Best Friends Don't Kiss(36)

Time stops.

All I can hear are the sounds of my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

And I’m still just standing in the middle of the damn parking lot, unsure of what to even do with myself.

“Luke?” Tim questions. “You still there?”

“I-I’m here,” I stutter, laugh, and run a hand through my hair. I’m normally so assured, so confident. Who knew in the proudest moment of my life, I’d turn into a bumbling buffoon? “Just a little shocked.”

“The shock is only temporary.” He chuckles again. “And once it wears off, I suggest you start making arrangements to move to Houston. The program starts January 5th.”

“Wow. January 5th?”

“Yes. Are you ready to be a NASA astronaut, Luke?”

“I’ve been ready for this my whole life, sir,” I answer without hesitation. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

“You know,” he continues, “I worked with Carey London. He was a good man. One of the best. And there’s no doubt he would be mighty proud of you.”

I look up at the sky and smile. Yeah. I think my dad would be pretty fucking proud of me right now.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Congratulations, Luke,” he adds. “You’ll be getting your official NASA acceptance in the mail in the next few days, along with everything you need to do prior to coming to Houston.”

“Thank you.”

“See you in January.”

The call ends, and I don’t know how long I stand there before I’m capable of having a reaction to the news.

I did it.

I got into NASA’s program.

Holy fucking shit!

This is everything I’ve been working for since I was a teenager, and somehow, I’ve achieved what has felt like the impossible for the majority of this crazy journey.

A surprised laugh escapes my lungs. Goddamn. You crazy bastard. You really did it.

Instantly, I call the one person I have to tell this news to, but it rings and rings and rings until her voice mail picks up. “Hey, this is Ava. Sorry I missed your call. Just leave a message, and I’ll get back to you soon!”

There’s no way I’m going to tell her this in a voice mail.

I’m going to be a fucking astronaut for NASA, for fuck’s sake!

In less than two months, I’m going to move to Texas.

Away from Ava.

My heart clenches and strains at the realization. Soon, I won’t be living across the hall from her. I won’t be in the same building. I won’t even be in the same fucking state. I will literally be thousands of miles away.

My phone starts to vibrate in my hand, and I look down to find Incoming Call Ava flashing on the screen. And I just…can’t answer it. A moment ago, I was ready to tell her the news and now, I…can’t bring myself to do it.

This news is exciting, of course, but it changes everything.

Like a coward, I hit decline, and not even a minute later, she sends me a text.



Ava: Sorry I missed your call! I was in an early meeting with my director. Everything okay?



On a sigh, I toss my duffel over my shoulder and resume my walk to Teterboro.

My stomach is in a knot, which is an odd fucking feeling for what should be the best day of my life. I should be ecstatic. Cheerful. Fucking exuberant.

But something with Ava I can’t quite put my finger on has me unsettled.

My mind reels with a million different things at once, and it isn’t until I’m inside the airport and through the lobby that I’m able to gather my thoughts enough to text her back.



Me: Everything’s good, Ace. Just wanted to see how you’re doing this morning.



For whatever reason, I still can’t bring myself to actually tell her my big news. But it’s probably just because it’s the kind of thing I should really share in person.



Ava: Meh. I’ve been better. What time are you getting in from Miami tonight?



Me: Probably around eight this evening. Why?



Ava: Because I made reservations at that fancy French restaurant up the street from our building, and I don’t want to gorge myself on baguettes and expensive cheese alone. But I’ll have to cancel because the dumb reservation was for seven.



I furrow my brow and type out a response.



Me: I take it you were supposed to go on a date?



Ava: Yeah. With a guy named Todd I met on TapNext yesterday. He seemed super nice, but all that changed this morning when he sent me over twenty questions about the size and shape of my feet.



What the fuck?



Me: That’s creepy AF. You’re like a magnet for these guys.



Ava: Tell me about it. He even requested that I wear open-toed shoes.



I don’t know why she keeps doing this to herself. I don’t even know why she’s so adamant about this “Find a Boyfriend” mission, as she calls it.

Ava is gorgeous. Smart. Funny. She’s all the goddamn things, and she doesn’t need a man at her side to prove anything to anyone. She proves every-fucking-thing by just being her.



Me: Don’t you think it’s about time you toss in the TapNext towel?