Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 97767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Auntie Nova…
Her words hang in the air, a casual comment on the surface, but to me, they land with a heavy reminder: she’s going to be a real aunt soon.
To an actual, living, breathing baby.
For a second, the thought clouds the moment, pulling me out of the warm, cozy cocoon I’d created in her brother’s living room. I shift slightly, adjusting the blanket around me.
Nova doesn’t seem to notice my lapse, too busy letting Gio climb into her lap and paw at her sweater like he’s decided she’s his new favorite human. She laughs, scratching his neck.
“You’ve got the best taste in pets.” She loudly kisses his snout.
Gio narrows his eyes in that suspicious way he does with strangers, but seems to decide she’s acceptable.
“Are you playing hard to get?” she whispers as he sniffs her hand before nuzzling it. “Are you?” Without hesitation, she cradles him gently. “Oh, I love you. I’m taking you home.”
“Good luck with that,” I say, smirking. “He’s picky. He barely even likes me.”
I move, making room for her to stretch out beside me.
“Having a lazy day?” she says.
“Yeah—I am so run down that I decided to leave school early and not do office hours.” My yawn punctuates the sentence. “It feels so good to camp out here.”
So quiet.
Serene.
The cleaning ladies came in briefly, emptying trash cans and making Gio’s bed, going through the fridge for expired food.
Surreal, this life he has…
“I don’t blame you. If I had this setup, I’d never want to leave either.”
Gio snuggles against her, his tiny body fitting perfectly into the crook of her arm. He closes his eyes, fully trusting her already.
“It’s a little weird, though,” I confess, my voice soft. “Cleaning ladies who know his routine better than I do. A fridge that somehow always restocks itself. It’s like he’s living on autopilot.”
Nova raises an eyebrow, her fingers absentmindedly stroking Gio’s nearly hairless back.
“Sounds convenient, not weird.”
“Yeah, but it’s not real, you know? It’s like a curated version of life. He’s barely here to enjoy it, and when he is, everything’s already done for him. It’s more like he’s staying in a fancy hotel than living in a home.”
She’s quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting to the floor-to-ceiling windows and the breathtaking city view beyond them. The skyline sparkles against the afternoon sun, a constant reminder of the privilege and distance that comes with this kind of lifestyle.
“I get it,” she says finally. “It doesn’t feel personal sometimes. Probably why he’s always down at my place.”
“Exactly.” I lean back, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “It’s kind of lonely, honestly.”
Nova turns her head to look at me, her expression softening.
“Well, he’s not alone right now,” she says simply, her voice warm.
I smile, grateful for her presence. “No, I guess he’s not.”
“You have each other.”
That warms me on the inside and I debate if I should tell her about…well. You know. Being pregnant. How she’ll react.
Too soon.
She just got here.
“I had an interesting conversation with your brother last night,” I say. “He was at my place and we started talking ‘bout you—as usual—and dating came up.”
Nova rolls her eyes. “I’m sure it did.”
“Interestingly enough, I got him to give me a name.”
This perks her up. “What do you mean, a name? A name for who?”
“Someone on the team he’d be cool with you dating.”
Nova narrows her eyes, shifting slightly so she’s facing me fully. “Wait—hold on. You’re telling me my brother, Mister Overprotective, actually gave you a name? Like—willingly?”
I grin, leaning back against the cushions and enjoying her skepticism. “I was just as surprised as you are. I figured he’d shut it down completely, but nope. He thought about it for a good, solid minute.”
I’m exaggerating of course, finding pleasure in her shocked expression.
“Who is it?” she presses, her tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
I raise an eyebrow, dragging out the moment.
“You really want to know?”
“Obviously!”
“Alright,” I say, drawing out the word. “He said, and I quote, ‘If I had to pick someone on the team, I guess I wouldn’t hate it if Nova went out with—’”
“Stop stalling!” she screeches. “Spit it out!”
“—Luca.”
“As in, Babineaux?” Nova seems to rear back. “Seriously?”
I nod. “What’s wrong with him—he’s so cute.”
“Yeah he’s cute but he’s so…” Her hand waves aimlessly in the air as she searches for an adjective to describe the nice, low-key forward on the Baddies. “Boring?”
I smirk. “Ah, so what I’m hearing is you’d rather date someone your brother wouldn’t approve of?”
“No. I’m saying I need someone who’s more fun.”
“Poor bastard,” I laugh, shaking my head with mock sympathy. “The guy doesn’t know we’re over here dismantling his entire personality.”
Nova grins, already reaching for her phone. “Let’s see how boring he really is.”
“Wait, you’re seriously gonna stalk him right now?” I ask, laughing.
“Of course,” she says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Her fingers fly over the screen as she types his name into the search bar. “If I’m gonna reject him in my head, I might as well have receipts to back up my claims.”