Page 171 of The Rookie

I roll my eyes, stepping up to place my order. “One lavender oat milk latte, please.”

Cassie orders her fancy caramel macchiato, and we grab a small table by the window. The light streams in, casting a warm glow over her face as she sits across from me, expectant and curious.

I take a deep breath, wrapping my hands around my cup like it’s some kind of anchor. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it.”

Cassie leans forward, her brows knitting together. “Okay?”

“The guy I’m with…” I hesitate, gripping my mug like it’s the only thing tethering me to this moment. “…it’s Griffin.”

Her expression freezes.

She blinks once. Twice. Then, she lets out a sharp laugh. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

Her face drops, her eyes narrowing. “Griffin…like mybrotherGriffin. Do we know another Griffin?”

“Your brother, Griffin. Yes.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Are you serious right now?”

“I’m serious.”

The words hang between us, heavy and inescapable.

Cassie’s jaw tightens, and she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I didn’t plan it,” I say quickly, my voice pleading. “It just sort of happened. We both thought we could put Mexico behind us and move on, but then we saw each other again, and…”

“So it started in Mexico?” Cassie cuts me off, her tone sharper now. “And what? You just decided to start something with my brother and not tell me? You, my best friend, and Griffin, of all people?”

The words sting, but I force myself to stay calm. “It’s not like that, Cass. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how. And then it got serious, and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Her eyes flash, and for a moment, I see the hurt buried under the surface. “You didn’t want to hurt me? So you lied instead? God, Avery, I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other. That was like…over a year ago.”

I bite my lip, guilt washing over me. “I’m sorry. I really am. It killed me not to tell you. You know I hate having secrets from you.”

Cassie looks away, her jaw tight, her hands gripping the edge of the table. For a moment, I think she’s going to storm out, and my stomach twists painfully.

But then she lets out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Do you love him?”

The words are quiet, almost hesitant.

I nod, my throat tightening. “I do. And he loves me. It’s real, Cassie.”

She looks at me for a long moment, her expression softening bit by bit. Finally, she shakes her head, letting out a dry laugh. “I should’ve seen this coming. You two were so weird in Mexico. I guess I just didn’t want to believe it.”

“I get it,” I whisper. “I’d be mad, too.”

Cassie sighs, her expression softening as she shakes her head. “I mean, yeah… I’m a little mad.” She glances away for a moment, then back at me, her eyes brimming with emotion. “But I’m also your best friend, Avery. And no matter what, I want you to be happy.”

Relief floods through me, and I can’t help the small, shaky laugh that escapes. “I am happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.”

Cassie stands abruptly, pulling me into a hug so tight it knocks the air out of me. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re happy.” She pulls back, fixing me with a mock glare. “But if he screws this up, I swear to God?—”

“You’ll take my side?” I finish for her, smiling through my tears.

“Damn straight.”

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