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

My Husband 387

GUILT JOSH

The hallway outside her room felt too long. Too bright. Too goddamn sterile. My footsteps barely made a sound against the polished floors, but inside my head, everything was roaring. Laura was alive.

The words kept looping over and over, but my body hadn't caught up yet. It felt like if I let myself believe it too much, the universe would take it away again.

A doctor had tried to stop me at the nurses' station, spitting out words like stable condition and still on a ventilator, but none of it registered. I'd shoved past them, past the concerned voices, past the fucking security guard who grabbed at my arm. Nothing was going to stop

me.

And then I saw her.

The doors burst open, loud voices calling after me, but none of it mattered.

My heart stopped.

Laura.

Her pale, thin frame was bundled into a wheelchair, her body swallowed up by hospital-issued clothes that hung from her like she was nothing but skin and bone. Her hair was limp, her cheeks hollowed, and her skin too pale under the harsh 0.00%

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GUILT

288 Vouchers

fluorescent lights.

But she was looking at me.

Those eyes-those beautiful fucking eyes-were staring right at me, and I swore I felt something crack wide open in my chest.

Laura was alive.

the same.

barely sparing him a glance. My feet moved

her, my knees hitting the floor hard, but I barely felt it. My hands found

fingers were so thin.

them, kissed her wrists, her knuckles, anything I could

break, but I needed to. I needed to feel her. To prove to myself

"Laura," I choked out.

then her hand trembled as she reached for something at her side. The nurse beside her passed her a

III

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GUILT

289 Vouchers

Hi, babe.

Something between

but it was useless. I was smiling even

when guilt was busy filling up my ribs, crawling up

me all at once, spilling from my mouth like I had no control

I whispered, my voice raw, broken. "I-I fucked up, Laura. I gave up on you. I almost signed-I almost signed, and if I

my hands tightening around

shook my head, squeezing my eyes

going, unable to stop the words. "I should've held out. I should've

head onto her lap, my

beneath me, but her fingers-her beautiful, delicate fingers-moved through my hair, soft

forgiveness, for a

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GUILT

288 Vouchers