Page 47 of Daring the Hockey Player

He glances at my bare feet and frowns as he stands at the entrance to the front door.

"I didn't have time to put on shoes."

"I imagine not," Kyler says. "Come on, I'll show you up to the guest room. Tomorrow, Em can take you shopping and get you some new clothes and shoes."

I press my lips together and nod. I don't want new clothes. I like my belongings, but even if they survived the fire, they're not going to be accessible immediately. Even if I wear my pajamas to class, I can't show up barefoot.

"Thank you," I say. I follow Kyler upstairs, and I try to be as quiet as possible.

The bedroom door on the left swings open, and Emerson steps out, pulling me in for a hug. "I'm glad you're all right."

"Thanks." I force a smile. I am all right, but I don't feel it.

They lead me into the guest bedroom down the hallway, and I shut the door and collapse on the bed.

TWELVE

JASPER

My cell phoneis obnoxiously loud this morning. I grumble and reach for the phone. "What?" I say, recognizing the caller ID.

"Oh good, you're awake," Noah chimes.

"Couldn't it wait until practice?" I mutter. Whatever he wants, the answer is going to be no. No favors. No coffee runs. Just plain no.

I'm extra grumpy this morning after whatever it is that happened between Amber and me.

"Your girlfriend, she goes to NYU."

It's a statement, not a question. "I don't have a girlfriend. Where are you going with this, Noah?" I rub the sleep from my eyes and sit up in bed.

"Amber, the chick you've been pining after, did you see it on the news? One of the apartments near campus burned to the ground."

That wakes my ass right up. I jump out of bed and flip on the television.

"What channel?"

"All of them," Noah says. "They've already recovered three bodies."

My stomach drops like it might fall out, and I find one of the local channels that has smoke remnants still charring in the background, and an apartment complex is a pile of rubble and ash.

"Did they say the address?" I ask.

And just as I ask Noah, it pulls up on the bottom of the screen.

"That's Amber's building." I throw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and head out the door. I hang up on Noah, needing to call Amber.

She doesn't answer.

I glance at my watch. It's nine o'clock. Could she be in class this morning? Maybe she's with Charlotte?

Although I don't know where her friend lives.

I try calling her again.

No answer.

I send her a text.