Page 262 of Heartache Duet

“Ava,” I reply.

His expression falls. “Ava Diaz?”

My eyes widen. “How did you—”

He takes a single step back. “Oh, my bad.”

A hand appears between us, holding a coffee cup. “Here.”

It’s one word.

One syllable.

But it’s enough to flatline my already unstable heart. My eyes shift, slowly, as if afraid of what they’ll see. He hasn’t changed, not really, but he’s older, more manly, and his smile… God, that smile. “I got you a hot chocolate,” he says to me, handing me a cup. It’s warm against my palm, matching the heat in my cheeks. “I hope that’s okay?”

I whisper his name as if it’s something sacred, something found.

He jerks his head toward Austin. “I see you’ve met my roommate.”

“Hi,” I croak out. It was meant for Austin, but I can’t take my eyes off Connor’s. I clear my throat, dip my gaze—only for a second before I’m back to staring at him. My chest tightens, stomach in knots, and I knew… I mean, obviously I knew that I’d see him, and I’d somewhat mentally prepared myself to run into him at some point, but—

“Is she okay?” Austin asks Connor.

“Yeah.” Connor’s lips lift at one corner, his smile crooked, and I only now realize that he... he can’t take his eyes off me either. “She’s perfect.”

I gasp on a breath and keep it there until my lungs burn with the force.

Austin mumbles, “Are we going to stand out here all day or…”

Connor’s the first to break our stare, and he moves around me, his bare arm brushing against mine. He opens the door and waits for Austin to enter. I follow behind, my heart hammering. He stops me, his hand gentle on my forearm. Head dipped, he murmurs, his breath heating my cheek, “I hope you’re ready, Ava Elizabeth Diana.”

I peer up at him. “Ready for what?”

“Take three… Act three.”

My eyes narrow in confusion. “The climax?”

He stands to full height, shaking his head, and gives me that smile I fell so hard in love with. “The resolution.”

CONNOR

Okay.

I did it.

I broke the proverbial ice, and now I don’t know what to do. I’d woken up confident. I even got to class feeling confident. And then I saw her and everything inside me flipped, switched, and stilled. She was looking down at a sheet of paper, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Her hair was up in a high knot, a giant mess, but God, she was even more beautiful than I remember.

I told Austin I’d get us coffees and that I’d meet him there. I needed a minute, just one, to calm my racing heart. By the time I looked over again, she and Austin were talking, smiling at each other, and I think I’d missed that smile the most.

It took everything in me not to fall to my knees the second our eyes locked. I played it cool. At least I hoped I did.

Now, I’m sitting in a lecture hall beside the girl I’ve been “stalking” for too damn long, and I’m sweating. The room is big enough to seat at least fifty people, but in my mind, in my heart, it’s just her and me… and endless possibilities.

“Hey, Connor,” a girl says, walking through the seats in front of us.

Without taking my eyes off the side of Ava’s face, I reply, “What’s up?” And I can see the slight smile that graces Ava’s lips.

I’m going to kiss her there the most.

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