Page 296 of Heartache Duet
I had asked the assistants a few months ago to help me—covertly, of course. They’d shown me their “special order only” catalog, and I’d chosen the dress. They came up with an excuse to get her measurements. Even through the screen of a tablet, I could picture Ava in this exact dress, how well it would suit her, how beautiful she’d look.
My imagination came up short.
Ava is… heart-stopping.
And as I watch her walk toward me on Trevor’s arm, I feel a sense of ease I’ve never felt before. I knew from the moment she first held me under those gym lights that I wanted her. Some people can tell you the moment they fell in love with someone—a quirky story about a random Sunday morning—but there was no such turning point for me.
I think, in some ways, I needed Ava before I met her, and once I found her, I loved her with all of me.
It’s that simple.
I release the breath I’d been holding when Trevor releases her to stand before me.
“You look…” I start.
“So do you,” she replies, and then she smiles, and dang it, I’m crying.
So is she.
I take her hand. “Are you ready, baby?”
“I’ve been ready, baby.”
The vows I’d sent to Michael were short, simple, knowing Ava and I had already said everything we needed to. Still, the words he speaks are a blur, and I can concentrate just enough to listen out for the pauses, so when it’s time for me to say “I do,” I do.
Michael continues, “Ava, do you take…” The more he speaks, the quicker Ava’s smile drops, and at the pause, at the exact moment when she’s supposed to speak… she doesn’t.
Instead, she hesitates, looking around, her breaths short, sharp, eyes brimming with tears.
“Ava…” I choke on her name, and I can feel my knees giving out beneath me.
“I…” Do. I do. Two words. Come on, Ava….
I step closer, my words just for her. “It’s okay if you don’t want to,” I whisper. “Or if I pressured you to do it too soon, we can—”
“I just…” She squeezes my hands. “I need to say something.”
I catch Trevor’s eyes behind her, and I can see the anguish there. He wasn’t expecting this. “Go ahead,” I tell her, forcing a smile. Internally, I’m readying my heart for imminent obliteration.
Ava takes a few breaths, her head bowed, but she’s still holding on to me, and I hold on to hope. She lifts her gaze, her eyes clear now and right on mine. “The first time I spoke to you, I called you self-entitled.” She giggles, and relief loosens every muscle within me.
Then she waits for our families’ quiet laughter to die before adding, “Little did I know how wrong I was.” She pauses to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. “You’re the most selfless man I know, Connor. And I know this because… because I was hopeless when you met me. Broken beyond words. I fought you, fought us, at every turn, but you never gave up on me. On our friendship. Our love. You sat on my porch and held me through my cries, and then you… you put my ear to your heart until the only thing I could hear was magic.” Her tears flow freely now, and I release her hands only to cup her face and wipe those tears away.
She sniffs a few times. So do I. So does everyone around us.
“For five years, you’ve continued to do that,” Ava continues, “proving every single time that magic is real and lives and breathes inside you. We’ve grown so much together, from annoying, bratty little teenagers to…” She giggles again, the sound soothing my soul. “Well, you’re a baller, and I’m still a brat, but… you love me, anyway.”
“I do, Ava,” I say through the knot in my throat. “So much.”
“You changed our lives, Connor. You turned all our zero days into positive ones by not just showing but proving that… that love is not a noun, love is a verb…. So do I take you to be my husband?” She exhales. “You, Connor Ledger, are absolutely everything my heart and soul desire. All day. Every day. Always. Forever.”
Our smiles match, our teary eyes glued to each other.
“I do.”
AVA
“What’s up, everyone?!” I say into the microphone. “Welcome back to another episode of ‘Why Are You Telling Me This?’ with your host, me, Ava Ledger! And beside me, as always, is the real reason y’all tune in.” I glance beside me to my husband, shaking his head as he watches me.