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

COOKIES

LUKE

Darkness swallowed me whole.

The water was frigid, cutting into my skin like shards of broken glass. I fought to find the surface, my arms thrashing through the black abyss. My chest burned, my lungs clawing for air, but no matter how hard I kicked. I couldn't tell which way was up. I was lost.

Panic wrapped around me like chains, dragging me deeper. The cold pressed in on all sides, suffocating and relentless. Jess's face flashed in my mind-her smile, her laugh, the way she looked at me like I was worth something. I'd never see her again.

The thought was more suffocating than the water filling my lungs.

I was drowning.

My chest seized, my heart pounding like a drum, faster, harder-until suddenly, everything stopped.

I jerked awake, snapping back to reality like a ripcord yanked too hard.

Air rushed into my lungs, sharp and hot, and I doubled over, my palms finding the wooden floor. It was cool beneath my palms and real. Rock solid and real.

My chest heaved as I fought to breathe, my skin slick with sweat.

17.560

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the nightmare's icy grip refusing to

It wasn't real. It was a dream. No, it

through my nose and blew out through

off the lingering echoes. of the cold. My

warm, sweet smell.

Cookies?

dark outside. I must have passed out on the couch, so I made a mental note to drag Jess back to this

This was home.

stood and made my way toward the kitchen. The sound of her humming softly reached my ears, grounding me with every step. As I entered, Jess turned, saw me, and

she squeaked, clutching a spoon to her chest like a

startled expression made me grin, and the tension in my chest eased a little. "I didn't mean to scare you," I said, my voice still rough from

she set the spoon down. "You didn't scare me

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replied,

her blue eyes sparkling with

I teased,

of my T-shirts, although she's been wearing it a lot, it seems. Even with her pregnant belly,

t-shirt?" I asked, leaning over the dining room table. Jess blushed and

balm. "If you want cookies for dinner, you can just say so-no

like to me. I'd choose you over a chocolate chip cookie any day..."I bit into one that was