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

THE CALL

JESS

I heard something fall in the kitchen, shattering to the floor.

I sat up so fast that the lounger wobbled beneath me, my heart hammering in my chest as Laura stepped out onto the porch.

She was holding her phone in one hand, her face pale, her wide eyes brimming with something I couldn't quite read-shock? "What's wrong?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Did something happen to my mother?" I pressed, my throat tightening as the words rushed out. My mind spun with possibilities, each one worse than the last.

Laura shook her head slowly, her lips parting as if to speak but no sound came out. Finally, she managed to look me in the eyes and said softly, "No. They, uh... Jess."

I stared at her, every nerve in my body on edge.

"They found survivors of the wreck."

My breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around me stilled. The sounds of the pool, the distant rustling of the trees, and even the beating of my own heart seemed to fade into nothing.

"What?" I whispered, barely able to get the word out. My hands gripped the edges of the lounger, knuckles white. "What do you

mean? Survivors?"

Laura nodded, her expression torn between relief and

hesitation. "It's... they haven't released names yet. Just that they found people alive."

Alive.

in my mind, sending a strange

Alive.

asked, my voice

only got bits and pieces. But they said the survivors were found on a boat near some island Ican't remember. Local fisherman picked them up in

didn't realize I was holding my breath, which didn't come

to my belly as though grounding. myself would stop the

overwhelm me.

it's them?" I whispered, more to myself than

Laura said softly, stepping

saw it there, etched in the lines of her face, the faint tremble in her lip, the way her eyes darted away from mine. She wasn't ready to have hope. Neither was I. The weight of it was too much, the possibility of

watch it shatter again.

small, hesitant. The question lingered in the air between us, fragile

herself back to reality. Her

brought in on an

they-did the people get sick or injured?" I asked softly, the weight of my unease pressing harder. God, I wished my margarita

in it now.

lips pressed into a thin line. She looked down at her phone, the screen still lit up with

Her voice cracked, her words trembling like they didn't want

to the edge of the pool, unfocused, her expression tight with something

said, though my voice betrayed the uncertainty clawing at my

but there was no conviction in her tone.

in the silence, the

weight of those few words pressed