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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said, as much for myself as for her. "Planes deal with these things all the time. They wouldn't take any chances with the team's

wavering. "You don't understand. I tried calling the airport, Jess. They... they wouldn't tell me anything. Just kept saying they didn't

level. "They'll call as soon as they know something, I promise. Airports are always cautious about giving updates until they have all

with the news. "You're right," she mumbled, barely a whisper, but I could see

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

to say. My own fear was curling inside me like smoke, dark and toxic, threatening to choke me.

reached for Laura's hand, gripping it tightly. "They'll be fine, okay? They'll walk through that door with a million stories about how they

sound, but at least it was something. "Josh would do that," she

clutching onto that image

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288 Mouchero

it was no big deal. And Luke... Luke, with that calm, unshakable look he always got when things went south. But the image slipped, replaced by the thought of him. somewhere out there, fighting for control in a jet being tossed by the storm. I took a shaky breath, feeling the tears

a soaked airfield, her raincoat plastered to her body by the relentless downpour. Behind her, airport personnel scurried about, their faces tense. "We're getting reports now that flights scheduled to land in Jakarta are being diverted due to the storm. Passengers on these flights are being redirected to safer locations along the coast. The airport has not issued a full statement,

into the couch cushion. "See?" I forced 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

her tightly. "No," I said, with a conviction I

me a

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stuttering. How did I know? I