Page 28 of The Worst Kept Secret

My stomach flips in response.Okay, this is good.“I know it’s a stupid idea but…I just…I need you again.”

I bite my bottom lip andI squeeze my thighs together becauseSAME.“Okay.” I try my best not to let him know that I am squealing on the inside at this man wanting another night with me.

“I don’t know how.”

“I’ll figure it out,” I tell him because I know I have the most obstacles in this situation due to my plans to go out to dinner with my parentsandLucas. “But, I should go.”

“Mmmhm. Don’t drink too much.”

“Okay, Daddy,” I sass and I wonder how he’ll take the nickname.

“Fuck,” I hear him whisper into the phone. “Avery, you’re going to fucking pay for that.”

“Promise?”

“Talk soon.” He grunts into the phone. “And be safe.”

“Fuck it, I’m calling her,” Lucas says as we are walking out of the restaurant. It’s an hour later, and we each had another shot and two more drinks, so while we aren’t drunk, we are teetering on the edge and I do not think calling Raegan and exploding all over her is a good idea.

“No! Don’t.” I put my hand over his phone.

“How could she keep something like this from me? From me!?” He shakes his head. “It would be likeyoukeeping something from me.” Guilt gnaws in my gut at his words. “I’m always on her side about everything. Yeah, I give her a hard time about her new boyfriend but if she’s marrying this guy, I need to know what the fuck is going on.” He begins pacing and I realize he’s definitely not calling our Uber, so I open my app up to request one. My fingers itch to text Theo in case he has to do damage control if Lucas drunkenly explodes all over her but I decide against it for now.

“Rae!” My eyes dart to his and I realize he’s on speakerphone.

Relax!I mouth at him.

“What?” She snaps, annoyed. I remember she’s supposed to be sick but she doesn’t sound all that sick?

“Ummm… how are you? I heard you weren’t feeling well.”

“Oh better. It might have just been a little bug.”

“Oh good, you’re not pregnant, are you?” He chuckles and I smack his arm and shake my head at him.

She snorts. “What do you want, asshole?”

“Oh, well…what else is new?”

“Nothing…?”

“You sure?”

“God, Luke, what are you getting at?”

“Okay, don’t shoot the messenger, but Dad already knows and so does Mom, so I guess I’ll just come out with it because they’re both freaked the fuck out. Natasha’s mom outed you about your boyfriend having a ring to propose. Is that true? Or has Laura been mixing Xanax with vodka again?”

“Oh my God, I’m going to kill Nat. MomandDad know?”

“Yeah, Mom called Dad in hysterics while we were at brunch.”

“Thank God I bailed onthat.”

He narrows his eyes. “Are you even sick?”

“No.”

“Why are you avoiding us?”

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