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

I THINK NOT... LUKE

I pulled into Josh's driveway, killing the engine and stepping out into the crisp evening air. Walking around to the passenger side, I opened the door for Sarah. She fumbled with her crutches, her expression expectant as she looked up at me. "You'd better go around the back," I said, my tone flat. "No stairs that way. I think Josh already fixed the shelf."

Sarah nodded, wobbling awkwardly on the crutches as she maneuvered herself toward the backyard. I watched for a second to make sure she wouldn't topple over, then headed. through the front door.

Inside, Josh was waiting for me in the living room, his arms crossed and his face grim.

"Everything okay with Sarah?" he asked, though the tension in his voice said he wasn't really interested in small talk.

"Hairline fracture," I said, dropping my keys onto the counter. "She's got a cast and crutches for seven weeks. Can't work. Won't be moving out anytime soon." I let out a sharp breath, rubbing the back of my neck. Josh's expression darkened further. "We need to talk."

The way he said it made my stomach sink. I followed him into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped it open.

"That shelf in the pool house?" he started, taking a long swig. "I fixed it."

"And?" I asked, already feeling the knot forming in my gut.

"It was yanked out of the wall," Josh said, his voice low but laced with disbelief. "Bolted in there, Luke. Nothing heavy was on it, nothing that could've ripped it out. It didn't just fall."

frowned, my hands tightening on the edge of the counter.

saying someone tore it out. Like on

head around

report about what went wrong. Said pipes were

running a

his voice growing harder. "Someone had been messing around in there. I asked Laura, and she said

let out a slow, disbelieving breath, the pieces starting to fit together in a way that made my

think Sarah's behind this?" I asked, my voice sharp with

11

but I

trying to ease the pounding headache forming. "She has a fucking fracture, Josh. She's not going anywhere anytime

he was debating whether or not to

he said. "I found a gun in the pool

got my full attention. My head snapped up, and I locked eyes with him.

"Tucked

mind raced, running through every possible explanation, but none of them made sense. "Are