New York.”
“That was probably smart.” My mom’s grin grows. “Oh, and before I forget. There are fresh towels and washcloths in your bathroom, but let me know if you guys need anything, okay?”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Out of the kitchen and up the stairs, I make my way toward my old bedroom at the end of the second-floor hallway, and when I open the door, I find Luke lying on my bed with the itinerary clutched in his hands.
“How’s it going?” I ask and gently shut the door behind myself.
“Did you see what your dad has planned?” he asks, eyes wide. “Ice-skating, caroling, cookie-baking contest…? Every day is jam-fucking-packed, Ava.”
“Well, the big Guy really loves Christmas.” I giggle and slip off my boots, setting them beside Luke’s sneakers and our suitcases.
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I honestly didn’t know there were this many Christmas-themed activities to do.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” I answer, lying down on the bed beside him. “If there were more days, Guy Lucie would’ve found more activities. Truthfully, that final schedule probably had to be narrowed down.”
“Holy shit.” Luke bursts into laughter and sets the laminated itinerary onto my old nightstand and adjusts his arm so it’s underneath my shoulders, tucking me close to his side. “This is going to be some week, huh?”
I grin up at him. “Yeah, well, between Guy’s holiday extravaganza, my sister’s wedding, my stupid reunion, and the whole—” I drop my voice to a whisper “—you pretending to be my boyfriend, I’m pretty sure this week will be one for the books.”
“You want to know my favorite part of the trip so far?”
“Tell me.”
“Seeing your childhood bedroom.”
I lean back to meet his eyes. “Really?”
“Oh yeah,” he responds and glances around the room. “It’s everything I hoped it’d be and more.”
“You’ve spent that much time thinking about my childhood bedroom?”
“I’ve always wondered what young Ava was like when she was up here painting.” His smile is soft and sugary sweet. “And now I know.”
I look around my room and see that most of it hasn’t changed. Not the canvases hanging above my desk or the easel that still sits by the window. It’s a true blast from the past.
“I think ten-year-old Luke would’ve been fascinated by ten-year-old Ava.”
“You don’t know that.” I roll my eyes. “I was a weird kid.”
“All kids are weird. And your weird is the good kind,” he responds and flashes a lazy, sleepy smile toward me. “That’s what makes you special, Ace. You’ve always marched to the beat of your own drum.” A yawn escapes his throat, and it’s not long before his eyes drift closed.
After a lengthy day of traveling, I should be just as tired as he is, but I’m not.
If anything, I feel wired. Like I just drank three freaking espressos.
I should also be questioning the whole sleeping arrangement thing.
But when I look up at Luke and note the soft, even breaths moving his chest up and down in steady rhythm, I decide that we can just share my bed. It’s queen-sized, so we won’t be cramped for space, and it would be kind of cruel to drag him all the way to Vermont and make him sleep on the freaking floor.
Makes total sense…right?
December 22nd
Luke
My run around Ava’s small town clocked my slowest time I’ve had in over two years. But I’m pretty sure that has everything to do with the massive Italian-themed holiday dinner her dad cooked for us last night. Spaghetti, lasagna, Caesar salad, fresh bread, and enough dessert cannoli and cheesecake to feed everyone in Lakewood, it was a fucking feast.
The consequences of gorging myself on that many heavy carbs and desserts equated to an incredibly painful run this morning.
Thank fuck that’s over.
I undo the elastic strap that holds my phone against my arm and check the mileage and time. The mileage is good—six miles. But the time? Ha. Let’s not talk about it.
As I walk up the Lucies’ driveway, I scroll through a few notifications on my phone.
An email from my direct boss and one of the owners of Soar Aviation.
From: Billy Shay
Subject: Permanent Leave Paperwork
Luke,
Just confirmed with HR that everything has been filed.
I’m going to miss having you on our fleet, but I’m also incredibly excited for you. Let me know when it’s okay to make the big announcement to the rest of the team.
No doubt, you will be sorely missed.
Take Care,
Billy
It’s official. No longer a pilot for Soar Aviation, soon, I will be on NASA’s team.
The thought is so