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 breaking. "Did they

shook her head again, her shoulders sagging. "No. I only got bits and pieces. But they said the survivors were found on a boat near some island Ican't remember.

my breath, which didn't come

belly as though grounding.

overwhelm me.

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

Laura said softly,

lip, the way her eyes darted away from mine. She wasn't ready to have hope. Neither was I. The

watch it shatter again.

voice small, hesitant.

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

brought in on an air ambulance tomorrow," she muttered, her

people get sick or injured?" I asked

in it now.

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

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

drifted to the edge of the pool, unfocused,

voice betrayed the

was no conviction in her

the soft lapping of the

sound between us. The weight of those few words pressed down on my chest, heavy