“I’m Detective Scott and this is Detective Delaney,” the taller man said. “Can you tell us how you know the victim?”
Jared nodded and swallowed to ease the dryness in his throat. “I met Amanda this year, and we worked together at Students for Life.”
“What is that?” Detective Scott asked, scribbling on a notepad.
“It’s a pro-life college organization. We work together to inform women of options other than abortion.”
“And how about Caleb West?”
Jared’s muscles tensed as he clenched his fists tighter. “Caleb I met last year when the girl I was dating chose him instead.”
Detective Scott stopped scribbling and looked up at Jared with a raised eyebrow. “So, would you say you held a grudge?”
Jared bristled at the implication in the detective’s words. “I wasn’t upset when Nikki began dating Caleb. I was, however, concerned when she disappeared without a word to anyone after a similar frat party she attended with Caleb. That is why I went to the party. I wanted to make sure nothing happened to Amanda.” He stared pointedly at the officers. “I guess it’s a good thing I did or she might be in worse shape than she is.”
The two officers shared a look before Detective Scott asked, “Is there anything else you haven’t told us? Anything at all?”
Jared shook his head. “I’ve told you everything I know.”
Amanda was released early the next morning. An orderly brought her out in a wheelchair and Jared cringed at the drastic change that had happened in just twenty-four hours. Amanda’s eyes were sunken and surrounded by dark circles, and her ivory skin was paler than normal. Emily, who had come with him to pick Amanda up, gasped and placed her hand on Jared’s arm. He nodded his agreement.
“Are you ready to go back home?” Emily asked, her bright and chipper voice sounding forced.
Amanda shrugged and looked down at her hands. Jared and Emily exchanged another glance as they walked out to his car.
The ride back to the dorms was quiet and uncomfortable.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Jared asked as he opened the door for Amanda and helped her out.
“No, thank you. I think I just need some time.” She walked into the dorm, leaving the two friends staring at each other.
“I’m worried about her,” Jared said.
Emily nodded as she stated, “I am too. I’ll try to talk to her roommate tomorrow and see if she knows of anyone we could contact for Amanda. Family or friends or someone.”
“That’s a great idea,” Jared said. “Let me know what you find out and how I can help.”
Chapter 14
Amanda walked into the dorm feeling much older than she had when she had left the previous night. She hoped Jade would be gone, so she could simply curl up in her bed and avoid questions. Amanda knew she would want to know what happened and why Amanda had been out all night.
Her hand trembled as she reached for the door handle. If she couldn’t bear to face her roommate, how was she going to face the rest of the students in her classes? For that matter, how was she going to face Jared and Emily again who knew everything? With a heavy sigh, Amanda pushed the door open and entered the room, her head down.
The room was blissfully dark and empty. Without even removing her clothes, Amanda climbed into the bed, faced the wall, and pulled the blanket up by her ear. Though all she wanted to do was disappear, she couldn’t get the image of Caleb’s malicious grin out of her mind.
Except to use the bathroom, Amanda didn’t get out of bed the rest of the day or for her class the next morning. At some point, she heard Jade enter, but the girl was eerily quiet. She didn’t ask Amanda how she was feeling which led Amanda to believe Jared or Emily had spoken with her.
Whenever Amanda would get up to shuffle down the hallway to the bathroom, she would see food sitting on top of her study desk, but she had no appetite.
After Jade left for the day, Amanda pushed back the covers. She had no plans to attend class, but the ripe smell coming off her body was starting to affect her, and she decided she could at least shower before returning to bed. Gathering her bath items, she walked, head down, to the bathrooms a few doors down.
Though the hot water didn’t erase the violated feeling, it did soothe her raw nerves minutely. After drying off and dressing, albeit in baggy sweats and an oversized shirt, she headed back to the dorm room, ready to crawl back under the covers. Her sheets would need a wash soon too, but that was a problem for another day.
Amanda stopped in the hallway at the sight of the blond girl standing outside her room. The girl faced the closed door, clenching and releasing her fists, as if unsure whether to knock or not. Something about her seemed familiar, but Amanda’s mind was unable to place from where.
“Can I help you?”
The girl’s wide eyes met Amanda’s. “Um, I was hoping maybe we could talk.” The words were so quiet that Amanda wasn’t even sure she’d heard her right. “You may not remember me, but I’m Jordan. We met at the fair. I felt... I don’t know, some connection when we talked.”
The memory surged through Amanda’s mind again. Of course, the feeling of that other voice. “I remember,” she said slowly, still not sure why Jordan was here. Why had she sought Amanda out? She waited for Jordan to explain, but when the girl stayed silent, Amanda figured whatever she had to say was important and not something she wanted to share in the hallway. “Come on inside,” Amanda finally offered, opening the door.
When the door shut behind them, Jordan turned to Amanda. She rubbed her hands together and averted her eyes to the floor. “I know you’re probably wondering how I found you and why I’m here.”
Amanda nodded, dropping her bath items on the bed and sitting down. She motioned for Jordan to do the same.
Jordan hesitated, but sat down on Jade’s bed across the room. She ran her palms down her pant legs. “So, I remembered your group Students for Life, and I went to their office. Your friend Jared told me where I could find you after he heard my story.” A pause ensued as if she were gathering the courage to continue. “I... uh... heard you were attacked the other night at Beta Zeta Psi’s house.” She dared a glance from under lowered lids.
“I was.” Amanda couldn’t believe Jared would tell this girl where she lived, no matter what Jordan’s story was, but since the girl was here, she decided to listen anyway.
“I was too. Not the other night, but at the end of last year.” The girl’s hands twisted in her lap.
A cold vice squeezed on Amanda’s heart. “Was it... was it Caleb West?”
The girl shook her head, “No, a guy named Trevor. Trevor Jones, but I heard he was friends with Caleb.”
Amanda’s eyes widened, and she shivered. “I met Trevor. He gave me the creeps. So, this wasn’t the first time...”
Jordan shook her head. “I’ve heard rumors that there have been others too. I don’t think the whole fraternity is involved, just a close group of Caleb and Trevor’s friends.”
A hatred boiled in Amanda’s stomach and overshadowed her fear and sadness. “I think we need to speak out about this. We have to stop them, no matter how many there are.”
The girl curled inward. “I don’t know if I can do that. I wasn’t as lucky as you. No one was there to save me. Can I tell you my story?”
Amanda nodded, suddenly curious to hear Jordan’s experience.
Jordan took a deep breath. “I was a freshman last year, new to campus and from a really small town. I hadn’t dated much in high school, so when Trevor paid attention to me, I fell hard. I couldn’t believe he would be interested in someone like me.”
The words pierced Amanda’s heart; they were so close to her own story.
“Anyway, near the end of last year, he invited me to a party at the frat house. I was elated. I would get to walk in on Trevor Jones’s arm. I just didn’t know I’d be walking out alone.” She paused before continuing. “I have little memory of that night. I remember it was loud and
there were a lot of people there. I remember being really tired, and then it’s all kind of blank. I woke the next morning, sore and confused. Trevor was gone. In fact, everyone was gone. The house was completely empty. I couldn’t believe he had just left me there.
“A few weeks later, I began vomiting several times a day. My clothes felt tight and I was sore everywhere. After a trip to the clinic, I found out I was pregnant. That’s when I began to piece together what had happened. I was a virgin before that night, and Trevor drugging me and taking advantage was the only thing that made sense.”
Amanda’s hand covered her open mouth. That could have been her fate if it hadn’t been for Emily and Jared.
“I thought my mom at least would be supportive, but she told me that I needed to have an abortion. I kept putting it off though I wasn’t even sure why. I didn’t have any moral opposition to abortion. Finally, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer and I looked up the closest clinic, which was in Dallas. I was supposed to be going the day I met you at the fair, but something wasn’t sitting right, and I decided to go for a walk. I don’t know how I even ended up at the fair or at your booth, but then you spoke to me, and something changed. I got this feeling that I was having a son and that I couldn’t abort him. I ended up calling a health clinic here, and I decided to put him up for adoption.”
Amanda’s heart went out to the blond. No one should have to deal with what she was going through.
“It’s not going to be easy carrying this child, especially after the way he was conceived, but I realized it wasn’t his fault either. And the center gave me a job, so I’m answering phones there now and helping other girls like me. I just wanted to say thank you. I was so depressed this year, but having a purpose for this baby now, I feel like the cloud is starting to lift. I hope you can find some of that too.”
As Jordan spoke, Amanda realized they had met even before the fair. Maybe she hadn’t recognized her because she had been so depressed the first time, but Amanda was nearly certain this was the girl she had met her first day of class in the breakfast hall.
Tears spilled down Amanda’s face, partly from Jordan’s story and partly from her own fresh pain. “I’m so sorry you are having to go through this. Can I pray for you, for both of us?”
“I’m not really into prayer,” Jordan answered, “but I think I’d like that.”
As Amanda bowed her head, she realized she hadn’t prayed since the attack. She paused for a moment, asking for peace and forgiveness before letting the Holy Spirit give her the right words to say for Jordan. “I haven’t really felt like going out lately,” Amanda said after the prayer, “but when I do, would you like to go to church with my friends and me?”
Jordan nodded and the girls exchanged numbers.
“Thank you for coming today,” Amanda said. “You have no idea how much I needed this.”
When the door shut behind Jordan, Amanda fell to her knees in front of her bed. “Help me Lord. I don’t know how to get over this attack. I’m so grateful that I was able to help Jordan, but now I need help. Please give me a sign and help me heal.” No more words formed on her lips, but her heart continued to bleed out prayers. When nothing remained, she climbed into bed, mentally exhausted, and closed her eyes.
Chapter 15
“Should we have asked her first?” Emily asked Jared as they stood outside Amanda’s door.
“She would have just said no,” Jared returned, “and whether she knows it or not, she needs this.”
“Okay, but if she gets mad, I’m telling her it was your idea,” Emily said with a smile.
“Fair enough.” Jared knocked on the door, knowing Jade was inside because they had planned the encounter with her. Jade had told Emily about Amanda’s friend Sandra and sneaked into Amanda’s prayer journal to get the number for them. Then Jared had called Sandra, who immediately asked them to bring Amanda back to Mesquite.
The door opened and Jade stepped back, allowing them entry. Amanda was in bed, dressed though, which meant perhaps she had at least attempted to go to class. That was a step in the right direction, but Jared knew they needed more help.
“What are you doing here?” Amanda asked when Jared and Emily entered the room.
“We’re here for you,” Emily said, “and you’re coming with us.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Amanda shot back.
“I’m not giving you a choice,” Jade said. “You’ve been living in your bed and the same three pairs of clothes all week. It’s time to get out.”
Amanda shot daggers Jade’s direction. “Why? So people can stare at me and whisper behind my back?”
“Look I get it,” Jade said. “I’ve been there, and it stinks, but you can’t keep hiding in this room. That doesn’t make anything better. Now pack a bag and try to grab something you haven’t been wearing for forty- eight hours straight.”
Amanda rolled her eyes, but she pushed herself up from her bed and lumbered over to her closet where she began flicking her hangers aimlessly back and forth, as if she couldn’t decide what to wear.
Emily and Jared stood against the wall out of the way, unsure of what to say.
“Oh, good grief.” Jade sighed in frustration and stomped over to the closet. “Take this”—she yanked a green shirt off a hanger— “and this.” She held out a pair of jeans.
Amanda took the clothes and began packing them in a small bag. Jade grabbed her toothbrush and hairbrush and brought them to her.
“Why do I need all that?” Suspicion laced Amanda’s voice.
“Because we’ll be gone a few days,” Jared spoke up.
Amanda raised her eyebrow, but grabbed the bag Jade had finished packing for her. “Gone a few days? What about church?”
“You didn’t go last week, but we’ll go to church where we end up,” Emily said.
“Have fun,” Jade said, practically pushing Amanda out the door and shutting it behind her.
“Shall we?” Jared asked. “Our chariot awaits.”
Amanda didn’t smile at his joke, but she followed them down the stairs and out to the parking lot.
“Can I help you?” Jared asked as he opened the passenger and back doors. Amanda held her bag out, and he placed it in the back of the jeep with his and Emily’s bag.
Without a word, Amanda climbed in the back seat. Shrugging at Jared, Emily climbed in the front seat, and Jared took his place in the driver’s side. A GPS sat on the dashboard, and he programmed in their destination. Just over six hours of driving time. Well, this should be fun.
Jared started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Why are we here?” Amanda asked a few hours later as they passed the city limit sign of Mesquite. A slight tremor of fear laced her voice.
“We’re getting you help,” Emily said from the front seat.
A few minutes later, Jared pulled into the parking lot of Mesquite View Church. A few other cars dotted the empty parking lot.
“Come on,” Emily said opening Amanda’s door.
Amanda shook her head, the fear paralyzing her. “I don’t want to.”
“Please Amanda. We just want to help you,” Jared said.
Jared’s sincere eyes pleaded with Amanda. She didn’t know what they had in store, but they had driven all this way. Swallowing her trepidation, Amanda unbuckled her belt and followed them into the church. Waiting just inside were Sandra, Callie, JD, and little Hope, who was crawling around on the carpeted floor oblivious to the tension in the room. Relief flooded Amanda when she realized her parents weren’t here. She just couldn’t tell them how stupid she had been yet.
“Hi Amanda,” Callie said stepping forward to hug her. As Callie’s arms wrapped around her, all the emotion Amanda had locked away burst forth, and she sobbed. One after another, the sobs wracked her body. Sandra rolled over and placed a hand on Amanda’s arm and began praying aloud. Amanda vaguely felt the rest of the group circle around her, but she could do nothing except continue to sob
into Callie’s shoulder.
When the tears finally subsided, Callie pulled back, confusion filling her bright green eyes. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, sweetheart, but it wasn’t your fault.”
“It was though,” Amanda whispered, finally accepting the shame. “I should have known better. There were signs, but I was too stupid to see them.”
“We’ve all been there,” Callie said. “Do you remember when I talked about my fiancé before I met JD?”
Amanda nodded. Callie had shared her story with the church and inspired Amanda to be a bolder example at her high school.
“Well, I’d been living with him for years and never noticed how selfish he was, though my assistant at work knew it. I was blinded from seeing the real him by my affection and by Satan. He preys on our weakness, you know.”
Amanda’s eyes dropped to stare down at her feet. “He was the first guy who showed interest in me that I liked back.”
“But he wasn’t the only one,” Jared spoke up softly.
Amanda looked up at Jared. She had forgotten about that coffee date request. It seemed so long ago now, but she had thought he liked her at one time, hadn’t she? “You liked me as more than a friend?”
“Girl, are you blind?” Emily said with a smile. “He has liked you since he first met you.”
Jared’s face flamed, and he dropped his eyes. “She’s right. I have liked you from the first moment I met you, but I was too scared to tell you. Then you told me you were seeing someone, so I kept it to myself, but what happened is my fault.” His eyes brimmed with sadness when he raised them. “I had a suspicion that Caleb was bad news, but I couldn’t prove it. Still, I should have told you.”
Emotions swirled through Amanda as she tried to understand. Jared liked her, but he hadn’t warned her? What was she supposed to make of that?
When Hearts Collide Page 10
