Chapter 42
forty-two
. . .
Griffin
I wake up to the sound of soft breathing and the weight of Avery curled against my side, her head tucked under my chin. Her hair tickles my neck, and I can feel the steady rise and fall of her chest.
For a moment, I let myself soak it in—this quiet, intimate moment that feels so damn perfect I don’t want it to end.
But then reality creeps in.
I glance at the clock. It’s already morning, and the rest of the house is probably waking up.
Shit.
Carefully, I untangle myself from her, brushing a kiss against her forehead as she stirs but doesn’t wake.
I slip out of bed, grabbing my sweats and hoodie from the floor, and tiptoe to the door, easing it open as quietly as I can.
I’m halfway down the hall when I hear a voice behind me.
“Griffin?”
I freeze, turning to see Sloane, Asher’s girlfriend, standing there, her glasses slightly askew, her hair a mess from sleep. She’s holding a mug of coffee, her expression torn between amusement and shock.
“Were you just…?” She gestures toward Avery’s door, her eyebrows raised. “In Avery’s room?”
I scrub a hand over my face, already regretting this. “You saw nothing.”
She steps closer, lowering her voice. “So, is this like…a hookup, or…” She trails off, her eyes narrowing.
I straighten, meeting her gaze. “It’s serious.”
Her eyes widen, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. “Wait a second. She’s the girl you texted during the game, isn’t she?”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah. She’s the girl.”
Sloane lets out a low whistle, shaking her head. “Well, damn. You really went all in, huh?”
“Something like that,” I mutter, glancing back at Avery’s door.
Sloane takes a sip of her coffee, studying me over the rim of her mug. “So, are you going to tell the family? Or just let them figure it out when you two start making heart eyes over Thanksgiving dinner? Well Friday Thanksgiving dinner.”
I roll my shoulders, steeling myself. “Yes. We are going to tell them. But first, we need to tell Cassie.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Cassie? Your sister? Her best friend? The one who’ll probably freak out because she thinks you’re going to ruin everything?”
“Exactly.”
Sloane smirks, clearly enjoying this. “Well, good luck with that, lover boy.”
She brushes past me, her laughter trailing behind her as she heads toward the kitchen.
I exhale, leaning back against the wall for a moment.
Because if telling Cassie is step one, I’m already bracing for the battle that’s about to follow.
But as impossible as this feels, I know one thing for sure—I’m not backing down.
Not when it comes to Avery.
The smell of fresh coffee and bacon fills the air as I step into the kitchen. The Knox family breakfast table is a scene of cheerful chaos—plates piled high with food, half-finished cups of coffee, and voices overlapping in an orchestra of familial banter.
I grab a seat next to Asher, who’s halfway through a plate of pancakes. Sloane is across from him, scrolling through her phone with a small smile, probably laughing at something nerdy he said.
Cassie sits at the other end of the table, gesturing wildly as she recounts some story, her enthusiasm unmatched as usual. Avery is beside her, sipping her coffee and trying her best to look casual.
But I see it—the faint pink in her cheeks, the way she avoids meeting my gaze for too long.
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.