Best Friends Don't Kiss(60)

“My dad makes his biggest meals on both of those days.”

His biggest meals? Pretty sure the only way those meals of his could get any bigger is if he buys a fucking crane and has food dropped in through the roof.

“Good God,” I mutter as I chuckle and take a sip of water. “I might have to buy an extra ticket for the plane ride home.”

“Whatever, Mr. Six-Pack Abs.” Ava rolls her pretty blue eyes. “Your metabolism can handle a little indulgence.”

I wink. “Speaking of my glorious abs, you want to help me?”

“Help you do what?”

“Finish my workout.”

Confused, she just stands there.

“C’mon, Ace,” I cajole and gesture for her to follow me into the living room. “Since I have to skip my weight workouts, I need a little extra resistance.”

Even though she still has no idea what I’m talking about, she sets down her cup of cocoa and follows me into the living room, the half-eaten cookie still held in her hand.

I get into a push-up position and flick my head toward my back. “Hop on.”

“Hop on?” She scrunches up her nose, staring down at me. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am,” I retort. “While I do push-ups, I want you to sit on my back. Normally, I do this with weights, but as you can see, I have no weights.”

Surprisingly, without any further argument, she climbs onto my back.

“Am I too heavy?” she asks, comically munching on that fucking cookie while I hold my body in a plank position.

“Nope,” I respond and begin my first circuit of push-ups.

“Ohh, Mr. Six-Pack Abs is just so strong!” she exclaims dramatically, and I laugh at her teasing.

Truthfully, I’m not acting like some tough guy. Ava is petite in stature. She always has been. Even the childhood pictures hanging throughout her parents’ home make it obvious that she’s always been a tiny person.

“Just eat your cookie, smartass, and enjoy the ride.”

She giggles at that and repositions herself, sitting cross-legged on my back, and I continue to move us up and down, counting each push-up silently in my head.

Once I hit one hundred, I stop and lie flat on the ground with Ava still perched on my back.

“You done?”

“Not yet,” I answer after a deep breath. “Two more sets.”

“Good Lord, are you training to be an astronaut or a freaking navy SEAL?”

I want to laugh at that, and I almost do, but my amusement is stifled when the realization that I still haven’t told her I’ve been accepted into the program hits me.

Fuck, you need to tell her. It’s starting to feel like I’m outright lying to her the longer I keep the news a secret. And lying to Ava just feels…wrong. Horrible. It’s the last thing I want to do.

I start into my second set of push-ups, Ava kindly counting for me this round, but the entire time, my mind urges me, Just tell her, dude. Just fucking open your mouth and tell her. Right now.

But when I open my mouth to do it, I promptly shut it.

And I do that two more times before we’re officially interrupted by the sounds of people walking down the entry hallway.

Did we Freaky Friday switch or some shit? Why can’t I seem to follow the advice I’m always giving her and just get it all out in the open?

“Ava Marie! Are you making that man do push-ups with you on his back?”

“Hi, Aunt Lily,” Ava responds, and I don’t miss the amusement in her voice. “And no, I didn’t make him. He made me.”

“My oh my, if that isn’t a sight,” another female voice responds. “The things I’d do to have a man carry me on his back like that.”

“Poppy!”

“What, Lil? You know it’s true. Hell’s bells, you’re probably thinking the same thing. I mean, we all know how much you love Big Don’s wiener, but there’s no way in hell he can carry you on his back like that. He has the osteoporosis, for goodness’ sake.”

“Oh my God, you’re embarrassing.”

The two women, whom I can’t currently see, continue to bicker, and Ava just giggles.

Eventually, once I finish my second set, I do the polite thing and stop.

But instead of shoving Ava off my back entirely, I reach back with two strong hands and grip her thighs, pulling her over my shoulders as I stand up.

“Ahh!” She squeals. “Luke, what the hell!”

And the whole time, her two great-aunts just stand there, grinning at us like it’s the best show they’ve ever seen. I haven’t seen them in person since we graduated college, but if right now is anything to go by, I’m pretty sure these two will still be just as entertaining as they were way back then.

“Aunt Poppy. Aunt Lily,” I greet. “It’s nice to see you ladies again.”

Poppy waggles her gray eyebrows. “I think I speak for both of us when I say, it is truly a pleasure to see you, Luke. A real delicious, delectable—”

Lily slaps her arm. “Goodness, Poppy. Why are you always so inappropriate?”

“Probably because I don’t have a giant stick up my prude ass like you.”

Lily huffs. Poppy keeps smiling.

“What are you guys doing here so early?” Ava asks, still on my shoulders.