Page 238 of Heartache Duet

It’s press for the All-American team.

In my mind,

I wonder how he could so easily lie to my face.

But in my heart,

I already know.

Under my bed lives a plastic jar.

A jar filled with fake fireflies.

When the world is at its darkest,

that’s when the magic appears,

my mom says.

So, in my mind,

I wish for the magic to be true, to be real.

But in my heart,

I believe that magic is dead…

Just like Connor’s love for me.

THIRTY-SIX

ava

My living room is a constant whirlwind of people, some I barely know. If Mom were here, she’d hate it.

I hate it.

Connor lies in my bed, holding me to him as if he’s somehow comforting me, protecting me.

I hate that, too.

“Ava?” Trevor says, poking his head in the door.

It takes everything in me to open my eyes.

“The lawyer’s here. Leo Preston, too. They want to talk to you about your mom.”

I settle my head on the pillow again, not wanting to talk to anyone.

Next to me, Connor sits up, takes my hand in his. He looks down at me, eyebrows raised. An encouraging smile flickers across his lips. “You should go talk to them, babe. It might be good news.” His eyes hold the same amount of adoration and compassion from back when he loved me, and I wonder when it was precisely that he became so fucking good at faking it.

I get out of bed and out of my head, then join my brother in the living room. Amy and Peter are here, too. They stand by the doorway of the kitchen, out of the way, but still in sight.

Again, Connor sits next to me, holding my hand.

“Hi, Ava,” a middle-aged man says. His eyes are soft, kind, and I only slightly remember him as the lawyer Tom Preston sent our way. “I’m Nathan Andrews. We met earlier, but I’m sure you—”

“I remember,” I murmur and look at Leo Preston. He’s out of his police uniform, and he looks so much younger, more approachable. “Hi,” I say to him.

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