If Only She'd Loved Him

Chapter 33

Friday 10:30 pm

Though she had to reach up to do it, Jean held Sean's collar in her grip. She walked so fast that Paul had a hard time keeping up with her, even though he had his hand wrapped around Sean's arm. Matt walked solo, his eyes darting from left to right, keeping a watch out for security sneaking up on them. He breathed more easily when they were all outside. Sean sniffled.

"Can he be more of a wimp?" Jean asked.

It was Paul who answered her, giving a slight nod of his head. Matt just looked upset. In fact he hadn't done anything but look upset since she'd slugged Sean. It seemed he didn't appreciate her way of getting things done, but Paul did. She risked a grin at the tall figure who helped her hustle Sean across campus. Ok, he was a Neanderthal, but at least he got things accomplished. Matt's way would have taken forever. She'd never have found out anything about Megan if she'd relied on his 'you're my friend and you can trust me, even though I've never met you in my life' bullshit to Sean. Still, there was the simple problem that she just didn't trust Paul. He was a liar and a sleeze. With her own ears, she'd heard Megan leave a message on Paul's phone the night she'd disappeared. He'd have to have been lying when he said he didn't get it. Why would he lie about that? she asked herself, puzzled.

Tired of following, Matt caught up with Jean. Spying the worried look on her face, he put his hand on her arm. "Hey, it's gonna be okay."

It was the wrong thing to say, and the wrong time to say it. She whirled on him in a fury. "No! It's not okay!" she raged. "That jerk had a key to our apartment! Don't you understand. He could have been there all the time, watching, waiting. Lord knows what he was thinking. And now he's got Megan, and they could be anywhere!" She broke. Falling to her knees, she pulled Sean to the ground with her. "Oh God!" she cried, "she could be anywhere!"

Paul had let go of Sean's shirt, right after he felt it rip. Awkwardly, Sean placed his hand on Jean's back. "Jean?" he hesitated, then tried a little louder, "Jean? I don't think he'd hurt her. He loved her. He was so sad when they broke up, he'd cry at night." he paused, clearly uncomfortable, "I know. I heard him."

She raised her tearstained face up to Sean. "Help us find him."

Paul pushed his hands down on Sean's shoulders, shoving him hard into the grass. "He'll help us. Won't you?"

Enough of this. He'd kill the guy before the night was over. Matt shoved Paul's hands off Sean. "Leave him alone for a minute, can't you?" Kneeling down next to Sean, he asked, "look, all we need to know is where would Erik go? He must have had some place in mind. He has to have. He planned this way too well."

Sean raised up his head, but his hand didn't leave Jean's warm sobbing back. "What do you mean he planned this too well?" he said. "I don't even know if you guys are telling the truth, and this isn't some sick plan of Megan's to get back at him for breaking up with her."

"Yes, you do," Jean's eyes were red and soaked, but her voice was unshakable. "You know we're telling the truth. You knew him."

Paul hovered over Sean, fists as usual, clenched to his sides. "These are the facts, listen up. Fact: Megan and Jeanie played their stupid little game the other night. Fact: Someone was waiting for them inside their apartment when they got back, and that someone," his voice roared in aggrieved anger, "pretended to be me. This same guy allegedly hit Jeanie when she tried to turn on the lights," he tossed in lightly, then his voice roared back to the way it had been before. "Fact: Megan's diary said she felt like she was being watched for the past month," he continued. "And fact: Jeanie found blood on the sidewalk. My girlfriend hasn't been heard from since that night."

"Blood?" Sean's lips quivered. "But he wouldn't hurt her! He loved her!"

Jean took Sean's hands. Sugar had served her better with this wimp before. "Where would he go, Sean?" she asked, almost but not quite lowering her eyes.

"I don't know. Geez, this is all too unbelievable. He wasn't a bad guy, but blood, oh geez, blood." Sean shook his head. Paul ached to punch him, if only to stop the whining, but one look at Jean stopped him.

"Sean, he must have had somewhere special."

Sean was torn between loyalty and lust. He hesitated before he answered Jean. "Geez, I don't know. The only place he ever talked about was some old cabin his uncle let him use."

"Cabin?" she prodded.

"Yeah, up in the woods," he answered, but his voice kept repeating over and over as if he was trying to convince himself, "but he loved her. He'd never hurt her. He loved her."

Jean shook his shoulders, "Sean, c'mon! Where in the woods? What woods? C'mon, talk to me!" Suddenly she stopped, aware she wasn't helping her cause, but he seemed to take no notice.

"Blood? There was blood," he repeated over and over. "But there couldn't be blood, he loved her. He told me he'd never hurt her." Wrapping his arms around his knees, Sean started to rock. "He told me he'd never hurt her. Oh man," he cried out "It's my fault! I made the key! I copied Megan's key when she left it in our room one night! It's my fault!"

"You're dead," Paul muttered.

Jean stood up, grinding her teeth to the bone. "What do you mean you copied our key?"

Sean barely. "Erik asked me to. He said that Megan had left it behind on purpose, that he was supposed to get a copy made, but didn't have time that day. I did it as a favor," he whispered miserably.

Jean leaned towards Sean. Her eyes shot sparks. "Where is that cabin? Tell me now!"