THE NIGHT WE MET

Chapter Three

Gil’s eyes widened. “Sam, that’s... a lot. You’re sure you don’t remember anything?”

I shook my head, “Bits and pieces, but it’s all blurry. I don’t even know how I ended up in his apartment. I mean, I didn’t... plan this. And now, I have no idea what to do.”

Gillian leaned back; her expression thoughtful. “Okay, first things first—take a breath. Freaking out isn’t going to fix anything. We need to figure out what happened, but... are you sure you didn’t leave anything behind? Like your phone, purse, anything that might give him a reason to reach out?”

I frowned, trying to think. “I grabbed my stuff before I left, I think. Wait...” My stomach dropped when I looked at my wrist, “My bracelet. The one Mom gave me—it’s gone.”

Gillian winced. “That’s... not nice.”

“Can this day get any better?” I asked in frustration.

“You’ll probably need to see him again, that bracelet is sentimental to you,” she said, with a little smile on her face.

“What are you smiling about, Gil? Didn’t you know I might bring World War 3 in our family because of this?” I told her.

“You’re overreacting, Sam. This might be the start of something exciting, and romantic,” she chuckled. Gosh, this girl didn’t know how to be serious in times like this.

“This isn’t funny, Gil, I’m serious. If my family finds out about this, it’ll be chaos.”

“Then don’t let them find out,” she said. “At least not yet,” she winked at me.

I gave her a look. “Not yet? What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t just keep this hidden forever. You know how my family is—they have a sixth sense for sniffing out secrets.”

Gillian shrugged, unfazed by my panic. “So, don’t give them anything to sniff. Play it cool, act like nothing happened. If you don’t make a big deal out of it, neither will anyone else. And seriously, about the bracelet—go get it back. He probably doesn’t even know it’s yours.”

I groaned. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to face David Collins after... whatever last night was.”

“True,” she said with a smirk. “But who knows? Maybe this is fate.”

“Fate?” I sat up, glaring at her. “This isn’t some rom-com, Gil.’ And she chuckled again.

“Relax, Sam. You’re overthinking this. Just take it one step at a time. Get some rest—you look like you haven’t slept in a week.” She said and laughed.

I sighed. As annoying as her carefree attitude could be, she wasn’t entirely wrong. I couldn’t undo what happened, but I could take control of what came next. Step one was dealing with the bracelet.

I was thinking about how to get my bracelet to David because that was important to me, but I didn’t know how to react or even function if I saw him again, knowing what happened last night. What if I asked him if there were any specific bracelets in his room when he forgot who the girl he slept with was, then I am going to be doomed. It feels like I made him remember that I am the woman he spent the night with. Thinking about this infuriated me until my phone rang. It was River.

“What the hell?” I answered his call.

“Huh? You told me to call you,” River said.

“Why did you leave me last night?” I said in frustration.

“Who were you with last night? Gosh, my headache sucks! We still have a hangover,” he said on the other line.

“You’re useless,” I said in frustration.

“Calm down, lady Sam. Why are you so mad? Did anything happen to you? Where are you?” he asked me, his voice sounding like he was still so sleepy.

“I’m at Gil’s apartment right now, why don’t you pick me up? Where’s Tony and Grey?” I asked him more.

“Still snoring beside me,” he said, laughing.

“Gosh, Grandpa would be so mad at us if he found out I spent the night without the three of you, and he’s going to think we’re wasted,” I said in annoyance.

“Don’t worry, Sam. You spent the night at Gillian’s, so Grandpa doesn’t have to worry about you. He’ll be mad at us, that’s for sure,” he chuckled on the line.

I sighed after I ended the call with River. If only he knew what exactly happened.

I slumped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Gillian handed me a mug of coffee. "So, what now? Are you going to tell River what happened?"

I shook my head quickly. "No way. He’d lose it.”

"Alright," she said, sitting beside me.

“I may just forget about that bracelet, tell Mom I lost it somewhere I don’t remember,” I said.

“Hmm… okay, if that’s what you wanted to do, too bad you won’t have to see Mr. Collins again,” she chuckled and I rolled my eyes at her.

“You’re unbelievable,” I said.

Gillian smirked. “I’m just saying, it’s your choice. But if you ask me, that bracelet means too much to forget about. Plus, it’s not like David’s some monster. He probably doesn’t even remember who you are.”

I groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. “That’s the problem, Gil! What if he does? What if he doesn’t? Either way, it’s going to be so awkward. I’m not ready for that.”

She patted my shoulder with a grin. “You’re making this way harder than it needs to be. Just go, grab the bracelet, and leave. No big speeches, no drama. Quick and easy.”

“Quick and easy?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Do you even hear yourself? Nothing about this is easy. Or quick. It’s complicated.”

I stayed quiet, my mind racing. Could I just pretend nothing happened and move on? The bracelet wasn’t just any bracelet—it was Mom’s customized gift for me. I’m the only person who has that, and it costs a thousand pounds. Realizing the price, Mom would kill me if I lost it, so I changed my mind. I need to face David; I need to get that bracelet from him.

Gillian noticed the change in my expression. “You’re going to get it, aren’t you?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I can’t just leave it. It’s too important.”

She grinned. “Good. You’re doing the right thing. And hey, maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.”

“I doubt that,” I muttered. My stomach twisted at the thought of seeing David again, but I knew there was no other choice.

“Want me to come with you?” Gillian offered.

I shook my head. “No. This is something I have to do on my own.”

She nodded, handing me my jacket. “Alright, but call me if you need backup.”

I grabbed my bag and headed out. The whole way to David’s apartment, my thoughts raced. What if he laughed at me?

When I finally reached his building, I hesitated at the entrance. My feet felt like they were glued to the ground. “You can do this,” I whispered to myself.