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."

quickly masked by a

clinical.

I forced myself to ask, "And? Was there...any sign of them

my heart sink. He hadn't even tried to soften it. No words of

storm, as you know. Severe turbulence, high winds...standard protocol would have had them seek the nearest safe landing. Unfortunately, we have no confirmed location of

LOST

no confirmed location. The

My mind was blank, a fog settling over everything, numbing the rising

a desperate grip, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. I couldn't face the tears I knew were pooling in her

my

ounce of strength I thought I'd had left. "There are islands... places

of our questions and us clinging to hope. "The search is ongoing, but

blurred, and I felt a wave of nausea 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

with desperation. "You're just...you're giving up, aren't you? You're

official's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing