Page 135 of Firecracker

But this was good! She needed to talk to him. She dropped the towels she was folding in her apartment and raced downstairs.

She opened Jamie’s door and called out, “Hi, I’m back!”

Jamie whirled around where he was looking at mail and gaped at her. “What the hell?”

“I came back.” She advanced into the apartment, closing the door behind her. “I know I screwed up. I was an idiot. I came back to…to apologize. To everyone. But mostly to Tyler.” She twisted her fingers together and sucked her bottom lip briefly. “I feel terrible about how I…reacted…” Her throat squeezed. “Maybe he won’t forgive me, but—”

The expression on Jamie’s face stopped her.

“What?” She stepped closer, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t know you were coming back.”

“I know. I didn’t know myself until yesterday. I got the first flight I could.” Her stomach cramped. Jamie still looked…terrible. Drawn and tired.

“Jesus, Arden.” Jamie rubbed his face. “You need to know…there’s been an accident.”

She blinked and pressed her fingers to her throat.

“What?” She squinted at her mom. “Where?” Her first thought was a car accident. Her parents? Mila?

“Tyler.”

Arden’s skin went hot, then icy. Cold fingers clutched at her insides.

“Fighting a fire.”

The room swirled around her, and her knees buckled. Her mind went straight to the worst-case scenario. “Is he dead?”

“No! God no. But he’s in the hospital.”

“Is he going to die?” She stared at Jamie, her insides squeezed in an icy grip. “He’s going to die, isn’t he?”

“No, he’s not.”

“Oh my God. Oh my God.” She began to tremble. “He is. He’s going to die.”

This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. Remembering the day the police had come to the house to tell her… blackness enveloped her.

“Jesus, Arden.”

She heard Jamie’s voice faintly, felt the grip of his hands on her arms as he helped her lower to the floor. Her vision was a pinpoint of brightness, everything else was black, and her ears roared.

Moments later—or maybe hours?—her head cleared a little. She was sitting on the floor in Jamie’s living room, Jamie crouched beside her. Her mouth was dry and her heart pounded.

“Put your head between your knees,” Jamie ordered gruffly. “Christ.”

Arden lowered her head again, breathing in shallow puffs. “I need to know…what happened. I need to know if he’s okay.”

“He’s okay. I just came from there. Mila and I went to see him.”

“I need to see him.” She tried to push up, but Jamie’s hand on her shoulder held her down.

“Not yet. You’ll just pass out again.” He paused, then muttered, “Must be a family thing.”

“Sorry.” She bowed her head again.

“Come on. Let’s get you onto the couch.” Now, he helped her rise and led her over to his sofa. She stretched out and took a few deep breaths, eyes closed.

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