Epilogue
Avery
T he warmth of the family home enveloped me like a cozy blanket fresh out of the dryer as Brody and I crossed the threshold, our hands clasped tight.
It smelled like home, love, and the faintest hint of chaos—because let's face it, this was my family we were talking about.
But today, the atmosphere was charged with more electricity than a cut power line in a storm. I could feel it crackling in the air, a sense that the next few moments would shape not only our future but the future of my entire family.
“Ready for this, Spark?” Brody whispered, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
I nodded, drawing strength from his unwavering support. “As ready as I'll ever be.”
We made our way to the rooftop, where my cousins were already gathered. The plush sofas and armchairs were arranged in a semicircle, creating an intimate setting that felt more like an intervention than a family chat.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for their reactions.
“Thanks for coming, everyone,” I began, my voice steadier than I felt. “Brody and I have some news we'd like to share with you all.”
The room fell silent, all eyes on us. I could feel the weight of their expectations, their curiosity, and their concern. Brody stood beside me, his presence reassuring in the storm of emotions swirling around us.
“As you know, Brody and I have been doing the 90-Day Romance Challenge,” I continued. “But what started as a temporary thing has grown into something more. We've decided to continue our relationship.”
“Wait, what?” Mackenzie said, her eyes filled with disbelief. “You have got to be shitting me. You can't just… decide to stay together!”
I winced, feeling like I'd just announced I'd accidentally set fire to the family heirloom quilt.
“I know, I know. Trust me, I've been losing sleep over this for weeks. But… that's not the way love works. It doesn't follow neat little timelines and expectations.”
“Fuck,” Mackenzie said, running her hands through her hair. “This is going to destroy our book deal. We promised a revolutionary dating experiment, not ‘Oops, I Fell in Love… Again.’”
My stomach twisted into a pretzel of guilt.
I hadn't forgotten about the implications for our family experiment—hell, I'd been agonizing over it every night. But standing here now, seeing the disappointment on their faces, made me feel like I'd just told a room full of kids that Santa wasn't real.
“Guys, I'm so sorry,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “I never meant to let anyone down or screw up our plans. I tried to stick to the rules, I really did. But somewhere between the fake dates and the real feelings, things got complicated.”
Brody squeezed my hand supportively, and I leaned into him, grateful for his steady presence.
Just as I was considering whether Brody and I could make a break for it and start new lives as llama farmers in Peru, Emerson's voice cut through the chaos.
“Hold up, everyone,” she said, her tone as calm and steady as a captain steering through a storm. “Before we all lose our minds, let's remember that Liam and I also decided to stay together after our 90-Day Challenge.”
All eyes swiveled to Emerson, who stood up, pacing.
“Look, I get it. We all wanted this experiment to have clear-cut results. But love isn't a science experiment—trust me, I've tried to analyze it with flow charts and Venn diagrams.”
She walked over to me, putting a supportive hand on my shoulder. “The whole point of this challenge was to help figure out love, right? Well, it looks like Avery and Brody did that. Instead of being upset, maybe we should be celebrating.”
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. “Thanks, Em,” I said, giving her a grateful smile.
Kennedy, always the most supportive of my cousins, nodded slowly. “I get it, Avery. Love isn't something you can put a time limit on. But you have to understand, this changes things for all of us.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of their expectations pressing down on me.
“I know. And I'm sorry. But I hope you can be happy for us, even if it's not the outcome you expected.”
The room fell into an uneasy silence, each of my cousins processing the news in their own way. I exchanged a glance with Brody, drawing strength from his steady presence.
After what felt like an eternity, Taylor spoke up. “Well, I for one think it's brave,” she said softly. “To pursue love. It's not easy, but it’s beautiful.”
Her words seemed to break some of the tension in the room. Slowly, grudgingly, my cousins began to offer their congratulations, even if they were tinged with lingering frustration about the challenge.
As the initial shock of our announcement wore off, I knew it was time to address the elephant in the room—the real reason I'd called this family meeting.
I took a deep breath, desperately wishing I'd worn deodorant strong enough to handle this level of stress.
“There's something else I need to tell you all,” I said, my voice cutting through the chatter.
The room fell silent once more, all eyes on me.
“While we were in Switzerland, I found something out. Something that changes everything we thought we knew about our family.”
The tension in the room was palpable as I revealed the existence of an unnamed benefactor and the trust fund.
Shock, disbelief, and a flurry of questions erupted from my cousins. It was like I'd just announced we were all characters in a real-life game of Clue, but instead of Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick, it was Mystery Moneybags in the Swiss bank with a trust fund.
The room buzzed.
“A silent benefactor?” Quinn exclaimed. “What does that even mean?”
“How long has this been going on?” Shelby asked. “Have we been living a lie our entire lives?”
“Do Mom and Aunt Vivi know about this?” Mackenzie wondered aloud, looking like she was mentally rehearsing an interrogation scene worthy of Law & Order.
I held up my hands, trying to calm the storm of questions. “I don't have all the answers yet,” I said. “But I'm determined to find out more, and I wanted everyone to know what was going on. This could be the key to finally understanding our family's past, where the money came from, everything we've ever wondered about.”
As the discussion intensified, Kennedy pulled me aside, her eyes blazing with determination.
“This is fucking huge,” she said, her grip on my arm tight. “I don't care what it takes. We need to get to the bottom of this. Even if we have to hire a private detective, learn to hack computers, or sacrifice our firstborns to the god of family secrets.”
I nodded, my heart pounding. The mystery that had surrounded our family for so long was finally starting to unravel, and I was both thrilled and terrified to see where it would lead.
Just as the conversation reached a fever pitch, the unexpected sound of the door opening silenced us all.
Our mothers’ voices drifted toward us, and panic flashed across everyone's faces. Quinn shoved the incriminating documents under a couch cushion, while Mackenzie suddenly became fascinated with a potted plant. I tried to school my features into something resembling innocence, but I was pretty sure I looked more constipated than casual.
“Girls?” Aunt Vivi's voice cut through the air like a hot knife through bullshit. “Anyone care to tell us what’s going on?”
My heart stopped. My breath caught in my throat. I looked at my cousins, seeing my own panic reflected in their wide eyes.
In that moment, I knew we had a choice to make. We could keep the secret and not let them know what we'd found out, continuing our lives as the poster children for blissful ignorance.
Or we could take a leap into the unknown and finally uncover the truth about our family.
THE END… for now.
How will Kennedy’s 90-Day Challenge unfold?
The curtain's rising on a whole new level of chaos in the next installment of TheExpiry Date Diaries!
The 90-Day Rehearsal is bringing the heat, and I'm not just talking the stage lights.Our sassy director's about to learn that love doesn't always follow the script, especially when it comes with asmokin' hot lead actor and a ticking clock.With forbidden touches, secret rendezvous, and enough sexual tension to power Broadway, this temporary arrangement might just become a standing ovation-worthy love story.
You won't want to miss the steamy, laugh-filled performance in The 90-Day Rehearsal!