The Darkness

Chapter 26

We have been sitting on a bench beside the lake near the guest cottage for nearly several minutes in silence. I peeked at Sean taking in his unwavering eyes as he looked at the lake. He was motionless like a statue and it scared me to think what all has happened to him since graduation. I placed my hand onto top of his giving it a light squeeze. He blinked a couple times and becoming aware of my presence.

"Celeste, I don't know where to begin?"

"How about the beginning."

"After we graduated we were suppose to go on the world tour. Remember?" I nodded. "Well we didn't get a chance to go because we were called back home for a family emergency. We spent most of the summer helping out the family and of course they assumed that I would take over the family business. I didn't want any part of it, so me and Tammy took off for California to start our lives. I landed a job with a startup company that demanded a lot of hours. So about a year ago my family had another emergency. I refuse to go back but Tammy went instead to help out. And that was the last time I saw her alive."

"What happened?" 

"She was murdered."

"Who?"

"I don't know. No one claims to know. I had been trying to find that out for the past several months without any leads." I wrapped my arms around him. Now I understood why they never showed up for my parents' funeral.  The same time I was grieving for the lost of my parents, he was grieving for Tammy.

"I'm so sorry Sean." I couldn't believe it was just  the other night I was in the same position needing to be comforted.

"I didn't mean to put this all on you Celeste. I know how hard it is for you to lose both your parents."

"No need to apologize, you were going through the same thing.  It's rough living without them. New York became too overwhelming. I came here to bury myself in isolation and hide but.  The guilt I felt was devastating. But being here I've started to heal."

"You shouldn't blame yourself for the car accident.  Do you really trust these people?"

"Yes I do. They have in their own help me see that all the guilt I've been carrying, will not undo anything that happened the night of the crash."

"I heard all about what happened from Valerie. She is the one to put me on the path of finding you."

"How did you find me here?"

"It wasn't easy. I tracked you through your credit card purchases all the way to Vulance. Once I got there went to police department, where the police chief told me to come here."

"Todd Liefton?"

"Yea, He seemed real worried about you. Thought maybe you were being held captive here." That explained Sean' initial hostility towards Colin.

"Well that's not the case as you can see."

"You know what I see is that Colin guy is very possessive over you and I don't like it. If he is too controlling you would tell me?"

I laughed.  "He has his moments. He's just very passionate when he wants something."

"Right now that's you! If he gets too be much?  If all this is too much? Tell me and you can go home with me." all smiles vanished and Sean's face turned serious.

"If I feel over my head I promise to let you know, Sean."

"Celeste." Colin voice filtered down at us as he stood towering over us.

"Speak of the devil." Sean mumbled.

"Hey Colin. What's up?" I smiled as my eyes greedily drank in every inch of Colin.  It was getting insane that whenever he was my body yearned for him.