Page 133 of Hit Me With Your Best Shot
She sighs dramatically, leaning her head back against the couch. “Men suck.”
And just like that, the moment is over. I laugh, shaking my head at her ability to switch gears so quickly. “Not all men suck.”
“Most men suck,” she amends, lifting her head to glare at me.
“Gio is clearly an exception. But the rest of them? Bottom of the barrel.”
I tilt my head, considering her words. She’s not wrong—Dolly has had her fair share of disastrous dates and flaky guys.
“You know,” I say slowly, “I seriously have to introduce you to Nova. The pair of you are basically the same person. Single, looking, and totally over dating apps.”
Her eyes light up. “The sister, Nova?”
“Yep. She’s hilarious, and honestly, you’d love her. She’s not afraid to call people out on their bullshit, and she’s got this infectious energy. Plus, she’s a great drinking buddy.”
I make a mental note to text Nova later. The idea of introducing the two of them feels like one of those things that could either be brilliant or an absolute disaster—there’s no in-between.
Not that I want Dolly to replace me with Gio’s sister, but the more the merrier—and I haven’t been giving her as much of my time since he and I started dating. And sleeping together. And all the things…
“Speaking of modern dating,” Dolly continues, her tone turning more serious, “how’s it going with Gio? I mean, really going. Any red flags I should be concerned about?”
I shake my head. “No red flags. Honestly, it’s kind of surreal how easy it feels with him. Like, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn’t.”
“Good.” She nods, her expression softening again. “You deserve someone who makes it easy. Relationships shouldn’t feel like a constant uphill battle.”
“I think I might actually be in love with him,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
Dolly freezes, her hand hovering mid-scratch on Gio’s back. “Holy shit, Austin. Say that again.”
“I said I think I might be in love with him.” I repeat it slower this time, the weight of the words settling over me. “Is that crazy? It feels crazy.”
“No, it’s not crazy,” she says quickly, her eyes wide. “It’s amazing.”
I pick at the blanket folded across my lap and fail to meet Dolly’s eyes.
“What’s that look?”
My head shakes. “Nothing.”
Dolly’s eyes narrow, her no-nonsense expression settling in. “Austin,” she says firmly. “I’ve known you too long for that ‘it’s nothing’ bullshit. Spill.”
Gio shifts in her lap, grunting softly, but even he seems to be waiting for my response.
I sigh, my shoulders sagging under the weight of what I’ve been holding in.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I repeat, softer this time, finally glancing up to meet her gaze. “But I haven’t gotten my period yet.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and terrifying, and for a moment, Dolly stares at me, her mouth slightly open.
“You mean you’re late?”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat. “Yeah. By a few days.”
Her eyes widen. “Austin! Why are you just now saying something?”
“Cause! There are no other symptoms. And why would I be pregnant, we’ve only had sex like…” I try to add up all the times we’ve had sex in my head, but the math isn’t mathing.
“Girl.” She stares at me like I’m an idiot. “Have you taken a test?”
