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

WAIT... WHAT? LUKE

The heavy studio doors slammed shut behind me, and I strode down the hallway, trying to shove the simmering anger back down.

"Luke!" Sarah's voice echoed behind me, quick and breathless.

I stopped and turned as she hurried toward me, her face etched with determination. Josh was right behind her, juggling a precarious pile of pastries and looking completely unbothered.

Josh caught up and immediately stuffed a powdered donut into his mouth, oblivious to the tension. Sarah and I both paused to watch him, disbelief plastered across her face as he chewed loudly and shoved on the entire chocolate croissant in his mouth. "What?" he said around a mouthful, powdered sugar dusting his chin. "I'm a professional athlete-I need glucose. Plus, I starved for 5 months."

Sarah rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before turning back to me, her expression shifting from exasperation to something more serious. "Luke, I need to tell you something before you find out another way."

I frowned, the tension in my shoulders tightening again. "What is it?"

She hesitated, her hands wringing nervously in front of her. "I... may have said something to a reporter. About you."

My brow furrowed deeper. "What kind of something?"

0.00%

WAIT WHAT?

Sarah sighed, her voice quict but steady. "I told them I had feelings for you. That I fell in love with you while we were out there."

the gut. I blinked, processing, but before I could say

blew it completely out of proportion." She

my arms. "Why the hell would you even tell them

down, her voice dropping. "I needed the money, Luke. When I got back, I lost my apartment-penalties, overdue bills, and student loan debt. Everything just piled up, and... I'm not an athlete.

right?" I had

but nodded. "Of course." She said, but her voice

confession settled between us. I opened

another bite of pastries. Sarah's head snapped up, her wide

crumbs off his shirt.

your feet, we've got plenty of each other,

no shortage of

serious?" she

"Yeah. It's

I snorted, shaking my head. "Real smooth,

at me, her gaze questioning. I sighed, scratching the back of my neck again.

real, genuine smile-and I felt some of the tension ease from

rubbing the back of my neck as Sarah's words hung in the air. Her confession still sat awkwardly between us, but I wasn't about to let it derail everything. "It's going to have to be with Josh and Laura," I said bluntly, cutting

clearly taken aback. "With

icing off his fingers. "We've been trying to decide which spare room to turn