Page 39 of Give Me a Shot

Anger crackled through Jess, cutting off the impending tears.

“No,” she said. “My mom’s left a couple of messages, but I haven’t called her back. She wants me to come for a visit.”

“What if you did? I think, maybe, you’re kind of stuck because of the pain. If you started unraveling it, that might make things better, easier,” Alice said.

Jess wasn’t ready to deal with her parents. They’d known that something was off between Cassie and her husband. But her father had turned a blind eye, and her spineless mother had followed his lead.

“I don’t think I can be in the same room as them yet,” Jess said.

Alice sighed.

“I can understand,” she said.

“Okay,” Steph said. “Cheat yourself, then.”

“Myself? How?” Jess asked. She certainly didn’t miss the fights that blew up like clockwork between her and her father every time she set foot in her parents’ house.

“With Mo,” Steph said. “What if you’re cheating yourself out of something great because you aren’t dealing with what happened to Cassie and your parents’ part in it?”

All of Jess’s joints were aching. Which made no sense because she hadn’t shot too much, and her legs never hurt after she’d practiced. She rolled her wrists. A stabbing pain went through the left one, and she winced.

“Jess?” Alice asked. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” she said, trying to find a good spot to rest. “Just my wrist being annoying.”

“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Alice said. “Wait, did you ever go to the doctor about your stomach?”

“Her stomach?” Steph asked.

“Um, I forgot,” Jess said.

“It’s been bothering her for a while,” Alice said.

“And it still is?” Steph asked.

“Sometimes.”

Alice narrowed her eyes.

“I really think you should see someone,” she said. “And ask about your wrist.”

Jess sighed.

“All right. I’ll make an appointment,” she said.

“Mmkay,” Alice said. “But about Mo. He sounds…perfect for you, actually.”

Jess didn’t get the perfect part.

“How so?” she asked.

Stephanie let out a huge sigh and rolled her eyes.

“He’s a unicorn, Jess,” Steph said. “A man who puts himself in your shoes, makes you thingswith his hands,and stands up for you. Grab the unicorn, Jess. Fuckingridethe unicorn.”

Jess and Alice burst out laughing.

“You really think it’s okay?” Jess asked, still chuckling.

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