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

AFTER... JESS

The car felt stifling, the air too thick to breathe. I stared out the windshield, watching the ambulance ahead of us, its flashing lights bathing the night in ominous reds and blues. My hands trembled in my lap until Luke grabbed one, his firm grip grounding me just enough to

keep me from spiraling completely.

"She's going to be okay," he said, his voice calm and steady despite the storm swirling around us.

I turned to him, my throat tight, my heart in pieces. "You don't know that."

Luke's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand in quiet reassurance.

Laura had been shot. She had been shot-because of me. Because she tried to save me and the baby. The thought turned my stomach

And Sarah... God, Sarah had been a lunatic. A gun-wielding, delusional lunatic. She'd been in our house, in our lives. How had we missed it? How had I not seen how dangerous she was?

My breath hitched as the tears finally broke free. "When does it end, Luke?" I whispered, my voice cracking. "When do we get our happy ending?"

He didn't answer.

pulling into a parking space just

knuckles had turned white. He turned as we approached, his face pale and haunted. "They're with her now," he said,

any of us could respond, a doctor in scrubs appeared, his expression grim.

stepped forward, his body rigid. "That's

"We performed an ultrasound, and there's

shaking his head. "What the fuck does that even

his voice tight. "We need to take her to the operating room immediately to

a punch to the gut. Laura was bleeding inside.

stumbled back, the edges of my vision blurring. Laura

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my voice cracking under the weight of the realization. "No, no,

though trying to physically keep himself together.

steadying me. "Jess, are you okay?" His voice

The ache in my stomach that I

Luke said, his