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."

he breathed out a relieved, "Fucking

exhaling heavily. "So

I'm coming with you." Josh's voice had a spark of excitement I hadn't

time to process that I'd just upended my entire life. It

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

how I'd walked away, buried in denial and distracts that led me nowhere but here. Josh didn't talk much, and

Josh immediately whipped out his phone, dialing Laura's number. He paced back and forth, muttering impatiently as each call went straight to voicemail. "Damn it,

he glanced over at me,

second I hit call, the phone barely rang once before Laura picked

Laura finally picked up, she didn't sound as surprised as

took everything to keep my impatience in check. "We're here in Paris. I need to

PART & CHAPTER 197

just tell us where she

on the line, then she sighed. "She's... busy, Luke. It's been a lot for her, and I

interrupted, my tone sharper than I intended. "Please. I'm not

cool and firm. "I can't help you,

leaving me staring

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,