“Staring at the box isn’t going to make this situation go away. There’s only one way to know,” she said.
“I know.”
Forcing myself up off the bed, I ventured into the bathroom and numbly opened the package, following the directions and peeing on the stick.
With my heart pounding, I walked back out to the bedroom where Riley was waiting and exhaled.
I sat down on the bed and she joined me.
Riley rubbed my back. “Just breathe, Gia.”
“Five minutes.” I sighed.
My phone chimed, nearly scaring the crap out of me because my nerves were so sensitized.
When I reached for it, I realized it was a text from Rush.
Rush: Remember that shower you wanted to take with me last night…but I wouldn’t let you? Yeah, I think it might have to be on tonight. I can’t stop thinking about lathering up those delicious tits but not before I slide between them again. Okay with you?
That message would have normally made me so excited about tonight. Instead, an unimaginable pain filled me. I already felt like I’d lost him somehow. It was hard to imagine not having Rush around anymore. He’d consumed every part of my life from the moment I first met him.
I guess I should write back.
Gia: I miss you already.
He had no idea that there was deeper meaning in that statement. I already missed what I knew I could potentially be losing in a matter of minutes.
It was past the time to look at the test now. The results would be there. I just couldn’t get myself to go back in the bathroom.
“You want me to check it?” she asked.
Swallowing nervously, I rubbed my palms on my thighs. “Yeah. Please.”
Riley crossed the hall and entered the bathroom. It felt like the longest thirty seconds of my life.
When she came back, her face was flush. She looked sullen.
She didn’t even have to say anything.
I knew.
My phone chimed.
Rush: You’ve fucked me up, Gia. I’m crazy for you.
His words were like a knife to the heart and couldn’t have come at a worse possible time.
Feeling numb, I closed my eyes, and Riley pulled me into a side hug. Leaning my head on her shoulder, I knew I was going to have to tell him. But I needed just one more night.
One more night where it was just Rush and me.
One more night before I inevitably lost him.
Gia insisted that we stay in tonight. She said she wasn’t feeling well and just wanted to spend time with me at my place.
I wasn’t gonna argue with that. After a long day of making the rounds at several different properties and getting into it with this one contractor, there was nothing I wanted more than to just chill with my girl.
Whoa.
My girl.
Fuck. Did I just think that?
I did.
Gia was my girl.
What was happening to me that I actually loved the thought of being tied down? Tied up. Whatever.
Fact is, I’d never wanted to be attached until she came along and taught me that there was a first time for everything.
Well, damn.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a girlfriend. It was probably in high school, but even then, my relationships were short-lived. I used to think I didn’t want it. But now, I realize it was just that the right person hadn’t come along.
Gia had insisted on driving herself to my place. That was fine with me because it gave me extra time to make something for us to eat. Cooking wasn’t my forte, but I was one hell of a griller. I could marinate the fuck out of some vegetables and meat, throw it all on skewers and slap them on the grill.
I made pilaf in the rice cooker and threw some garlic bread in the oven. Earlier I’d stopped at the liquor store to pick up Gia’s favorite Moscato. That definitely elevated my pussy-whipped status up by a notch.
When she knocked on the door, I put my beer down and went to let her in.
Her shoulders were rising and falling as she stood in the doorway. She looked anxious. She was wearing a red strapless dress, and her flushed skin looked like it was trying to compete with the color of her outfit.
Gia lifted her hand. “Hey.”
I pulled her into a hug, and that turned into me lifting her up in the air as she wrapped her legs around me. I kissed her so hard, sucking all the clear gloss off her lips.
When I put her down, I couldn’t help noticing how good her tits looked.
They looked huge, like they wanted to spill out of that dress.
“I missed you today,” I said.
Pussy. Whipped.
“I missed you, too.”
When I finally pried my eyes away from her breasts and looked up at her face, I noticed that it seemed like her eyes were watery.
My brows furrowed. “Are you…crying?”
She sniffled. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just got emotional all of a sudden. I’m sorry.
That happens to me sometimes. It’s random. I’m fine.” She wiped her eyes. “Really happy, actually. I promise.”
I didn’t know what to make of that. I just knew I needed to taste her lips again. Caressing her cheek, I brought her mouth to mine.
Gia took a deep breath in. “Something smells really delicious.”
“I grilled us up some dinner. Thought it was about time you sampled my meat.” I winked.
When she didn’t respond to that with laughter—in fact, when she didn’t respond at all—I knew something was still preoccupying her. It was unlike Gia not to come back with something.
Placing my hand around her waist and inching her closer to me, I said, “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
We ended up eating dinner on the deck. We both devoured the steak tips with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and zucchini. Gia said she didn’t feel like any of the wine, which was odd. So, I tried to make her something else. Even trying to get her to say a dirty word in exchange for a Cosmo didn’t work.
We watched the sun setting as I sipped my own wine while she drank water. Hanging out on my deck like this was becoming our thing.
After dinner, Gia sat in between my legs as we stared out at the dark ocean.
Her hair was blowing in the breeze when she suddenly said, “I want to learn everything about you, Rush. I don’t want to miss anything there is to know.”
“We have plenty of time for that, don’t we?”
She turned around momentarily when she said, “No one knows how much time we ever have.”
I squeezed her. “Okay, Miss Morbid. What do you want to know? I’ll tell you. Anything at all.
Shoot.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Black.”
“No surprise there. It suits you.” She chuckled. “Um…where do you see yourself in ten years?”
“That’s a bit of a jump…”
“I know. I’m just asking questions as they pop into my head.”
I thought about her question then said, “I honestly don’t know, Gia. I know the typical answer that most people would give is…married with kids and a dog or some shit. But I’m not most people. That was never how I saw my life. But I’m realizing lately that what I thought I wanted and what I actually want might be different. I don’t have a clear grasp on what ten years from now or even tomorrow looks like.” I spoke against the back of her neck. “I hope you’ll just wing this with me.”
She turned around and answered me silently with a kiss.
Then she blurted out, “How many women have you been with?”
I should’ve seen this coming at some point.
“Why do you even want to know that?”
“Morbid curiosity, I guess.”
I sighed. “I honestly don’t know. I never counted.” I wanted to give her something, so I estimated. “If I had to guess? Maybe fifty.”
“Wow. Ok.”
“Wow?” I mimicked. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I honestly didn’t know what to expect there. I thought maybe it could even be more than that.”
I didn’t really know if I wanted to know the answer, but I asked anyway. “How many men have you slept with?”