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

JOSH

I floated in and out of awareness, my body heavy, my mind sluggish. Voices reached me as if from underwater-muffled, distant. I cracked an eye open, and the sunlight stabbing through the trees made me wince.

Sarah's face swam into view, her brows furrowed, her lips moving as she pressed something cool to my forehead. "Josh?" she said, her voice trembling. "Stay with me, okay? Just hang on."

I tried to answer, but my throat felt like sandpaper, and all I managed was a groan. My leg throbbed, sending sharp, relentless pain shooting up my body.

"Is he okay?" a familiar voice asked-Luke. His voice was rough, worried.

Sarah shook her head. "I think he has sepsis from the leg," she said, her voice cracking. "His body isn't winning the fight. We need to get him off this island. Soon."

Sepsis. That word sliced through my foggy mind, triggering a wave of panic. I wasn't ready to die. Not like this.

Luke went quiet, and for a moment, all I could hear was the sound of my ragged breathing and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. Then he said, "Well, let's get the fuck off this island then. I found the boat. We just need to get him there." Boat. That word pulled me further into consciousness. Had I

heard him right? Had Luke actually found a way off this forsaken place?

had flipped

on the other side of the cliffs. You saved us, man, you and

looked down at me, her eyes scanning my face. "We're going to have to carry him," she said, her tone

around, her mind clearly racing. Then she snapped her fingers. "The hammock," she said. "We can use it as a stretcher. Tie the ends to some branches,

said, his voice quieter now.

Instead, I let my head roll to the side, silently praying they could pull this

out, catching snippets of conversation and the

on, Josh," Luke said at one point, his voice strained.

uneven ground made every step a challenge. With every jolt, my leg screamed in protest, but I clenched my teeth, refusing to

filled my nose. The jungle was alive with the sound of birds and insects, but all I could focus on was the pain and

cliffs, I cracked an eye open. The towering

her voice

a narrow path that snaked down the side of the cliff, the ocean crashing against the rocks below.

voice broke through

man. Just hang