Page 65 of The Rookie

I glare at him, and he winks. My stomach flips.

I amsoin trouble.

“So,” Jake says with a quiet, but devious, smirk. “Never have I ever?”

twenty

. . .

Griffin

The tensionfrom chatting with Avery on the dance floor tonight still hangs in the air, and I’m not sure if my face is flushed from the tequila or the fact thatAvery Sinclairjust told me hersafe word.

Before I can get my bearings, Kayla jumps in, leaning back in her chair like a queen holding court. Apparently they’re in the middle of a game of Never have I ever.

“Alright,” she says, swirling her drink and raising one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Never have I ever…notgiven someone the best head of their life.”

Avery chokes on her margarita. I nearly spit mine across the table.

“Jesus, Kayla,” I say, coughing as Jake howls with laughter.

“What?” Kayla shrugs innocently, but she’s grinning like she’s just dropped the best joke of the year. “I’m just saying. Can’t all of us be talented.”

“Who are you even looking at?” Avery demands, shooting Kayla a glare.

Kayla glances pointedly atme.

Oh god.

I freeze like a deer in headlights. “Don’t look at me. I’ve got no comment here.”

“Oh, come on,” Kayla teases, grinning. “You look like you’d appreciate a good skill set.”

Avery turns to me, eyebrows raised in mock interest. “Yeah, Griffin. Care to comment?”

I’m pretty sure I’m blushing again. “Pass. Hard pass. No comment whatsoever.”

“Coward,” Kayla mutters, downing the rest of her drink and slamming it on the table like she’s just won a competition.

Jake wipes tears from his eyes. “I’ll drink to that one. Iknewtonight was going to be a highlight.”

The attention shifts back to me, and my brain goes completely blank under Avery’s smug, watching stare.

Think of something. Literally anything.

“Alright,” I say finally, sitting up straighter and smirking. “Never have I ever…readPride and Prejudice.”

There’s a beat of silence.

Avery blinks at me, deadpan. “Are you serious?”

I shrug innocently. “What? It’s a classic. I hearsomeonehere likes it.”

Jake snorts. “Weak, man. Weak.”

Kayla groans. “That’s the most boring ‘Never Have I Ever’ I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“Yeah, well,” I fire back, smirking at Avery, “it’s not my fault you’ve all blown through your weird life choices already.”

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