unknown set him back temporarily, but then Jared began a systematic search.
The building manager refused to say a word. The other residents either had never met the girls or had been on vague hi-in-the-hallway terms, and no one knew where they’d gone.
At the vet school, he lingered in the main foyer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kate, Leesa or Deanna, but apparently they’d dropped off the face of the planet, and none of the other students were talking, either.
At the end of the day, when he caught a glimpse of his unshaven face and wild hair in the storefront window of a nearby pizza place, he finally understood why.
Someone behind him chuckled. “I’m not sureif you look like a serial killer or something left over after a buffalo stampede. What happened to you?”
He turned to find one of Kate’s classmates—a lanky guy named Phil—standing there with a pizza box and a liter of Coke. The pizza—probably a double pepperoni, given the amazing aroma wafting from the box—reminded Jared that he hadn’t eaten since last night, and his stomach growled. “I’ve had kind of a rough day. Have you seen Kate?”
“That would depend on who’s asking, and why.” Phil’s smile vanished. “What’s it to you?”
“I just really want to find her, that’s all.”
Phil’s eyes narrowed to a challenging glare. Jared was suddenly glad the burly kid had his arms full, because he looked as if he wanted to land a sucker punch on Jared’s jaw.
“You’re the guy who dumped her!”
“She dumped me. Where are you headed?”
“Dorm.”
Jared eyed the box. An extra large, easily. “If I pay for half, want to share that pizza? Then I’ll explain, and maybe you can help me out.” He felt for his wallet. “It’d be worth an extra five.”
“Ten.”
“Seven, and that’s final.”
“Whatever.” Phil turned and opened the box onone of the tables set up outside the pizza place. “Help yourself. I bought too much, anyway.”
Jared tossed a ten and a five on the table and picked up a steaming wedge of stuffed crust pepperoni, wrestling with the long ropes of mozzarella. “Kate dumped me, like I said. Big misunderstanding. I’m trying to find her to make things right, but she moved and no one can tell me where. Do you know?”
Phil snorted. “Why would I tell you?”
“Why not?”
“Her friend Leesa is a lab buddy of mine, and the last I heard, she thought you were lower than pond scum. I think she’d deck me if I told you.” He chewed for a while. “Have you seen how powerful she is? I swear the girl could be a wrestler if she tried.”
Jared grinned at the obvious admiration in his voice. “Can you ask her to get word to Kate for me? Tell her that we need to talk.” He shoved the money across the table. “Tell her that I feel even lower than that pond scum, and just want to apologize.”
Phil smiled around a mouthful of pizza. “You got it, but no guarantees. Leesa isn’t a fan of yours…and from the sounds of it, she’s got good cause.”
W HEN HIS PHONE RANG the following night, Jared grabbed it on the second ring. At the sound ofLeesa’s subdued voice, he closed his eyes in relief, but it still took nearly fifteen minutes and a lot of fast talking to convince her to share their new address.
“I’d better not regret this,” she warned him. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea at all. If you hurt Kate’s feelings again, I swear you’ll be one sorry dude.”
He smiled into the phone, relieved and impatient to be on his way. “Believe me, Phil already warned me. I’ll be there in a half hour.”
He made it to the old, three-story house overlooking Lily Park in twenty minutes. The house had been divided into apartments, and he took the two inner flights of stairs two steps at a time. At 3-B he dragged in a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair, then rapped on the door.
He blinked when Kate opened the door herself, and just stared at her, forgetting to say
The building manager refused to say a word. The other residents either had never met the girls or had been on vague hi-in-the-hallway terms, and no one knew where they’d gone.
At the vet school, he lingered in the main foyer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kate, Leesa or Deanna, but apparently they’d dropped off the face of the planet, and none of the other students were talking, either.
At the end of the day, when he caught a glimpse of his unshaven face and wild hair in the storefront window of a nearby pizza place, he finally understood why.
Someone behind him chuckled. “I’m not sureif you look like a serial killer or something left over after a buffalo stampede. What happened to you?”
He turned to find one of Kate’s classmates—a lanky guy named Phil—standing there with a pizza box and a liter of Coke. The pizza—probably a double pepperoni, given the amazing aroma wafting from the box—reminded Jared that he hadn’t eaten since last night, and his stomach growled. “I’ve had kind of a rough day. Have you seen Kate?”
“That would depend on who’s asking, and why.” Phil’s smile vanished. “What’s it to you?”
“I just really want to find her, that’s all.”
Phil’s eyes narrowed to a challenging glare. Jared was suddenly glad the burly kid had his arms full, because he looked as if he wanted to land a sucker punch on Jared’s jaw.
“You’re the guy who dumped her!”
“She dumped me. Where are you headed?”
“Dorm.”
Jared eyed the box. An extra large, easily. “If I pay for half, want to share that pizza? Then I’ll explain, and maybe you can help me out.” He felt for his wallet. “It’d be worth an extra five.”
“Ten.”
“Seven, and that’s final.”
“Whatever.” Phil turned and opened the box onone of the tables set up outside the pizza place. “Help yourself. I bought too much, anyway.”
Jared tossed a ten and a five on the table and picked up a steaming wedge of stuffed crust pepperoni, wrestling with the long ropes of mozzarella. “Kate dumped me, like I said. Big misunderstanding. I’m trying to find her to make things right, but she moved and no one can tell me where. Do you know?”
Phil snorted. “Why would I tell you?”
“Why not?”
“Her friend Leesa is a lab buddy of mine, and the last I heard, she thought you were lower than pond scum. I think she’d deck me if I told you.” He chewed for a while. “Have you seen how powerful she is? I swear the girl could be a wrestler if she tried.”
Jared grinned at the obvious admiration in his voice. “Can you ask her to get word to Kate for me? Tell her that we need to talk.” He shoved the money across the table. “Tell her that I feel even lower than that pond scum, and just want to apologize.”
Phil smiled around a mouthful of pizza. “You got it, but no guarantees. Leesa isn’t a fan of yours…and from the sounds of it, she’s got good cause.”
W HEN HIS PHONE RANG the following night, Jared grabbed it on the second ring. At the sound ofLeesa’s subdued voice, he closed his eyes in relief, but it still took nearly fifteen minutes and a lot of fast talking to convince her to share their new address.
“I’d better not regret this,” she warned him. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea at all. If you hurt Kate’s feelings again, I swear you’ll be one sorry dude.”
He smiled into the phone, relieved and impatient to be on his way. “Believe me, Phil already warned me. I’ll be there in a half hour.”
He made it to the old, three-story house overlooking Lily Park in twenty minutes. The house had been divided into apartments, and he took the two inner flights of stairs two steps at a time. At 3-B he dragged in a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair, then rapped on the door.
He blinked when Kate opened the door herself, and just stared at her, forgetting to say
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