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“What is it?” I ask warily.
“Open it. Maybe it’ll give you the luck you’re looking for, for the rest of the season,” she says.
I grab the envelope and peek inside, shocked to see my old necklace with the number one pendant hanging from it.
Damn, I wondered where that went. It feels good to have it back, though my favorite place to see it was always around Ava’s neck.
Her giving my necklace back to me feels so…
Final.
“Go ahead and worry about your football season and your future and your career with the NFL. Clearly, I’m a burden, not an asset. So have fun by yourself, Eli. See you later.” She opens the door and starts to leave. I reach for her, my fingers slipping from her arm as she gets out of the car, taking that stupid shopping bag with her. She slams the door extra hard, the entire vehicle rattling with the force of it, and she storms down the walkway toward her parents’ house, never once looking back.
Look back, Princess, I think to myself as I clutch my old necklace in my hand, my gaze watching her as she grows smaller and smaller. If she looks back, we’ll be fine. And she’s going to look back. I know it.
I know her.
But she doesn’t.
Twenty-Eight
Ava
One month later
“You look pale.”
I stop in the open doorway of my bathroom and stare blankly at my sister, rubbing my fingers over my lips. I just brushed my teeth because my mouth tasted horrible, and I’ve been feeling gross all morning.
All week really.
I blame it on Thanksgiving coming up. While I like the holiday and love that my family always gets together for it every single year without fail, I’ve never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving food. Mom has been cooking up a storm with my Aunt Chelsea. She and Uncle Owen arrived yesterday morning along with
my cousins, and while it’s been fun to see everyone and hang out, I’m still sad.
I’ve been sad for almost a month now, and nothing anyone does for me changes my mood.
“Ava, what the hell is wrong with you?” Autumn asks me when I still haven’t said anything.
I shrug and enter my bedroom, throwing myself on my bed. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.” She lies next to me, her gaze never leaving my face. “Are you even sleeping right now?”
“It’s all I do. Mom thinks I’m depressed.”
“She said the same thing to me,” Autumn admits, her worried gaze meeting mine. “She also said you won’t really talk, you don’t really eat and you barely leave your room. You don’t spend much time with your friends either.”
“They’re all busy with their boyfriends and their lives, while mine is on hold,” I say, my thoughts already focusing on the future. There’s been no word from Eli, which is no surprise. Not really. The longer I go without hearing from him, the easier it will be to leave.
San Diego beckons. I can’t wait to go back and I’m headed there early. Mom helped me line up an apartment and next month I finalize my school schedule.
I’m desperate to get out of here.
“Your life isn’t on hold,” Autumn whispers, reaching out to take my hand in hers. “You could still be enjoying your time here, hanging out with Beck and Mom and Dad. Or your friends. They’re never too busy for you, and you know it.”
“Says the woman who’s living her best life with her NFL playing fiancé,” I say, sounding like a spiteful old hag. “Traveling everywhere with him, having a great time and being with the man you love. Supporting him because he supports you just as much.”
“I don’t know about that,” she says with a little laugh. “Right now our lives are all about Asher Davis, NFL quarterback.”
