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.

it to the bathroom. Kneeling by the toilet, I gripped the edge, heaving until my body was spent, leaving me slumped

20 Mouser

breathing through the dizziness. And in that strange

let my mind wander back to Luke. I could almost feel his presence, steady and comforting, the warmth of his hand rubbing gentle circles

wanting so desperately to believe that he was

whispered, and I believed him. Even though I still wanted to vomit my guts out, I heard him. Maybe I was dehydrated and hallucinating. If

tears were streaming down my face now, and I wiped them away. What a foolish dream. It was

how many times I told myself it was just

would have phrased it differently. But he didn't

stepped through the cool shower like I would in Indonesia when I felt

few seconds without having Luke's face haunt my every waking moment. Something inside of me refuses to believe this

stuck with me, and I

tried to distract myself with the TV in the living. room, Laura came bursting through the door, clutching a