Page 86 of Puck and Prejudice

“Then I’ll be there. It bet it’ll be wild.”

“Oh, you’d better believe it.” Now I’m grinning from ear to ear, and my pulse kicks up a notch. What is it about Izzie Bennet that makes me react this way?

“So… where are you taking me?” she asks.

“Patience, woman. You’ll know soon enough.” I smirk.

She snorts, crossing her arms. “Patience is not a virtue I possess.”

I laugh. “Clearly.”

Her phone rings, and I wonder who’s calling her at this hour. A sliver of jealousy pierces my chest. Her mother’s claim that Izzie isn’t dating anyone doesn’t mean she doesn’t have guys interested in her. Wickham was all over her at the Lions’ party. I scowl. Thinking about that asshole puts me in a bad mood.

She takes the device out of her purse and screens the call. “It’s Jane. Do you mind if I answer?”

“Go ahead.”

“Thanks.” She puts the phone to her ear. “Hey.”

I tense when I hear a voice reply to Izzie that’s most definitely not Jane. It sounds like Chad. The only reason he’d be calling her from Jane’s phone is if something happened to Jane.

Izzie’s spine goes rigid. “Which hospital?”

Hell. I wish I was wrong.

“We’re not far. Is she okay?” Another pause. “Did you call our folks?”

I keep glancing at her, trying to guess Chad’s answers from her reaction to them.

“We’ll get there as soon as possible,” she replies, then ends the call.

“What happened?” I ask.

“Jane was sick and complaining about abdominal pain all day, but she only agreed to go to the ER when she got a fever. The doctor believes it’s appendicitis.”

The vise-hold worry had around my heart lessens a bit. Of all the scenarios that would require a visit to the ER, that’s not the worst. “Which hospital?”

“Avery Memorial.” She presses her hand to her stomach. “Poor Jane.”

“She’ll be okay. Avery Memorial is the best hospital in Miami. She’s in good hands.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m still worried.”

“Understandable. Do you need to call your parents?”

She shakes her head. “Jane doesn’t want them getting on the road at this hour. My father’s eyesight isn’t great anymore to be driving at night, and Mom will be too nervous to drive.”

“I could drop you off and pick them up if you want.”

She looks at me. “You would do that?”

It’s impossible to miss the surprise in her tone.

“Of course I would, Izzie.” I take her hand and squeeze. “Anything you need, just say the word.”

We stop at a red light, and I hold her stare. She doesn’t speak, and with each second that passes, I fall deeper into her warm gaze. Despite the situation, my heart is racing at breakneck speed and I desperately want to kiss her.

“Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me,” she replies softly.

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