Heartache and Hope (Heartache Duet #1)(58)

I can’t help but smile. “You think I’m hot?”

She scoffs. “As if you don’t know.”

I shrug.

“Connor! Have your exes never told you?”

Another shrug. “I don’t have any exes.”

“Shut up!”

“I don’t,” I laugh out. “You’re my first, Ava.”

“First girlfriend?”

“Uh huh.”

“But you’ve, like, kissed girls before?”

“Yeah,” I nod. “I touched the side of a boob once, too.”

“Connor!” she squeals, laughing. She pushes my side, and I straighten the steering wheel. “Ew. I don’t want to know that!”

I settle my hand on her leg and gather the courage to ease into the next question. “So, I was thinking… maybe… if you wanted to… you could come to the pep rally today.”

She tenses beneath my touch, then whispers my name.

“I know it’s not really your thing,” I tell her, doing my best to mask my disappointment. “But I just thought I’d ask. It’d be nice if you were there to support me, but it’s cool.”

“I would if I could,” she says quietly.

I glance at her. “So why can’t you?”

She sucks in a breath and then exhales slowly. But she doesn’t answer my question. In fact, she doesn’t say anything else for the rest of the drive.





I stand between Coach Sykes and Rhys while the school band plays, and the rest of the students are chanting Wildcats! Wildcats! Wildcats! The team has been doing well, amping up the school spirit, and I wish I could join them in their hysteria, but I’m too busy looking at the entrance, my hopes rising and dying every time the sliding doors open and it isn’t Ava. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the amount of support she’s shown, and I understand why she can’t go to the games, but this—this is in school—the few hours a day when we actually exist in the same space.

The band finishes their performance, and one of the AV guys appears out of nowhere to hand Coach a microphone. “Thanks for that. What a great intro!” There’s a sarcasm in his tone that’s readily forgiven because he’s old and cantankerous, but he’s a staple in the school and the reason why the program runs so well.

He starts going through the team’s roster for tonight’s game, calling names one after the other, waiting a few seconds for the cheers after each one. Then he gets to my name, and the screams are loud, louder than with Rhys, but beneath all those screams I hear a single sound that has my heart racing, my lips lifting. “Boo!”

My eyes dart everywhere, looking for the sound, and then I spot her. She’s standing in front of the students milling by the entrance, and she must’ve forced her way through because she wasn’t there only seconds ago. I thought it would be impossible for my grin to widen, but here I am. I raise my hand, a small wave, and she does the same, a proud smile playing on her lips.

The rally’s over as soon as Coach is done talking. I start to make my way over to her, but Coach stops me with his hand on my chest. “One minute, Ledger,” he says, and I look at Ava and mouth, “Hang on.” She nods, points to the cafeteria line. She gets to the end of the line and picks up a tray. I don’t know how long it’s been since she’s had cafeteria food, but boy, is she in for a treat.

“Ledger,” Coach says again, and I turn away, give him all my attention.

“Yeah, Coach?”

Rhys is next to him, wearing a shit-eating grin.

I start to panic.

“Rhys and I got to talking,” Coach starts. “And we were wondering if you’d be interested in co-captaining for the rest of the season?”

My jaw drops as I look between them. “Are you serious?”

Rhys shrugs. “It’ll look good on your college applications.”

“Yeah.” I nod incessantly. “Hell, yeah. Thank you.”

Coach offers me his hand, and I shake it, unable to hide my elation. The cafeteria breaks out into small giggles, and then all-out laughter. I’m still holding his hand when I turn around to see Ava at the start of the line, her tray of food held at her waist. In front of her, a punk kid has his arm pulled out of the sleeve, his long hair flipped to one side, covering half his face. He’s talking to her—no, he’s shouting noises at her, and then he’s swaying his body, using his armless sleeve to knock the food off her tray, his shouts getting louder, and I see red.

Red.

Hot.

Rage.

I release Coach’s hand and start toward him, but Coach and Rhys are both holding me back. “I’ll take care of him,” Coach says.

“Calm down,” Rhys tells me, as if I can. As if it’s possible. And then I look at Ava. At the way her lips part, the way her eyes are wide open but filled with tears, as if she refuses to blink because if she does, her tears will fall and she doesn’t want to give this asshole the satisfaction. Slowly, she places the tray back on the rail and turns, the crowd around her parting as she walks away. People are still laughing and my heart… my heart is sinking.

And then I blink.

Come to.

I chase after her, calling her name. Her steps are fast, but mine are faster. I try to grasp her arm, but she shrugs me off. Within seconds, we’re at her locker, and she’s stuffing books into her bag, refusing to speak, refusing to look at me.