Page 97 of The Mistletoe Makeover

“Heading to my mom’s,” she says, brushing by me. She opens the door and heads to her car before I realize what’s happening.

I follow her to the car. “Why are you leaving?”

Her eyes flick from me to Ava. “I get the feeling I’m in the way.”

“Mia, we need to talk about this.” I don’t know what she heard inside, but I don’t want her to go now.

“Don’t leave tonight,” I insist. “Not until we’ve talked.”

She circles the car and stops. “I think you need to talk to her first. After that, we’ll see if there’s anything left.”

“Mia, there’s nothing to talk about.”

“Then why did she come back tonight? Her timing is impeccable.”

I can’t tell her about the article yet. Not until I know who leaked the information.

“She’s here to support me... as my friend.” But even I can hear how disingenuous that sounds.Who am I kidding?Ava hasn’t been around this entire year.

Mia lets out a humorless laugh. “Friend?”

I don’t know what I can say to keep her here, to convince her that whatever Ava and I had is long gone.

“Mia, it’s not like it looks. Just stay.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

“Mia,” I repeat one last time as she slides into the driver’s seat.

As I watch her taillights fade away, a terrible emptiness drills into the center of my chest.

How is it possible that my life went from thebest kiss everto losing the one thing I really wanted?

I glance over my shoulder. Ava waits in the door, her body silhouetted by the glow behind her.

I thought this concert was going to be my comeback moment.

But I was wrong.

TWENTY-THREE

Mia

“You’re quiet today,” Mom says, as she puts away groceries, hardly aware of my emotional state. “You must be tired from all the festival planning.”

“Yep,” I mumble. I hide my emotions well. I also eat my emotions, which is clear from the empty Ding-Dong wrapper next to me.

Mom studies me for a second and then puts another can of soup into the pantry. “Everyone is raving over the festival. Today’s numbers are projected to be even bigger than opening day.”

I stare at the TV. Apparently, I can organize a giant festival, but I can’t get my own life together.

Mom gives me a concerned glance. “Aren’t you meeting Jace for his last dress rehearsal?”

“I’m swinging by to organize some things,” I say vaguely. “Then I’ll head downtown for the festival.” Not that I’m needed by the committee. Everything is running so smoothly, my job is done.

Until the concert is over, I’m doing everything to stay out of Jace’s way. It was clear from the look on Ava’s face why she returned. Now he needs to decide if he wants her back.

None of this should surprise me—Ava’s always been the right one for him. A star who’s beautiful, successful, and the perfect sidekick for his comeback moment. The reporters are going to eat up this news.

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