Page 150 of Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Dropping a bomb.

“Right. So why not make it funny?” Nova reaches over and grabs a throw pillow, hugging it to her chest. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s going to handle it better than you think. Ithink he’ll be excited. You may not have known him long but he’s already shown you he’s a decent guy.”

Decent guy.

“High praise,” I say dryly.

She laughs. “Hey, you’re the one who picked him.”

I roll my eyes, but the truth of her words settles in. She’s right—he is a decent dude and I did pick him—with her help.

Looking over, my eyes narrow playfully as I say, “You practically shoved us in each other’s way.”

Nova shrugs, a smirk playing on her lips. “You’re welcome, by the way. Don’t I have impeccable taste?”

I bite my lip, thinking it over.

Nova has a point. And the more I picture the idea, the more it makes sense. Maybe surprising him at one of his games is perfect. I can already see it—me, sitting front row with a sign that reads,Congrats, Daddy!

Yes.

I like this idea more and more.

“Impeccable taste? If by ‘impeccable taste’ you mean meddling to the point of no return,” I tease. “I mean—you meddledsohard that your brother is going to be a dad. So really, this is on you.”

“Meddling? Howdareeeyou.” Nova clutches her chest in mock offense. “This is slander, which I prefer to think of as divine intervention.” She smirks but then leans in, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “Seriouslythough—how are you feeling? Like, is anything happening yet? You’re super early, right?”

I nod, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “I’m two or three weeks along, tops. I barely feel anything. No nausea. Boobs are normal. Just tired. Like, I could nap anywhere, anytime.”

But that’s also nothing new.

I’m always down for a nap.

Ha!

Nova raises an eyebrow. “Tired already? That’s wild. Yourbody’s, like, ‘Hey, girl, we’re gonna make a human, so shut everything else down.’”

I laugh softly. “Pretty much. It’s weird—I feel fine one minute, and then the next, I’m totally wiped out.”

She tilts her head, studying me like I’m a science experiment. “No cravings or weird stuff yet?”

“Not really,” I say, shrugging. “I did devour a whole bag of salt-and-vinegar chips yesterday, but that’s just me being a snack monster.”

She shifts closer, her expression softening. “What about emotionally? Are you okay? Excited? All of the above?”

I exhale, my shoulders sinking into the couch. “Yeah. All of the above. It doesn’t feel real. Half the time, I’m like, ‘What if this is a mistake?’ and the other half, I’m scared. My mom doesn’t know I’m dating someone so I have to break that news, plus the news about a baby?”

Nova’s smile fades slightly, and she reaches over to squeeze my hand. “You’re literally weeks in—it’s okay to feel like this. We’ve got this.”

We.

Me + Dolly + Nova

What more do I need?

“Thanks, Nova,” I murmur, her words settling into me.

She brightens again. “So, I need to know—are we gonna find out what the gender is? Or are you going to wait until you give birth?”

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