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

PART 6-CHAPTER 197 LUKE

The second I was out of the locker room, I grabbed my phone and scrolled to Josh's number. My fingers were shaking, a leftover from everything that had just unfolded, and it took a second longer than I wanted to hit call. I could still hear Michael's pathetic pleading echoing no, needed-was to find Jess.

The line rang. Once. Twice. I almost hung up and called back, but then Josh picked up, his voice groggy and disinterested. "Yeah?"

"Where is Jess?" I demanded, cutting straight through the tired haze in his voice. My tone left no room for hesitation. "I need to know where she is right now."

There was a pause, then a deep sigh. "What the hell, Luke? What's going on? You need to let Jess go, man. I love you like a brother, but you can't keep giving her hope. She needs a chance to move on,"

I clenched my jaw, my hand squeezing the phone so tightly I could feel the plastic straining. "Josh. Listen. I just ended things with Francesca. She's been cheating on me with some rookie-Michael-and there's no baby. It's not mine. I ended it. It's over."

Silence. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he processed that. "Wait. You're serious? You could have led with that, you know, asshole!"

"Completely," I said, my voice a low growl. I didn't have the patience to explain the humiliating details, not right now. "Now, tell me where Jess

DOCK

1. is. I have to see her, Josh. I need to fix this."

was a pause, and then he breathed out a relieved,

exhaling heavily. "So you'll

you." Josh's voice had a spark of excitement I hadn't heard

process that I'd just

over every single thing I'd done wrong in the last few months. Jess's face, her smile, her

of how I'd walked away, buried in denial and distracts that led me nowhere but here. Josh didn't talk much, and I was grateful. We didn't need words to

phone, dialing Laura's number. He paced back and forth, muttering

at me, his brow furrowed. "She's not

really expect anything, but the second I hit call, the phone barely rang once

finally picked up, she didn't sound as

voice steady, though it took everything to keep my

PART & CHAPTER 197

her. Can you just tell us where she

"She's... busy, Luke. It's been a lot for her, and I don't think it's a good

sharper than I intended. "Please.

she replied, her voice cool and firm. "I can't

clicked off, leaving me staring at the phone, more

beside me, already taking a few steps down the street, scanning the shop windows as we walked. We both knew Jess was here somewhere; Laura had just confirmed it by the very fact she'd tried to stonewall me. We kept moving up and down the narrow street, my gaze combing the windows and shop signs, barely noticing the bustling crowd and bright