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

CHAPTER 48

JESS

I'd had enough of Luke and Tiffany's public display. I needed a distraction, something or someone to take my mind off the image of them together. Leaving Tom's side, I set off in search of Sam and Laura.

Weaving through the crowd, I found Laura and Josh tangled in a corner. I closed my eyes so fast that 1 almost got dizzy, so I grabbed the wall to steady myself. "Yuck," I mumbled to myself, trying desperately to get rid of the images that flashed before me. I could go for a sht of amnesia right about now. I never want to see my brother in that position in my entire life, and I never should have in the first place.

"Laura's out," I muttered, continuing my search for Sam. I was a little drunk, the shots finally kicking in, and I bumped into a few people, slurring my words as I apologized. "S-sorry, didn't see you there."

Also, where did I lose Tom? I stopped and scanned the house for a second, but everyone's face started to become one. The music was too loud, and it felt like it was vibrating my heart, and the air was musty.

As a familiar song played, my face lit up. I spotted Tom against a wall, chatting with a guy I guessed was a football player by his size. I snaked my arms around his waist and cooed at him, "Let's dance," and pulled him back.

I dragged us to the center and felt the burn of the alcohol run through me. To hell with it. If Sam could reinvent herself and Luara could somehow get my brother to be monogamist, then I would dance with the school's quarter-back. I pulled Tom closer and let him grab my hips and sway us. My arms hung loosely around his neck as we twirled, and then he put his lips on mine, and I opened my mouth to dive into the kiss.

I could taste a mix of drinks on him, but I didn't care. I wanted to feel free just for a few minutes and not-not care about Luke, about the pact or Bryan.

Shit.

Shit.

Bryan... why did my head go there?

song, Tom's face turned pale, and I saw panic on his face. "I... I need to get to

most people here were just as wasted as I was, and nobody cared that 1 was standing alone on the dance floor. I closed my eyes and forced the image of Bryan's face out of my head. I hated that he was still there, in the back of my mind, lurking like a monster. When I opened my eyes, I almost thought I saw him across

I muttered, looking for an

wave of anxiety starting to form in the pit of my stomach. I backtracked,

was becoming hazy, and I felt dizzy. Everyone's face was blurry, and I felt like I

breathe. I pushed past people, muttering apologies. Just as

I was flying... no, wait, falling, definitely falling. "Shit!" My arms flailed out but caught onto nothingness. I closed my eyes and hit the pool with about as

snapped me out of my panic attack instantly, and all the tequila left my veins. I was stone-cold sober now. I surfaced, gasping for

see it. He felt sorry for me. I took a deep breath and decided that I didn't care.

back as I slowly stepped out

I squared my shoulders, swayed my hips, and pulled my hair over my shoulder to wring out the water. I heard a low whistle from

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me, I held it casually over my shoulder. The cool night air made my skin tingle, but I kept my composure. "Jess, are you

a smile. "Never

burning into me, but I refused to look his way. Instead, I sauntered past Tiffany, giving her a smirk of my own. "Thanks for

Tom reappeared,

green but more worried about me than

nonchalantly, tossing my wet hair back.

and I took it, letting him pull me close. His touch didn't ignite the same fire as Luke's, but it

Luke