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%

10:42

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.

from her, that she wasn't the same. She

security guard grabbed at me again, but I shoved him off, barely sparing him a glance. My feet moved before my

sank down next to her, my knees hitting the floor hard, but I barely felt it. My hands found hers, wrapping around them like

so thin.

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

needed to. I needed to feel her. To prove to myself that this wasn't some cruel

"Laura," I choked out.

reached for something at her side. The nurse beside her passed her a small whiteboard and a marker, and with a shaky grip,

III

10:42

GUILT

289 Vouchers

Hi, babe.

sound left me. Something between a

pull myself together, but it was useless. I was smiling even as my vision blurred, even

have when guilt was

from my mouth like I had

my voice raw, broken. "I-I fucked up, Laura.

breath hitched, my hands tightening around

head, squeezing

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

dropped my head onto her

fingers-moved through my hair, soft and

should've been begging for forgiveness, for a chance to

54.98%

10:42

<

GUILT

288 Vouchers