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.

a normal-sized T-shirt for once. I also 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

"Hey! Jess!"

clutching my chest and breathing

Tom, and he had a smile plastered on his

on my shoulder. I stared at it for a second, just sitting there like I was the most normal thing ever - a boy

but luckily, Tom

look good, Jess," he said

Was that a compliment?

mumbled, and Tom laughed like I'd just told a

for this Friday? I was hoping you'd

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watch the game, and then maybe I'd buy you an ice cream or something

someone beat me to it. "She's busy

see Luke and Josh standing behind

I'm not busy," I said sweetly, giving my brother a death stare. By now, Laura and Sam were standing

but he seemed a little nervous. I watched Luke glare at me behind him, and before they could say anything else, I reached for

at him, scribbling my number on his arm,

"You are not going out with Tom," Josh repeated, coming right up to my face. I looked back, refusing to back down. "Where do you get off telling me what to do? I don't exist to

repeated, and I