Page 91 of Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Watching him is like watching a piece of art, if art could fuck you.

Then…

Just as I’m about to lose myself in the moment…

This happens:

“Oh. My. Gawd!”

The voice is shrill, horrified—and unmistakably female.

I freeze.

Gio freezes.

For a second, time seems to stand still as the sound of footsteps echoes in the room. My head whips around toward the door, and there she is—Nova.

Standing in the doorway, her face contorts into a mix of shock and disgust before her hands fly to her face, to cover her eyes.

“Nova!” Gio roars, his voice full of panic and anger as he scrambles to grab the blanket. He yanks it over us in one swift motion, shielding my body from view. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“What amIdoing?” Nova screeches, her eyes wide and her hands flying up to cover her face. “What areyoudoing? And why is your door open?!”

“It’s MY FUCKING HOUSE!” he roars.

Oh shit.

Eyes still shielded, Nova gestures wildly with one hand in our direction without actually looking at us. “I thought you were here alone!”

I bury my face in Gio’s chest, mortified beyond belief. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and I can’t bring myself to look at her.

“I want to die,” I mumble to no one because no one is listening. “This is a nightmare.”

“This is burned into my brain forever,” Nova shouts at her brother as if he were the one at fault for barging in, feeling around the air with her hands as if she cannot see. “I’ll never recover!”

“Then leave!” Gio barks, picking up a pillow and chucking it toward the door. “Get out and close the goddamn door!”

“I’m going!Jeez!” she barks back, spinning on her heel and marching toward the hallway. Still, before she leaves, she whips around one last time, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Us. “Also, you’re paying for my therapist!”

With that, Nova slams the door shut, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

Gio groans, flopping back onto the bed and dragging me with him. “I’m gonna kill her,” he mutters, staring up at the ceiling like he’s reevaluating every decision he’s ever made.

I can’t help it—I start laughing. It bubbles up uncontrollably, breaking through the awkward tension, and soon I’m clutching my stomach, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

“This isn’t funny,” Gio grumbles, though the corner of his mouth twitches, betraying his amusement. “She has no boundaries.”

I pull the blanket up to cover my face, letting out a muffled laugh despite the mortifying situation.

“She looked horrified.”

“She’ssodramatic,” he says dramatically, though his tone softens as he turns to look at me. “And I’m sorry. That shouldneverhave happened.”

No, it shouldn’t have.

But it did and there’s no point in dwelling. Or freaking out.

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