Page 115 of Who I Really Am

Here comes Avery.

She stops at the table and frowns at Tripp. Well, a friendly frown. Anyone can see her fiancé can do no real wrong. “You said you’d wait for me.”

“Sorry. I saw Gonz here kissing on my sister and had to come over.”

Avery’s smile dims. Because he kissed me? Is she down on Marco too?

The sweep of her gaze takes all of us in. “Well, at least everybody is still alive. May I sit, please?”

As Marco moves over, settling against the window, he smiles at Avery. It’s a weak smile, but in that tiny interaction I can see that he likes her and that the feeling is mutual. A little pressure around my heart releases. Avery is an awesome judge of character. She squeezes his arm. “How you doing?”

He shrugs.

She turns to me. “Hey, Lise.”

I return the greeting and try for a genuine smile. I like Avery a lot. I mean, she’s practically the sister I never had—unless I count the two or three living in deep East Texas. Which I don’t, not yet.

Our waitress arrives with a pair of menus, but Tripp and Avery wave her off with only orders for coffee. The buzz of a busy restaurant accentuates the dearth of conversation at our table.

My mouth is parched, yet I don’t dare lift my hands, lest anyone see. I notice the trio of pills on my placemat, and I think my internaloh nowas also audible.

Avery’s head tilts at me. “Are you okay?”

The thing I’ve feared has come upon me. The pills are hidden by the bundle of silverware, so I think she’s referring to my appearance. I know I’m pale, and worse, I’m not known for going out without my hair fixed and my full face on.

“Yep.”

But I feel Tripp’s eyes on me. “Hey, what’s all that?”

My chest squeezes when I see his actual focal point: the pills that weren’t as hidden as I’d hoped. “Nothing.”

“Annalise.”

“It’s medicine, alright?” I try to shrug it off, striving for the annoyed little sister air.

“What for?”

I huff. “What is this? Twenty questions?”

“Try fifty, and I’ve got a bunch more where that came from. Are you sick?”

“I’m fine. Leave me alone.”

“Lise—”

“Give your sister some space, Walker.”

Tripp’s head snaps around. “Don’t tell me how to treatmysister, Gonzalez.”

Marco bows up. While I appreciate his support, I don’t want this thing to escalate.

“Aren’t there more important things to discuss at the moment?”

Thank you, Avery.I don’t think she means my health is unimportant, so I take her redirect as a kindness.

I can see Tripp measuring the situation, sort of conceding with a reluctant sigh. “So, you going to tell me what Winburn said?” There’s a bite to his tone. Avery may be the only thing keeping him from tearing into Marco full-on.

Marco’s chin hikes. “Thought you talked to him yourself.”

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