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

She bit her lip, her eyes bright with unshed tears, and my throat felt tight, like I might lose it if I said another word. But she gave my hand at

reassuring squeeze, like she was grounding me, steadying me, just as she always had.

Then it was her turn, and as she looked up at me, her gaze steady, her voice clear and strong.

"Luke." she began, her voice barely a whisper but full of conviction, "you've been my constant, my protector, even when I didn't want you to be When I lost my memories, when I lost us... You've seen me at my worst and still somehow saw someone worth standing beside. A tear slipped down her cheek, and I lifted a hand, brushing it away with my thumb, unable to keep from smiling. The whole world seemed to melt away until it was just the two of us, our hands intertwined, our hearts in

sync.

The officiant smiled, looking between us. "Luke, Jessica, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Luke, you may kiss your bride."

And I did, without a moment's hesitation, pulling her close, my hands framing her face as I pressed my lips to hers. The cheers and applause from our friends and family faded into the background, and all I could feel was her, warm and soft and perfect. Jess's arms slid aro "I love you, Mrs. Reynolds," I whispered, my heart feeling like it might just explode.

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DONUS

"I love you too, Mr. Reynolds," she replied, her voice filled with happiness, her eyes shining with all the love I felt in my own.

faces that had seen us through everything.

just as we'd always been. And for the first time, I knew with absolute certainty that every moment, every heartbreak,

A NEW START

A NEW START

JESS

room, gently coaxing me from sleep. Buried beneath a ridiculous pile of pillows-Luke's doing, no doubt-l stretched and yawned, taking a moment

life now. Two months into marriage, waking up in our bed next to him still

cool floor woke me up a little more with each step. As I neared the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee got stronger, making me smile, and

muscles were on full display, looking like he belonged on some

eyes drifted towards the tented portion of his grey pants, and my body shivered,

Reynolds," he said, his voice still a little rough from sleep as he slid a

but every time he called me that,

20

A NEW START

eyed him over the rim of my mug. "I could

already had," he said, watching me with