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

UNWELL

JESS

"Hey, babe. Are you ready? Everything packed?" I asked Luke as I dragged his suitcase out of the bedroom. He was so handsome even though he only wore a pair of slacks and a navy T-

shirt. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He walked to the front door and turned around. Suddenly, his face changed, and there was blood. Blood on his shirt, his pants. I looked up, and he was choking. I wanted to run to him, to help him, but I couldn't move. Why couldn't I m "Luke."

"Luke!"

I sat up, gasping for air, just in time to make it to the bathroom.

The nausea had been creeping up

for weeks, relentless and unforgiving, even now that we were back home. I'd thought that leaving Jakarta's oppressive heat and humidity behind might help, but it hadn't. The sickness remained a constant, unsettling reminder of everything that had changed, everything that wrong.

I barely made it to the bathroom. Kneeling by the toilet, I gripped the edge, heaving until my body was

20 Mouser

the dizziness. And in that strange

almost feel his presence, steady and comforting, the warmth

it, wanting so desperately to

and I believed him. Even though I still wanted to vomit my guts out, I heard him. Maybe I was dehydrated and hallucinating. If so, it would be worth it. "We are going to be

down my face now, and I wiped them away. What a foolish

it lingered. No matter how many times I told myself it was just

Luke had said, "Us.". If he meant just us two, he would have phrased it

I would in Indonesia when I felt like this.

than a few seconds without having Luke's face haunt my every waking moment. Something

me, and

a white paper bag. She didn't bother to knock or say hello. She just held out the bag, her