Page 218 of Heartache Duet

“Yeah, son?”

“I appreciate you so much.” I blink back the tears. “If I’ve never told you that or made you feel that before…just know that I do. That I’m here because of you. And I love you.”

I wait until my mind’s stable enough and finally make the call I’ve wanted to all day. Ava answers with as much excitement as my dad. “MVP! MVP! MVP!” she hollers, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Oh, man, I miss your voice.”

“I miss you!”

“How’s your day been?”

“Oh, you know, just watching my boyfriend make his dreams come true, same old,” she says, ending on a laugh. “I’m sorry about all the messages.”

“Don’t be. They… they were perfect.”

“What have you been doing since the game?”

“Just meeting and greeting, making a name for myself,” I lie. “Hanging with the guys, you know?”

“That’s good, babe! I’m glad you’re making the most of it. Are y’all going out tonight to celebrate?”

“They might be. I’m pretty beat, though. Just waiting on you to send those nudes over.”

She laughs.

“What about you? What have you been doing? How’s your mom?”

“She’s good. We’re good. Everything’s good.”

“Hey, Ava?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you just talk to me?”

“About what, babe?”

“Anything. I just want to hear your voice.”

I can practically hear her smile through the phone. “Did I tell you about what happened in multimedia yesterday?”

“No.”

“Well, Roy was partnered up with that Myra girl in class…” She starts telling me the story, and I listen to her words, and I try so fucking hard to feel the comfort in her voice, but for the first time ever, I can’t seem to sense it, to hear it… I can’t seem to find it… because I’m lost.

I’m so fucking lost.

TWENTY-EIGHT

ava

“Sorry, I just need to take this,” I tell everyone as I watch Connor’s name flash on my phone. I leave the kitchen and move just far enough away that Connor can’t hear the conversation Trevor, Mom, and Krystal are having with the doctors.

“Hey, MVP!” I greet, hoping he can’t hear my forced smile through the phone.

“Rhys said you aren’t at school today…”

“Wow, are you checking in on me all the way from Georgia?”

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