WAKE UP
JOSH
The room was still dark, and the faint glow of early morning sunlight was just beginning to seep through the curtains. I lay flat on my back, staring at the ceiling. My arms were draped over Laura, her small frame pressed against me, and her head rested on my chest. Her soft, steady breathing filled the silence, the only sound in the room aside from the pounding in my head.
She was asleep, completely at peace, and yet I felt like a storm had ripped through me and left me hollow.
I closed my eyes, running a hand through my hair, trying to calm the chaos swirling in my mind. Last night… last night had been something I couldn’t put into words. It wasn’t just sex; it was something far more dangerous.
The way her body had responded to mine, the way her soft gasps and whispers of my name had ignited something primal inside me–l’d never felt anything like it before. It wasn’t just good; it was soul–shaking, earth–moving, life–changing.
And that scared the hell out of me.
I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. I wasn’t supposed to look at her, lying there so effortlessly beautiful, and feel this deep, aching pull in my chest. It wasn’t just lust–it was more, something far more terrifying.
I’d taken her virginity. She’d been so honest about why she
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wanted it–just to get it over with Nothing more, nothing less.
But for me? It was everything.
I let out a soft, bitter laugh, careful not to wake her. She was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the emotional hurricane I was in. My fingers grazed her arm lightly, and I felt that familiar spark, that magnetic pull toward her.
Laura had no idea what she’d done to me.
I was in deep. Too deep.
It hit me then, like a punch to the gut–I was in love with her.
Love.
The word itself was enough to make me flinch. I was too young for this, too reckless. And yet, there was no denying the truth of it. I didn’t just like her, didn’t just want her–I needed her in ways I didn’t even fully understand.
But she didn’t feel the same.
She’d made it painfully clear that she just wanted someone- anyone–to take her virginity, to tick that box and move on. And now here I was, lying in bed with her, completely wrecked.
I needed to get my shit together. Fast.
But before I could dwell any longer, the sound of heavy footsteps thundered through the house, pulling me sharply from my thoughts.
“Josh!”
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Luke.
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His voice was loud, frantic, and the urgency in it made my heart
race.
“We need to get Jess! Something’s fucking wrong! That asshole -wake the fuck up, man!”
Laura stirred against me, her soft, sleepy murmurs turning into wide–eyed alertness as she registered the chaos unfolding outside the room. She sat up quickly, her gaze darting to mine.
I didn’t have time to think, didn’t have time to process the weight of her expression.
Before I could say a word, Laura grabbed the duvet, wrapping herself in it like a cocoon, and dropped to the floor just as Luke‘ s voice got closer.
“Josh!”
The door flew open, and there he was, wild–eyed and visibly seething. His fists were clenched, his jaw tight, and I could see the thin veil of control he was desperately clinging to.
M
“What the hell is going on?” I asked, trying to sound calm, but my voice betrayed me.
Luke glared at me, his nostrils flaring. “Jess. We need to get to her, now. That bastard—”
I was on my feet instantly, my mind racing. “What bastard? What happened?”
Luke was already turning toward the door, his fists clenching and unclenching as he spoke. “Bryan. He did something. I don’t
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know what, but I can’t get a hold of Jess. It didn’t sound right.”
My sister…
“Let’s go,” I said firmly, moving toward the door.
Luke nodded. He was already halfway down the hall, but he stopped short and turned back. His eyes scanned the room, narrowing slightly as he took in the disheveled bed and the general chaos of my space.
“You good?” he asked, suspicion lacing his voice.
I nodded quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the pile of duvet on the floor that was currently hiding Laura. “Yeah. Let’s just go.”
Luke didn’t press further, disappearing down the hallway.
The moment he was gone, I turned back to Laura. She peeked out from beneath the blanket, her face pale, her eyes wide.
“You okay?” I asked softly, crouching down to her level.
She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “What’s happening?”
I hesitated, unsure how much to tell her. “I’m not sure yet. But I need to go.”
Laura swallowed hard, her hands clutching the duvet tightly around her. “Be careful.”
I nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. The fear
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WAKE UP
in her gaze mirrored my own, and it took everything in me to
tear myself away.
