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

BEHIND THE SCENES LUKE

| shifted uncomfortably in the stiff stuseat, my back sticky against the faux leather. The lights overhead

blazed like a furnace, and | could feel the

sweat pooling at the nape of my neck. The host's sugary voice droned on, but it barely registered. | kept glancing

at Josh, who looked ready to snap.

When the host cheerfully announced a commercial break, Josh shot up like a spring. "I need a drink. It's Satan's

kitchen under these lights," he muttered, striding off toward the nearest exit.

| cleared my throat, trying to loosen the knot in my chest. Beside me, Sarah shifted slightly, her delicate perfume

cutting through the sterile air of the studio. She glanced at me, offering a hesitant smile that didn't quite reach

her eyes. "Strange seeing you here, right?" she said softly. "I mean, we

technically lived together for five months, and then | didn't see you at all." Her words trailed off, and she looked

away, but not before | caught the flicker of sadness in her eyes.

"You look good," | blurted, the words tumbling out awkwardly. "Better, | mean. You're eating?"

What the actual fuck was that? My brain screamed at me. You're eating? Seriously?

Sarah laughed, the sound breaking the tension. It was light, almost musical, and it eased the tightness in my

chest. "Yeah, Luke, I'm eating," she teased, shaking her head. 0.00%

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| exhaled, relieved she wasn't offended by my idiocy. "We owe you our

lives,

You know. Both Josh and I." The words cout before I could stop them, and | watched as her expression

shifted. Her eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill over.

"Makeup," she murmured, dabbing at her eyes quickly. "They'd killif | cried on camera."

"Sorry," | muttered, my voice low.

Josh chose that moment to stroll back in, his sharp gaze immediately clocking the change in atmosphere. He

froze, his brows furrowing.

"Ah, hell," he groaned, throwing his hands up. "We said no crying, man. We agreed! Sarah, you can't cry." He

pointed at her accusingly, though his tone was more exasperated than anything. "Please, we need to seem like

we've got our shit together, or they'll delaystarting rehab until my so-called ‘mental state’ is better." Sarah

chuckled, wiping her eyes again. "Fine. No crying. I'm good."

Josh plopped back into his seat, the energy in the room shifting with his presence. "Alright, let's get through this

circus. We're almost done."

As the countdown to the next segment began, Saral leaned closer, her voice soft but insistent. "Luke-do you

mind staying behind after this... to talk?"

| scratched the back of my neck, the discomfort crawling up my spine. "I, uh, actually have somewhere | need to

be," | mumbled.

Her face fell, and the disappointment was so clear it felt like a punch to the gut. Damn it, Luke. | knew | owed her

more than a brush-off. She had, after all, kept us alive out there. She deserved five minutes. 26.23%

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BEHIND THE SCENES

"But sure." | added hastily, forcing the words out. "I have a few minutes."

Sarah's expression brightened, and the guilt loosened its grip just a little. Josh, seated next to me, caught the

exchange and frowned, but didn't say anything.

When the cameras rolled again, the interviewer's grin was plastered on, her voice overly chipper as she shifted

gears. "Now, being marooned on an island for months-cut off from the world-

that must have been quite an experience." She leaned forward, the intensity in her gaze like a predator closing

in. "l imagine it brought you all very close. Intimately close, perhaps?"

The air in the stushifted instantly. My jaw tightened as | felt Josh stiffen beside me.

"What exactly are you asking?" Josh said flatly, his tone cold enough to cut glass.

The interviewer chuckled nervously, waving her hands. "Oh, no offense meant! Just wondering if, given the

circumstances, there was... a deeper connection between you all. After all, it's not uncommon in such extreme

situations for emotions to run high." "That's ridiculous," | snapped, my voice sharper than | intended. "We were

fighting to survive, not filming a goddamn soap opera."

"Right," Josh added, his tone equally curt. "And we're both married, in case you missed that memo."

The interviewer blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Of course, of course! But, uh..." She cleared her throat, her

grin returning like a mask. "Just now, during the break, there seemed to be sreal chemistry there. | guess

that's what happens when you're marooned on 55.88%

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BEHIND THE SCENES

an island, right? Bonds form, sometimes in unexpected ways-"

The blood in my veins turned molten.

" : : u

Are you serious right now?" |

growled, caning foe) yA

cfenchédldgains the armrests, the

heat of anger surging to the surface.

" | PA .

We're sitting here talking about

survival-about losing people- The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

and you're fishing for a headline? Screw this."

| stood abruptly, the chair scraping

loudly against the hse [shovit

. 1 :

b ck The DEAR I's mouth hung

N a I 5

open, but | didn't wait for he The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

response.

*\#dhv

"Luke-" Sarah's voice trailed off behind me, but | couldn't stay.

The cameras were still rolling, but |

9 f 2

didn't care. My patience had om

Ky tg thecbtedkdng point, and if

9 |

| kiaye another second, I' them a

3 f a q

headline they couldn't fucking air.