Best Friends Don't Kiss(84)

“Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.” Trevor shakes his head and continues to stare at me, making no move to go back to his safety checks.

“Trev, c’mon.” I try to reason with him. “Just let me be, all right?”

“What. The. Fluff?” A loud, boisterous voice fills my ears, and I turn to find Thatcher Kelly stepping onto the plane. “What in the hell are you doing here? Where’s Dingle-Barry?”

“Apparently,” Trev chimes in, “our good friend Luke here had a change of plans. So, instead of going to Ava’s sister’s wedding, he took Barry’s scheduled flight.”

Thatch’s eyes turn downright interrogatory. “I’m sorry…what?”

I shrug, trying to act like it’s no big thing. “I’ll be flying you guys to Vegas for New Year’s Eve.”

Thatch looks between Trevor and me, confusion written all over his face.

But when he opens his mouth to say God knows what, his wife Cassie and the rest of the gang begin to board the plane.

First, Kline and Georgia. Then, everyone else follows their lead, stepping onto the plane already coupled up. Wes and Winnie, Milo and Maybe, Trent and Greer, Quincy and Emory, Cap and Ruby, Harrison and Rocky, and lastly, Theo and Lena.

Literally, their whole gang.

At first, no one really notices why Thatch is standing so close to the cockpit of the plane. Hell, most of them even manage to put their bags in the overhead bins and sit down in their preferred seats.

But Thatch doesn’t let that last long.

“Guess what, guys?” he announces toward the back of the plane, stepping into the aisleway. “Guess who is flying us today?”

“Dude, you gotta stop being so hard on Barry. He’s not—”

“No,” Thatch chimes in, cutting Milo off. “Fucking Luke.”

“What?” Theo questions, and Thatch turns to point directly toward me.

“This motherfluffer isn’t in Vermont. With Ava. He’s here. Flying our fluffing plane.”

In an instant, it feels like a thousand questions are tossed my way, all revolving around why I’m here.

These fucking nosy-as-hell billionaire bastards. They know way too much about my life. But, more than that, why do they even care?

I try to move things along, to get everyone to take their seats so Trev and I can concentrate on getting the show on the road, but my copilot has other plans.

He takes off his headset, tosses it down beside his chair, and stands up.

“What are you doing?” I question, and he just strides toward the back of the plane.

What the fuck?

“This flight isn’t leaving until you tell us what is going on,” he retorts, and I stand up, out of my seat, to watch him plop down in a leather lounger across from Wes and Winnie.

I look to our passengers, you know, the ones who paid good money for this plane to take them to Las Vegas for New Year’s, but they are no help.

“Spill the tea, Luke,” Thatch says, sitting down beside Trevor. He puts his hands behind his head and stretches out his legs. “I’m prepared to sit here all night, my man.”

“Uh…what’s going on?” Cap chimes in, and Kline smirks.

“Well, Caplin, I think Luke here is in need of an intervention.”

Georgia rubs her hands together. “Oh boy, I love when I get to be a part of the interventions!”

“I don’t need an intervention.” I sigh again and run a hand through my hair. “I need to get this flight back on schedule so ATC doesn’t ream my ass.”

“Like you’re scared of ATC. Get real, man.” Trev snorts. “Anyway, it’s not like you’re going to have to deal with them anymore. Mr. NASA.”

Thatch furrows his brow. “Wait…what? You’re fluffing in?”

“Yeah.” I nod, but apparently, my reaction isn’t what they were expecting.

“Dude, why do you look so fucking miserable when telling us that?” Trent questions. “I mean, you got into NASA. You’re going to be a fucking astronaut. And you look like your dog just died.”

“The tea, Luke,” Thatch insists. “Serve it up, my man.”

“Fine!” I shout, my brain feeling like it might explode. “I fucked up with Ava, okay? That’s why I’m here and not in Vermont with her. She told me she needed space from me because I. Fucked. Up.”

Those words break the dam, and I just tell them everything.

How things changed between Ava and me in Vermont.

How we became more than just friends.

How I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I got into NASA and would be moving to Houston because she’s been the steadiest thing in my life since my parents died.

I just lay it all out there, and by the time the last word leaves my lips, Georgia and Winnie and Maybe have tears in their eyes, and Thatch is grinning like a fucking lunatic.

Cap, though, on the other hand, looks pissed. “Wait…you guys weren’t in a relationship? What the fuck, man?” he questions. “I feel had.”

“I think what Cap is trying to say is that you guys were very convincing, so convincing that it probably wasn’t ever fake, was it?” Kline interjects, his eyes kind and his words filled with his usual wisdom. “You love her.”