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.

echoed in my mind, sending a strange mixture of hope and fear coursing through

Alive.

my voice breaking.

the survivors were found on a

I was holding my breath, which didn't

though grounding. myself

overwhelm me.

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

know," Laura

tremble in her lip, the way her eyes darted away from mine. She wasn't

watch it shatter again.

finally asked, my voice small, hesitant. The question lingered in the air between us, fragile

blinked a few times, as if pulling herself back to reality. Her shoulders rose and fell in a deep,

in on an air ambulance tomorrow," she

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

in it now.

pressed into a thin line. She looked down at her phone, the screen still lit up with the call log. Her thumb

confirmed they're alive." Her voice cracked, her words trembling like they didn't want to leave

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

voice betrayed the uncertainty

was no

in the silence, the soft lapping of

weight of those few words