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

PART 2-CHAPTER 135 LUKE

I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, Josh pacing back and forth, barely registering in my head. My temples throbbed, the pressure building until it felt like my skull might explode.

A relentless replay filled my mind: Jess, falling. Jess, hitting the ground. Her limp body crumpled at the bottom of those damn stairs.

Josh finally stopped pacing, pulling his phone away from his

ear.

"Yeah. She fell. No, she wasn't drinking. It was an accident. I'm not drunk!" His tone cut through the haze in my head, and I almost wished I hadn't heard it. There was a pause, a silence that felt heavy enough to crush me, before he muttered, "Fine. I'll see you tonight." He hung up with a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair beside me, his hand landing on my shoulder.

"It's nobody's fault, Luke," he said, his voice flat, like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. "She lost her balance and fell. I saw it. You saw it. Hell, even Courtney saw it. She's going to be fine."

Fine.

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That word was a fucking joke.

"If we hadn't had that fight..." I spoke slowly. She wouldn't have. felt like she needed to get out of there. It is my fault. It's all my fault."

Josh exhaled loudly, running a hand through his hair as he looked at the exit. I followed his gaze, and photographers were already camped out there. Fuck.

"California's youngest linebackers leave the club with police and an ambulance," I growled, "They'll have a field day with that one."-

Josh grimaced, leaning back in his chair, his head tilted toward the ceiling like he was praying for this nightmare to end. "My agent's going to have a rough day tomorrow. Fuck." He groaned, rubbing his face with his hands like that would somehow erase what had just happ At least his agent was a stocky, no-nonsense guy who knew how to navigate a scandal. Mine? Mine was a snake wrapped in a designer suit, just waiting for the chaos to capitalize on.

crises right now. Jess. She was all

to see her, to hear from a doctor that she would walk out of here, whole and healthy, so I could stop this

Josh said quietly after a moment, trying to reassure me.

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brewed inside me. Jess might be strong, but she wouldn't have been in that situation if it weren't for me. I'd

one who drove her to

image out of my head. And now? Now,

believe I let this happen," I muttered, leaning forward and burying my face in my

nothing he could say

snapped me out of it altogether. I looked up, my stomach tightening

Just fucking great.

on his feet, talking to his mom, but I stayed seated,

into hist face as he stormed towards me. My

he was close enough, his voice cutting through the quiet room like a whip. "And now, look at you. You're on the verge of ruining your future! And now Jessica's! What is

PART 2 CHAPTER 135

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you were better

my jaw, feeling a wave of heat rising in

to the floor. She always did that-shrunk into herself whenever my

wanted to snap back, to tell him to shut the fuck up, but the look on my mother's face

words hit like a punch to the gut, my stomach twisting with a sickening mix of guilt and rage. I knew what he was saying; maybe he was right about Jess. Maybe I wasn't good enough, but that doesn't mean I need to stand here and fucking take it from him of all

fury. "Like you ruined Mom? Like you ruined her face not even a

feel every eye on me, the weight of what I'd just said crashing down around us. It

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