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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her.

Jess. They... they wouldn't tell me anything. Just kept saying they didn't

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

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

Josh and I were fighting just before. Yesterday, I almost threw a

she wrapped her arms around herself. For a second, I didn't know what to say. My own fear was curling inside me like smoke, dark and

door with a million stories

laughed-a small, broken sound, but at least it was something. "Josh would do that," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "He'd make it into

clutching onto that image

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288 Mouchero

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 I'd been holding

reports now that

"They're being redirected. That's... that's a good thing." Laura's face crumpled as she buried it in her hands. "What if

"No," I said, with a conviction I barely felt. "They wouldn't take

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

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my heart stuttering. How did