Page 172 of The Rookie

We both laugh, the tension finally breaking as we settle back into our seats. Cassie nudges her latte closer. “Alright. Spill the details. How did this happen? And don’t hold back this time.”

“Don’t hold back?”

“Well, you know, you don’t have to tell meeverything.”

We’re eating dinner that night when the topic of me and Griffin finally gets spilled to the entire crew.

It starts when Cassie narrows her eyes, looking between Griffin and me. “I can’t believe you two. I honestly thought you hated one another.”

“Wait…” Asher’s fork freezes mid-air. “What’s going on here?”

Jackson, seated at the head of the table, arches an eyebrow. “Yeah, what’s this big revelation?”

All eyes are suddenly on us, and my heart starts to race. Griffin leans back in his chair, casual as ever, but the tension radiating off him is palpable. He meets my gaze and shrugs. “We might as well tell them.”

“Well, tell us what?” Diana’s tone is a mix of curiosity and impatience.

Griffin takes a deep breath, then looks directly at me before speaking. “Avery and I are dating.”

Silence.

Then—

“You’re punching way above your weight, bro,” Asher blurts out, grinning ear to ear. “Seriously, Avery, how’d he manage to convince you?”

The table erupts in laughter, even Diana cracking a smile. Griffin rolls his eyes but doesn’t lose his composure. “Charm. Pure charm.”

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it?” Cassie quips, shaking her head.

“And just how long has this been going on?” Jackson asks, his tone teetering on serious. “You didn’t think to mention this before now?”

Before either of us can answer, a louddingechoes from the kitchen.

Diana’s eyes widen. “The rolls!” She bolts up, nearly knocking over her wine glass in the process. “Someone grab the oven mitts! They’ll burn!”

The commotion breaks the tension as everyone scrambles to save dinner. Asher and Sloane start teasing each other about who’s worse at kitchen duties, and Jackson leans back, smirking. “Classic Knox chaos.”

I sit back, making eye contact with Griffin. It feels so good to finally not be holding onto secrets.

“So…okay,” Griffin says. “We’re all good with this then?”

“We just hope you’re happy. And don’t mess this up, Griff,” Diana says.

“Never,” Griffin responds.

Later that evening, the family gathers in the living room, the fire crackling in the stone fireplace, the remnants of pie scattered across plates. I sink into the armchair beside the couch, trying to blend into the cozy chaos. Diana claps her hands together, beaming. “Alright, let’s play charades!”

I freeze. No. Anything but this.

“Oh, no,” Griffin groans from his spot on the couch, his long legs stretched out like he owns the place. “We all know how this ends.”

“With me winning?” Asher grins, already grabbing the bowl of prompts and shaking it dramatically.

“You wish,” Cassie shoots back, narrowing her eyes at him. “Last time, you cheated.”

“You can’t cheat at charades!” Asher protests, tossing his hands in the air like she’s accused him of a felony.

“Oh, you can, and you did,” Cassie counters, crossing her arms. I try to hide my laugh behind a sip of hot cocoa, but Sloane catches my eye and smirks.

---