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

LOST JESS

The room felt like it had absorbed every ounce of hope we'd brought with us, leaving only the sterile chill of pale blue walls and a metal table that seemed too solid, too final. Laura sat beside me, her knuckles white as she clutched her phone, ending the call with my mother open.

We both tensed, our eyes flicking from each other back to the doorway. The official-a short man with eyes that seemed to hold nothing but indifference-walked in, his face unreadable, almost mask-like.

. For a long second, no one spoke. He glanced at a file in his

hands, his expression a shade too calm and controlled, and I could feel my stomach twisting into knots. A sliver of panic slithered down my spine, and I found myself clenching my hands together in my lap, my nails digging into my palms. I felt Laura's gaze dart toward me, I knew she was barely holding it together. The lines of exhaustion and desperation mirrored on her face.

The man finally closed the file with an air of finality that made my heart stop. He placed it on the table, looking down at us with something that might have been pity-or maybe it was just impatience.

LOST

"Miss..." he began, his accent thick and his tone clipped, but I barely heard him over the rush of blood pounding in my ears. I braced myself, afraid to breathe, terrified of what he might say next.

"Is there any news?" Laura's voice broke through the silence, shaky and small. I saw her hands tremble as she held onto the edge of the table as if it were the only thing keeping her from falling apart. "Please...just tell us if you've found them."

his eyes-a flicker of hesitation, quickly masked by a detached professionalism. He cleared his throat, flipping open the file again

have...confirmed," he said slowly, his voice cold, almost clinical. "The aircraft did divert, but communications

stomach, and I forced myself to ask, "And? Was there...any

hadn't even tried to soften it. No words of comfort, no

had them seek the nearest safe landing. Unfortunately, we have no confirmed location

LOST

gasps. They had no confirmed

once. My mind was blank,

to look at her. I couldn't face the tears I knew were pooling in her eyes, the helpless despair that was beginning to settle over both

my

sounded small, weak, stripped of every ounce of strength I thought I'd had

tone almost weary, as if he were tired of our questions and us clinging to hope. "The search is ongoing, but understand this. After a certain period, resources become limited. Priority will shift

roll over me, my stomach twisting in protest at his words: resources. Priority. As if Josh and Luke were simply...an inconvenience, something to be brushed aside to make room for other problems, other people. I opened my mouth, trying to force words past the lump in my throat, but nothing

up, aren't you? You're not going to tell us that,

official's expression hardened, his