go to school, and nobody asks why. They already know. People come by, mainly people I don’t know. Trevor closes the door to Ava’s bedroom whenever they’re here. He doesn’t want her hearing what they have to say, and she doesn’t seem to care about the secrets they’re keeping.

Rhys and Karen show up, too, and they look at Ava, then they look at me, and the only thing we can see in each other is helplessness.

On the third day, Amy—Trevor’s girlfriend—arrives. She seems to be the only one who can talk Ava into eating—not much—but it’s enough to settle the worry I’d been carrying around for days.

I just wish it could’ve been me to get her to that point.

Miss Turner comes over, and for the first time, Ava seems to come to.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Miss Turner says, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. “I’ve been waiting for your call. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me.”

“I do,” Ava whispers, nodding as her eyes fill with tears. It’s the most she’s given anyone, and I try to push aside the jealousy, but it’s there… bubbling beneath the surface.

“Did you want to talk?” Miss Turner asks her.

Ava nods again, her eyes shifting to me, before going back to Miss Turner.

Miss Turner turns to me, a pitiful smile gracing her lips. “Can you give us a minute, Connor?”

I drop my gaze. “Sure.”

She rubs my arm. “Don’t take it personally.” It’s the same thing Rhys told me about Ava when we first met. It didn’t help me then, and it sure as hell doesn’t help me now.

I look over at Ava. “I’m going to go home and grab a change of clothes. I’ll be right back, okay?”

She lowers her gaze.

And then I ask something I’ve been wondering for days but have been too afraid to ask, too fearful of her answer. “Do you want me to come back, Ava?”

“Of course, she does,” Miss Turner answers for her. She sighs and whispers, her words only for me, “This isn’t about you, Connor. And you need to accept that.”

AVA

In my desk drawer lives a receipt.

A receipt for room service.

Signed by one Connor Ledger.

The date on the receipt is the same as my birthday.

In my mind,

I make excuses for why he lied to me about where he was.

In my heart,

I blame myself for not being enough.

The receipt is from a hotel in North Carolina.

It’s just one night in Georgia,

Connor said,

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