Page 101 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

closed, because he had a feeling it was locked from the outside. “Did you guys see Aubrey? Do you know if he’s still inside?”

When no one claimed to know where his roommate was, dread clutched his heart. He couldn’t lose another friend. He just couldn’t. Since he and Aubrey had found each other, Jonah had always figured Sean’s ghost had somehow brought them together because he’d wanted Jonah to look out for his boyfriend. Well, no way was Jonah about to let Sean down.

But someone crying out his name made him falter and glance back. “I told you to stay back,” he shouted just as Tess and a panting Bailey reached him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She tried to manually pull his arm away from the door he still held open. “You are not going inside there, Jonah. No. No way.”

“I have to find Aubrey.”

“What if he already got out somewhere else?” Bailey said. “There’s so many people; he could be anywhere.”

Jonah merely shook his head. “He’s still inside. I know it.” His instincts were going crazy, screaming at him that his friend was in trouble.

“Then wait for the fire department,” Tess pleaded, her eyes filling with tears as she tugged on his arm again without any success. “Listen. You can hear the sirens. They’ll be here in just a few minutes.”

But what if Aubrey didn’t have that long? He couldn’t explain how he knew his roommate needed him; he just knew it. He couldn’t wait; he couldn’t just stand here, doing nothing. He had to find Aubrey.

“Keep her out here,” he told Bailey. Her eyes flared, but she bobbed her head without complaint.

Tess wasn’t so easily persuaded, though. “No!” she screamed, grabbing for him again, except her friend had already hooked an arm around her waist and was dragging her away. “No. Jonah, please. Don’t do this. Don’t go in there.”

He slipped inside to keep from seeing the terror on her face, hoping to God that wasn’t the last time he’d ever see her. But as soon as he entered a narrow back hall, a haze of smoke started to make him cough.

Shit. This wasn’t going to be good. How the hell was he supposed to see where he was going, let alone find his way back out?

Lifting his shirt, he used the cloth to cover his mouth and nose. Then he yanked his keychain from his pocket to find the flashlight Bailey had given him for his birthday. Clicking it twice until the light and laser beam both came on, he started to move away from the door. But he was scared to let it shut and possibly not be able to get open again. So, instead of keeping the flashlight with him, he plugged it into the doorjamb, letting a small stream of fresh air filter in behind him.

Then he rushed further into the burning building, his cane clutched in one hand and thumping ominously against the floor.

First thing he did when he turned a corner was run smack into a sobbing, hacking girl dressed as a medieval wench. He grasped her arm hard to get her attention when she did nothing but cling to him. Screaming in order to be heard above her crying and the blaring fire alarm, he shook her once.

“Hey! Have you seen Aubrey?”

“He’s trapped,” she finally babbled, the only understandable thing she’d said so far, and the only thing to put the fear of God into him. “I couldn’t help him. He’s trapped.”

“Jesus. Where?”

He had to shake her again before she pointed. “Down there. Oh my God, they’re going to die. I couldn’t help them. We’re all going to die.”

“No. We’re not.” He shoved her around the corner, pointing at the red laser beam through the smoke. “Follow that red light. It’s the door to outside, okay? You’ll be fine. Now, go!”

She nodded and took off running.

Jonah didn’t wait around to make sure she got out okay. He limped down the hall, yelling, “Aubrey! Aubrey!”

His throat burned and eyes watered. He had no idea what he was doing. This had to be the stupidest thing he’d ever attempted. But he couldn’t give up, couldn’t turn around and head back to the exit. She’d said his friend was still alive…trapped.

Sean would never forgive him if he left now.

“Aubrey!”

Just as his head went dizzy and he didn’t think he could go on, he heard a faint call. “Here! We’re here.”

He dashed forward, gnashing his teeth when his leg tried to give out on him. He could barely make out a doorway, which he charged through to find himself on the wings of the stage. The water sprinkling system had gone off in here, and it immediately doused his hair and clothes and made the floor under his cane unbearably slick.

But the fire still crackled ahead, refusing to die completely where the water assault didn’t quite reach. A few lasting flames tried to finish off the incinerated castle. What was worse, Aubrey lay only a few feet away, trapped under some fallen set trees along with two other people while those few flames crept closer.

“Help us. Please help us,” wailed a guy with his entire chest pinned.

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