Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card

CHAPTER 9 JESS

I was dreading today.

Not because Monday was special.

I dreaded today because the chances of seeing Luke were one hundred percent.

Luke has been hot and cold, and it started giving me whiplash. I couldn't figure him out, and I was done trying. It's a new week. It's a new me.

If he thinks he can just offer to be my first but then hook up with half the girls in this town right in front of me, he's sadly

mistaken. I was drunk that night. I made a mistake. One I intend to correct.

I finally confessed to Laura and Sam about Luke, and they were convinced I was drunk and imagined it. I gave up trying to convince them. It doesn't matter-there's no more Luke. There's been no more Luke for a long time, and it will stay that way. I grew up, and he grew up to be an asshole.

So what was I afraid of? I could do it and then get it over with. Maybe I'm afraid of crossing that line with Luke because there's no going back once I'm over it. Maybe I'm scared that he wouldn't want more.

I spotted him first when I got to school. Our eyes locked for a

CHAPTER

few seconds, and I was the first to break it. I couldn't look at him without a guilty feeling churning in my stomach.

kept my hair styled and straight and even tried some makeup. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was a lot of effort for me. I walked in as fast as I could, feeling the burn of his stare sear into me so when someone called my name,

"Hey! Jess!"

my chest and

was Tom, and he had a smile

I stared at it for a second, just sitting there like I was the most

was dumbfounded, but luckily,

Jess," he

Was that a compliment?

and Tom laughed like I'd

buying tickets for this

11 288 outtert

then maybe I'd buy you an ice cream

to answer when someone beat me to

Luke and Josh standing behind Tom. My brother answered

a death stare. By now, Laura and Sam were standing behind me, and I saw

me behind him, and before they could say anything else, I reached for Tom's arm and

I smiled up at him, scribbling my number on his arm, and Tom beamed back

Tom," Josh repeated, coming right up to my

repeated, and I glared