Page 23 of Hearts & Embers

Part of that future involved dinner this evening.

I had spent an embarrassing amount of time deciding what to wear despite while repeatedly reminding myself that it was only dinner. The argument accomplished very little because every time I settled on one outfit, I immediately questioned the decision and considered another. Elyssa found the entire process far more entertaining than necessary.

"You know it's not a formal event."

I looked up from my latest selection.

"I know."

"You've changed your mind three times."

"Twice."

"Three."

"I'm not counting the first one."

Elyssa smiled.

"Of course you aren't."

I was preparing a response when my phone vibrated on the table beside me. Expecting another message from Jasper who’d been texting me on and off all day, I reached for it without looking at the screen. The unfamiliar number immediately caught my attention. For a moment I considered letting the call go to voicemail before deciding against it.

"Hello?"

"Aurora Brown?"

The male voice was unfamiliar.

"Yes."

"This is Lieutenant Cody Norris."

Confusion immediately replaced curiosity.

"Cody?"

"I work with Jasper."

I straightened in my chair.

"Is everything okay?"

Several seconds of silence followed.

"No."

The single word altered everything and my stomach tightened.

"What’s happened?"

"There was a structure fire early this morning. We had a floor collapse during a search operation."

The room suddenly felt much smaller.

"Is Jasper okay?"

"He's alive."