P&P

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Tell me everything you know," were my first words to Jane the second I got home. Our parents were in the kitchen, calling everyone they knew that might lead them to Lydia's whereabouts.

"She was never with Cat or Mary." Jane told me, sobbing. "She went to New Orleans with one of the boys on that soccer team. After a day, she ditched him for George. No one seems to know where they are, but they think they went together."

"I knew it." I said, curling my fists so tight my fingernails left indentions into my palms. "I knew it had to do with George!" I resisted the urge to scream, biting my lip to stop myself.

"You don't think...he's..." Jane trailed off, looking miserable, but I knew where she was going.

"God, I hope not."

Two days later, my father received a phone call from the boy Lydia went to New Orleans with. He told him that they were in Jefferson, and that Lydia had called him earlier. My father packed a bag and left for Jefferson, Louisiana, much to my mother's disapproval.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid if you find them!" My mother called after him as he put his bags in the car. "You're much too old for fighting, don't go after George! Just bring Lydia home."

"Dammit," I said under my breath. Jane turned to look at me. "I have to tell him about George." He started the car, and I took off after him from the doorway just as he pulled out of the driveway. The tires squealed as the car came to a sudden halt, and I knocked on the window.

"Lizzie, what is it?" My father asked, his eyes hard and stone-y, his tone like steel. "Time is of the essence, I need to-"

"George is worse than you think." I blurted. "He beat up his last girlfriend. What if he's doing that to Lydia?" I stifled a sob, and my father's eyes widened.

"Don't you worry." He told me, putting a hand on mine, gripping it fiercely. "I'll find her. And George will pay." I nodded, and stepped away from the car as he rolled up the window and sped off to find my sister.

"We came back as soon as I got Lizzie's message." Aunt Gardiner told us as my mother opened the door for her. "My husband's gone to Jefferson to help find Lydia. I know how short-tempered John can be."

I was sitting at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping. Though my mother did it all the time, she absolutely detested when others listened in on her conversations. Apparently, her discussions were much too secretive to be shared with others.

But in this case, maybe it was true.

"I encouraged this trip, you know." My mother said, with a bit of guilt in her voice. When Lydia wasn't begging my father to go on this trip, my mother was begging for her. "I believed Lydia was going with Cat and Mary, and they're parents. I didn't even call them to make sure that was the truth. I just thought she deserved a good time..." Her voice was choking up with tears. Though I've seen her cry more times than I can count, this time was different. I didn't even have to see it to know it.

"Don't blame yourself." My aunt said. "Every parent makes mistakes. I'm sure Lydia will come back just fine."

I doubted it.

"Mom thinks it's her fault." I told Jane as I smoothed down my bed sheets that night. I was doing anything I could to forget about the stress of this week. All I wanted was Lydia to come back, and be fine, with my father tomorrow morning. "She doesn't know what I know."