“Wake up!” a shrill voice screams in Gabriel’s ear. He groans and bats it away, worried that his eardrum might burst. “My mom’s gonna kill me if she finds you here.”
Gabriel jerks upright, confused by the room around him. A purple lava lamp glows on the desk nearby, red converse sneakers poke out from under an untidy bed, and a bright pink neon beanbag sits under a window. Various rock band posters cover the ceiling. Gabriel rubs his eyes as he tries to remember where he is. A girl shoves her face over his. “Argh.”
Sadie stands up, rolling her eyes as Gabriel picks himself up off the floor. “Oh please, like it’s such a shock to wake up here. You spent the entire night running up my phone bill trying to reach Rose, remember?”
Sleep’s haze quickly dissipates as Gabriel brushes his fingers through his tangled hair. The events of the previous night begin to come back to him. “Rose? Did she call?” A withering glance from his neighbor is enough of an answer. “I had to ask.”
Sadie shrugs. “So what do we do now? Go back to her house?”
Gabriel nods and grabs his car keys off the floor before racing for the door. Sadie blocks his path. “Hold on there, bucko. You can’t just go waltzing through my house at six in the morning. My mom will have both our heads.”
“Then what do you suggest?” he asks, annoyed with the delay.
Sadie smiles and points to the window. Gabriel groans. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. There is a tree not too far from the ledge. Just swing on over and do your best Tarzan impression, but for goodness’ sake, be quiet.”
Gabriel grabs his tuxedo jacket and lifts the window. He glances down and gulps. “Don’t tell me a big guy like you is afraid of heights.”
“No. I’m afraid of falling. Big difference,” Gabriel corrects her tersely as he swings his leg over the ledge. His mind races through all of the crazy things that have happened since he met Rose. Super strength, increased speed, amazing hearing, freaky tattoo…but can he trust that he will survive this fall?
Glancing over the edge, Gabriel’s fingers hook tightly around the window ledge. His knees lock down and he goes pale with fright. After a minute with zero headway, Sadie sticks her head out next to his legs. Her mocking humor vanishes. “You really are scared, aren’t you?”
All Gabriel can do is nod. His eyes are riveted to the ground, his breathing shallow as he fights to control the churning contents of his stomach. There is nothing in the world that frightens him more than heights. No, that’s not true anymore. The fear of losing Rose is far worse.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sadie says softly. “Come back in and we can head out in an hour when mom has left for her aerobics class.”
Gabriel shakes his head. “No, I can’t wait that long. Rose needs me.”
Sadie observes the firm set of his mouth and the waves of determination flooding off him. “You really love her, don’t you?”
His wide eyes flit her way. “More than you can imagine.” Despite his fear, his voice does not waver.
She tugs on his hand and slowly helps him back inside. “Fine. Then let’s get this over with.”
“Wait, you’re gonna go now?”
Sadie offers him a wry smile. “Who am I to stand in love’s way?”
With her brave face firmly in place, Sadie opens the door and leads Gabriel into the hall. She stops short as William’s door cracks open. “You sneaking snake,” she hisses as she shoves the door open, knocking Nicolae flat on his back. She rears back and kicks his shin. “When did you get home?”
Nicolae clamps his hands around his throbbing leg. “Last night. Before you two got back,” he groans.
“Why did you disappear from the dance?” Sadie snaps, winding up for another blow to his shin.
“I just needed some fresh air.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sure you did. At the exact moment, Rose was kidnapped.”
“You think she was kidnapped?” Nicolae’s laugh grates on Gabriel’s frayed nerves. “Why would Fane kidnap her?”
Liquid ice freezes him in place. “Fane? That’s who took her?”
Green eyes flicker over Gabriel and suspicion pinches Nicolae’s features. “How do you know about Fane?”
“I read an email.”
Nicolae’s face relaxes. He rolls over and sweeps up to his feet. “Yeah, well then you already know they’re best friends so it makes sense that she’d leave with him.”
“Friends?” Gabriel chokes out. He has a bad feeling about this.
“I thought you knew.” Nicolae frowns, darting a glance between Sadie and Gabriel. “What’s going on?”
Sadie rolls her eyes and plants her hands firmly on her hips. “He thought Rose was in love with Fane. Stupid jealous fool.”
Gabriel swallows down his bitter guilt. “I didn’t know.”
“Of course, you didn’t,” she snaps. “You decided it was easier to think she’d betrayed you than to just ask. It’s guys like you that drive girls to romance novels!”
A groan rises from a tangled pile of sheets on a bed. William rubs his eyes as he sits up. He is still wearing his rumpled dress clothes. His hair is plastered on the side of his face. “I didn’t realize we were having a slumber party,” he grumbles.
“We’re not,” Sadie snaps. “Rose is still missing.”
William looks crestfallen. Nicolae backs away. “Where do you think you’re going?” Sadie cries, yanking him back.
“We don’t have time for this, Sadie. Just let him go,” Gabriel says, heading toward the door. “Rose needs us.”
Reluctantly, Sadie turns, motioning for William to follow. She shoots a threatening glare toward Nicolae. “Don’t move. I’ll be back for you.”
Thirty-Four