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."

gut. I blinked, processing, but before I

she said quickly. "It was just... a stupid crush. They took it and blew it completely out of proportion." She bit her lip, her eyes flicking away. "I just thought you

and I crossed my arms. "Why the hell would you even tell

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.

you lied, right?" I had

but nodded. "Of course." She said,

weight of her confession settled between us. I opened my mouth to respond, but

a bit," he blurted out around another bite of pastries. Sarah's head snapped up, her wide eyes darting between us. "Are you

brushing crumbs off his shirt. "You saved

we've got plenty of

there's no shortage

serious?" she finally

shrugged. "Yeah. It's no

the tension, I snorted, shaking

gaze questioning. I sighed, scratching the back of my neck again. "Yeah," I muttered. "What he said. You can stay

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

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,

taken aback. "With

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