Page 116 of That Last Secret

She’s not wrong. I know my brothers will be cheering me on, but Avery has a voice that will carry, and I can’t wait for that moment.

From day one of school, my driving force to keep going has been the thought of crossing that stage to get my diploma as a graduate of the accelerated nursing program.

To some, it may not seem like something that big. But for me, it’s not just about walking across the stage. It’s about walking across that stage and seeing the look on my brothers’ faces, showing me how proud they are of me. Showing them I can do it and that I made something of myself.

“I can’t wait,” I say instead of getting too deep with her.

“The plan I think is for all of us to be there,” she continues. “I wonder if Oliver is going to bring Macey.”

“I don’t think it’s that serious between them.”

She gives me a knowing grin. “You forget that I know everything.”

My stomach sinks with her admission. I’ve had a feeling she’s been on to me for a while now with what’s happening between me and Logan. She’s good at picking up on things before anyone else does. If the two of us couldn’t fight off the tension floating around us in the past, there’s no doubt that she’s picked up on it too.

“I’m willing to bet she walks in here all glowy and thoroughly fucked,” she adds.

“Avery,” I scold. “I don’t want to know this about my brothers.”

As she’s about to say something back, Macey walks into the restaurant. And of course, Avery was right.

“Drink on you,” Avery says.

I roll my eyes. “Fine.”

“What’s going on?” Macey asks.

“We took bets on how much you’d be glowing when you walked in here after your rendezvous with Oliver.” Avery winks.

Macey’s cheeks turn pink as she sits down. “That obvious, huh?”

“Yes. Now spill.” Avery leans forward on both elbows with her hands clasped together under her chin.

I internally chuckle at her, but I focus my conversation on Macey and the details about her trip with my brother, hoping she avoids the intimate ones.

Avery calms her nerves by telling her the story about how she and Marc got together.

“Yeah.” Avery laughs. “I didn’t want to do it because I’d never been in a relationship. I swore off all men because of some daddy issues, which is a story for another day. Still, the point is, I was in a similar situation and I was scared out of my mind because I never had feelings for a man before Marc.”

“Her admitting that is a lot,” I add. “Avery doesn’t do feelings.”

“Facts,” Avery exclaims with a finger in the air.

“You two looked so in love when I met you that time in the mountains, though,” Macey says.

Avery nods. “That was for show. But things were already escalating quickly at that point. I was trying to fight off the feelings I knew I had for him, but just didn’t know how.”

“How did you handle it?” Macey asks.

Avery holds up her hand to show off the diamond on her ring finger. “I fell anyway. I just had to let him catch me.”

Just hearing Avery talk about how she fell in love when it was the last thing she wanted makes me wonder if that’s what’s happening between Logan and I.

Am I in love with him?

I mean, my feelings for him are so strong that I feel them deep to my core.

I want a life with him.

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