Innocently Guilty

I sat at the table, moving my food around with a fork. The girl across from me was a real catch. To me she was just stupid, boring, and annoying. Her hair was as dark as mahogany, her breasts were popping out of a purple dress, and her persistent giggle was… persistent.

“This is so much fun, Jeremy,” she gushed out, thirty minutes into the boring dinner. I yawned, and ignored her. Her arm clasped onto my arm, which was on the table. I jumped at the contact, wanting to roughly shove it off.

“Hey, I’m going to be right back. Okay?” I said getting up and leaving. I walked to the bathroom, splashing water in my face, trying to wake myself up from my thoughts.

You were a dick earlier to her, accusing her. You deserve this, you douche bag. I began feeling terrible and even more guilty that I left and went to call Lauren and Sophie. I called Sophie’s cell, but no answer. I thought quickly and hard about Laurens number, seeing I had only seen it once. When I got it I quickly called up Lauren who answered, quite confused.

“Yeah, can I talk to Sophie?” I asked looking over the railing at my stupid date. The waiter was flirting with her, which made me happier then sitting with her.

“Yeah I’d like to too,” Lauren said. I scrunched up my face, confused.

“No, she said she was sleeping over your house. I know I shouldn’t call, I should wait till tomorrow but you see... when she was on the phone with you earlier, I heard her call you Babe, and I accused her, because she ditched me-“

“What the hell, dude? Calm down for a second. She isn’t here, and she never called me. No, she calls me hun, if anything. The only person I know she’s called babe is jack,” Lauren said slowly.

I stood there quietly, blinking. I mumbled a quick good-bye, and told myself she was at home. I walked back over to the table, the girl smiling.

“Yeah I have a family crisis, I have to go. This should cover it,” I mumbled reaching in and throwing two twenties down. A white piece of paper, folded fell onto the table. I quickly picked it up as I ran outside to my car. I jumped in, turning on the light above me.

Jeremy,

I don’t know what I was thinking. We are siblings for crying out sake. We… we must only have a body attraction. What would people think of us? I’m sorry if what I’m doing frustrates you, but as cliché as it is, it’s for both of us.Love Sincerely,
Sophie

I stared at the paper, eventually throwing it to the floor. How the fuck does she know how I feel? I’ve taken care of her when she was drunk, hung over, scared, and depressed. Yes, I am attracted to her body, but also who she is as a person. Did I not show that? Were the signs not there? And who gave a fuck about what people thought? We were not blood related in any way!
I growled in frustration and revved the car to life. I drove home quickly, taking the stairs faster than the elevator up to her room. I had searched the whole place, but it was empty. I walked over to her bed, looking at her idle laptop. I turned back around, pacing, trying to think things over.

I thought about what Lauren said, about the jack thing. That’s why she was acting so weird. Oh my god, jack must be here. I wanted to beat him to a pulp for coming to her. But didn’t she go to him too? No, she is confused, scared, and misguided.

Where would they go? A hotel room? A backseat of a car? The woods, beach, park, or someplace else? How the hell was I suppose to know? I looked around for any sign of a hint of where she could have gone. I jumped on her bed, moving the mouse around on her laptop. A Word document was up, one page full of words.

It’s just her school work. I was about to minimize when I saw the word, Jack. I began to read, soaking in the confidence and sureness f these words. It told how she didn’t want Jack doing anything, how she didn’t like him, and how they wee in her house and he must leave.

Wait. Her house? She must have met him at her locked, old house! Where was that? I quickly grabbed the house phone, dialing up my mothers phone.

“Hello,” my mothers voice chorused.

“Mom I need to talk to Richard, now!” I yelled, as she hiccupped. Damn wine convention.

“Jeremy, what’s going on?” Richard asked as I breathed heavily.

“What’s Sophie’s old house address?” I asked sternly.

“Why?” he asked slurring at the end.

“Because, your daughter is currently with a stranger who wants to have sex with her. Good enough?” I screamed, as he stuttered the address. “I have to go, no you can call the cops from there, I’m not waiting another second.”

“Jeremy be safe, and keep her safe too!” Richard yelled, close to tears over the phone.

I wrote it down, and ran outside t my car. I turned on the GPS, entering in the address, and driving away. My heart thumped inside my chest, and I feared for her. I feared for her as a brother and as a lover.