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

STORM JESS

The TV cast a dim glow over the apartment as I sat beside Laura, clutching the remote so tightly my fingers were numb. The news channel's monotonous voice was barely audible over the drumming of Laura's nails on the coffee table. Each tap echoed louder than the last counting down to the next breaking update.

We'd been watching the same footage for the last hour:

Blurry shots of rain-lashed skies

Wind-bending palm trees

Waterlogged streets swallowing entire neighborhoods

Luke's plane was somewhere out there-right in the heart of the storm. I swallowed the tightness in my throat and forced a reassuring smile.

"They're fine, Laura," I whispered, reaching over to still her hand. "They're probably rerouted, or they'll land somewhere safe until the weather clears up. It's just... just a delay."

Laura's eyes were wide, unblinking, locked on the screen. "A delay? Jess, look at that!" She pointed at the looping footage, her voice quivering. "They're saying this storm is... it's one of the worst in years. And-and they were heading right into it." My gut twisted at her words, and I took a shaky breath. I had to

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for myself as for her. "Planes deal with these things all the time. They wouldn't take

calling the airport, Jess. They... they wouldn't tell

my tone level. "They'll call as soon as they know something, I

a quick glance at her phone as if it might magically light up with the news. "You're right," she mumbled, barely a whisper, but I could see the sheen of tears in her eyes.

were fighting just before. Yesterday, I almost threw a paintbrush at him. What if... What if..."

fear was curling inside me like smoke, dark and toxic, threatening to

it tightly. "They'll be fine, okay? They'll walk through that door with a million stories

something. "Josh would do

onto that image like a lifeline.

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288 Mouchero

of him. somewhere out there, fighting for control in a jet being tossed by the storm. I took a shaky breath, feeling the tears I'd been holding back start to press against my eyes. Not now, Jess. You need

to her body by the relentless downpour. Behind her, airport personnel scurried about, their faces tense. "We're getting reports now that flights

out, keeping my tone steady. "They're being redirected. That's... that's a good thing." Laura's face crumpled as she buried it in her hands. "What if they're not one of those flights, Jess? What if

an arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly. "No," I said, with a conviction I barely

face just enough to give me a questioning look. "How can you be

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How did I know? I fucking