Page 170 of The Rookie

And it makes me want to smirk.

“So,” Cassie says, turning to Avery with a sly grin. “Are you finally going to spill the beans about this mystery guy you’ve been seeing?”

Avery chokes on her coffee, coughing as her eyes dart to me for a split second before she looks back at Cassie. “Uh…we haven’t really…you know, defined things.”

Cassie’s grin widens. “Ooooh, so it’s casual? Or is it serious?”

Avery fidgets with her mug. “It’s…uh…”

“She’ll tell you later,” I interject smoothly, leaning back in my chair. “It’s still early.”

Cassie narrows her eyes at me but doesn’t push, much to my relief.

And then, because life has a twisted sense of humor, my mom chooses that exact moment to pipe up.

“Griffin, what about you?” she asks, her tone playful but pointed. “You’ll tell a press conference with the whole world about your dating life, but you won’t tell your own mother? Who is this girl?”

I pause, my fork hovering over my plate. “She’s…great.”

Mom’s eyebrows shoot up. “Great? That’s all you’re giving me?”

Avery shifts in her seat, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink.

Yeah. We really need to come clean.Stat.First things first—we tell Cassie. And then alert the rest.

I clear my throat, glancing over at her before I answer. “She’s extremely intelligent. Warm. Charming. A verified hottie.”

Mom lets out a delighted laugh, clapping her hands together. “Well, I can’t wait to meet her! Is she coming to dinner tonight?”

Avery stares at her plate like it’s suddenly the most interesting thing in the world, while I keep my tone deliberately casual. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

Asher leans over, smirking. “You’re being suspiciously vague, bro. Got something to hide?”

“Nothing to hide,” I reply smoothly, stealing a glance at Avery. “Just keeping some things private for now.”

Cassie frowns, clearly unsatisfied. “Private? Since when are you private about anything?”

Avery shoots me a quick look, her eyes wide, silently screaming at me to change the subject.

“Since now,” I say, reaching for my coffee. “What’s wrong with keeping some mystery?”

Mom shakes her head, laughing softly. “Oh, Griffin. You always did like to keep us on our toes.”

And as the conversation shifts back to Cassie’s plans for the day, I catch Avery’s eye across the table.

forty-three

. . .

Avery

The coffee shop is cozy,filled with the soft hum of conversation and the hiss of the espresso machine. Cassie and I step up to the counter, and I can feel my heart pounding as I glance at the menu, trying to pretend like I’m not internally spiraling.

“I’ve never seen you so nervous to talk about a guy,” Cassie teases, nudging me with her elbow.

I force a laugh, my palms damp as I clutch my phone. “I’m not nervous.”

“You’re fidgeting. You’re always nervous when you fidget.”

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