Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal (Jesus Freaks #2)(64)

“And,” Marla interjects, “we just kind of want to help you. And … have you help us.”

“Help you?”

For the first time I can recall, John looks uncomfortable. “We know your meeting with Dean Baker a few weeks ago didn’t go so well.”

My eyes shoot around the table. I haven’t told a single soul about that conversation, except Mollie, who wouldn’t have told anyone, least of all a random collection of CU students. I face Matt, the only person I can think of that may have said anything, and I didn’t tell him, either.

“What are they talking about?” I ask him directly.

Matt looks over my shoulder to Jonah, then back at me. “After our study group, that day you and I ran into Dean Baker on the quad, I mentioned to Jonah that you seemed really uncomfortable around him. Then you wouldn’t even tell me what it was all about, and kept changing the subject a million times.”

Turning my head to the left and right, I grin sardonically. “Gossiping like little girls?”

“No,” Jonah defends uncomfortably, “that’s not it.”

Sighing, I pacify him. “I didn’t mean it like that … guess my sarcasm isn’t on point today.”

“Anyway,” Matt continues, “Jonah works in Dean Baker’s office.”

I whip my head back to Jonah, pushing my chair back slightly to reduce the whiplash. “This is news.”

“Work study,” he answers plainly. “It’s one of the easiest jobs on campus. I just kind of maintain student files.”

“Student files?”

“Yeah, like, disciplinary files, general meetings, whatever. Each day we get an updated schedule of who the dean is meeting with for the day. The following day, there’s usually some write up—either general minutes about the meeting, or demerit cards if any were given, or other write-ups. I have to print those off, make sure they get in the right files, then basically play Solitaire for the rest of my shift.”

“Okay …” I shrug. The tension around the table far exceeds the mechanics of this conversation.

Jonah shifts in his seat. “I knew about your meeting because you talked about it the day before at lunch. And, Eden mentioned to me that she hoped you weren’t going to get into trouble for something that wasn’t your fault.”

I look over to Matt briefly, who now looks as grey as Jonah does.

“Your name wasn’t on the schedule the day before the meeting, but sometimes that happens. Baker’s not great about keeping a tight schedule. His secretary is always on him. But, the next Monday when I went in, I looked back at the schedule to see if it had been added after, just for documentation sake, and it wasn’t there.”

“Okay, so my appointment wasn’t on the schedule. That’s hardly a show-stopper.”

Matt touches my shoulder. “Just wait,” he whispers.

Jonah clears his throat. “I checked my emails all day, and even after the main bulk of filing information had come through, there was still nothing on your meeting. For a little while I was nervous because I thought that meant you’d gotten in some serious trouble that even I couldn’t know about—and I’m sworn to confidentiality with that job. Just to be sure, I asked his secretary if all the minutes had come through. When she said they did, I asked her where the minutes for your meeting were.”

“What’d she say?” I ask quickly.

He shakes his head. “She looked at me a little surprised and said that there had been no meeting with Miss Sawyer on Friday.”

Hearing Miss Sawyer from Jonah’s lips makes me swallow hard, to avoid throwing up.

“Just to be sure, I texted Eden and asked if you had gotten in trouble at your meeting. She texted back and said you told her everything was fine and you didn’t get in any trouble. So, I went back to the secretary and said that I was certain you had a meeting with him, and I wanted to make sure everything got filed properly so I wouldn’t get in trouble for mishandling confidential files.”

“What’d she say?” I ask again, my pulse racing.

Jonah looks down and swallows hard before looking up. “She stood up, brought me to the corner of the office and said, Jonah, there was absolutely no meeting with Kennedy Sawyer in this office. I waited for her to take her lunch break and then I went to the filing cabinet.”

“And?” I wipe my palms on my pants.

“It’s squeaky-clean. There’s the details about what happened with Joy, along with your statement that came from your RA that you didn’t want disciplinary action taken against Joy. And that was it.”

“We know it wasn’t about you,” Marla says while Jonah takes a breath. “People don’t erase paper trails if they’re trying to get someone in trouble.”

Matt speaks up again. “Then the way you acted around him …” He eyes me empathetically. “What happened in that meeting, Kennedy?”

“And,” John adds, “why haven’t you talked about it?”

I have a few seconds to make a choice. Either I lie to everyone, which would include Matt and Jonah, or I tell the truth to people I barely know. I feel like I need more information.

“He’s an ass,” Caitlyn blurts out. “He has a sleazy reputation.”

My jaw drops. “He does?”