Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card (Jessie and Luke)

BOAT?

LUKE

The airport buzzed with noise: loudspeaker announcements, the shuffle of travelers, and the occasional burst of laughter from a group of tourists who had no idea what it meant to lose. themselves on an island and then claw their way back. I stood near the departure gate They'd promised us an air ambulance initially, the kind of thing you see in movies with flashing lights and medical

professionals hovering over you. But Josh, somehow, had a miraculous turnaround, thanks to the mangoes and his strange ability to sweet-

talk every nurse into treating him like royalty. His leg, which had been an infection waiting to spiral out of control, was now on the mend.

When they told us we didn't need the air ambulance anymore, Josh had shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, but Sarah? She nearly lost it. A private charter was suggested next, but it didn't take much to see the way Josh's jaw tensed at the thought of another small plane. The man had survived a crash; no way was he voluntarily boarding anything with a propeller.

I tried convincing the authorities that a boat made the most sense, but if I was being honest, a boat didn't sound any better. They settled on a commercial flight, with the promise of a

111

bigger plane to ease their nerves

That's how we ended up here, boarding a business-

class flight back to the States. Sarah, heavily sedated thanks to some miracle drug the airport doctor prescribed, was strapped into the window seat with her head lolling against the glass. She'd mumbled something about how this was still a terrible idea before the drugs ki Now, she was blissfully oblivious, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that was a stark contrast to the storm I knew was still brewing in her mind.

Josh, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. Too at ease. He sat next to me, sipping champagne like we were on a luxury vacation instead of clawing our way back to reality. I kept

glancing at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Man, you good?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

He turned his head, his eyes meeting mine, and for the first time since we'd been found, I saw it. All of it. The trauma, the fear, the exhaustion that no amount of mangoes or foot massages could fix. It was there, just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. "I just want to see her, man," he said softly. "I just want to see her."

I nodded, my throat tightening. Josh didn't need to say her name. We both knew who he meant.

"I get it," I said, my voice low. And I did. More than he could ever know. As much as he missed Laura, I missed Jess equally if not

more.

29.937

Josh leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of the plane. as though the answers to everything he'd been through were written up there. The flight attendant came by to refill his glass, and he waved her off, his fingers drumming against the armrest. I stayed quiet, letting him have his moment. What the hell was I supposed to say? I understood how badly he needed to see her face, hear her voice, and know she was still his. I couldn't.

Because I wanted to see Jess too.

The realization hit me like a sucker punch, and I turned my head, staring out the window at the clouds rolling by. It was a stupid thought, one I couldn't afford to have right now. Josh needed her. She was his. End of story.

Sarah stirred in her seat, letting out a soft mumble that I couldn't make out. Josh looked over at her, then back at me. "She's tougher than she looks," he said, nodding toward Sarah.

I grunted in agreement. "Yeah, well, she better be. That dive off the boat could've killed us both."

Josh cracked a small smile. "She told me about that. You really blacked out?"

"Don't remember a damn thing," I admitted. "One minute I'm on the boat, next thing I know, she's yanking me out of the water like some action hero."

Josh chuckled, the sound hollow but real. "Guess we owe her, huh?"

"Guess so."

The silence stretched between us again, broken only by the hum of the plane's engines. I glanced at Josh one more time, and for a moment, I saw the kid I grew up with-the same guy who used to tackle me on the field like he had a point to prove. "I'm glad you're here, man," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Josh looked at me, his eyes softening. "Yeah. Me too. Might miss those mangoes though..."