Taught by the Brother’s Best Friend

Elara's POV

"I just don't fucking get it, Leo! They actually said it to my face like it was a dirty word." I slammed my bedroom door shut, not wanting Ben to overhear me losing my shit in the hallway. I paced the length of my room, kicking off my heels and letting them thud against the baseboard. "They looked at me like I was some kind of fucking exhibit in a zoo. A virgin. Like it’s a goddamn disease."

Leo was leaning against my desk, arms crossed over his chest, looking at me with that mix of amusement and pity that always drove me up the wall. He watched me strip off my jacket and throw it onto the bed, his eyes following the movement of my body but staying respectful, distant.

"Elara, calm down," he said, his voice steady. "It’s just talk. They’re bored. They want a reaction."

"A reaction? Leo, they told me I was 'acting like an alien.' They said I was fake because I haven't spread my legs for half the football team yet," I spat, running my hands through my hair to untangle the knots from the wind. "I feel like a piece of chewed-up gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe, but for the opposite reason. I'm too clean for them. It’s fucking suffocating."

I walked over to him, needing him to understand the humiliation burning in my gut. The air in the room felt thick, heavy with the scent of my perfume and the frustration radiating off my skin. I grabbed his arm, desperate for some kind of anchor.

"I mean, is it really that big of a deal? Am I really such a freak?" I looked up into his eyes, searching for an answer. "I’m twenty years old. I shouldn’t have to apologize for not wanting to fuck random guys in the back of a frat house just to fit in. But God, I’m so sick of being the odd one out. I’m sick of feeling like I’m missing out on this massive human experience."

Leo sighed, uncrossing his arms to rest his hands on my waist. He was warm, solid. A friend. "You aren't missing anything you aren't ready for. Look, don't let them get into your head. You're smart, you're hot—any guy would be lucky to be with you. It should happen when you want it to, not because Jessica and her clique think you need to drop the V-card to be cool."

His words made sense, logically, but they didn't quell the fire raging under my skin. The rejection, the alienation, it all mixed with a sudden, sharp spike of lust. I looked at Leo—really looked at him. He was here.

He was safe. He was a guy. The idea took root in my brain, nasty and sudden.

"What if I want it now?" I whispered, stepping closer until my hips pressed against his. I felt him stiffen, his muscles locking up under my touch. "What if