THE NIGHT WE MET

Chapter Five

I sat stiffly at the dining table in David Collins’ apartment, staring at the plate of food in front of me. The place was frustratingly nice—modern, neat, and stylish. It didn’t fit the arrogant, annoying image I had of him.

Why am I here? Oh, right. My bracelet. The one he’s using to keep me here.

David walked in, carrying two plates, wearing a casual sweater and jeans. Of course, he still managed to look effortlessly put together. Life isn’t fair.

“Dinner is served,” he said, setting the plates down. His smirk was as irritating as his voice, which had that teasing tone I already couldn’t stand.

“I’m just here for my bracelet,” I said, sitting up straighter. “Let’s finish this quickly.”

David grinned as he sat down. “Always so serious, Lee. Relax, it’s just dinner.”

“Dinner you blackmailed me into,” I shot back, picking up my fork.

“‘Blackmail’ is a harsh word,” he said, pretending to look hurt. “I’d call it creative persuasion. You get your bracelet; I get some company. It’s a win-win.”

I rolled my eyes. “This isn’t a win for me.”

Still, the smell of the food was distracting. My stomach growled, and I reluctantly took a bite. To my annoyance, it was delicious. Great—now I hated him and his cooking skills.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, but of course, David couldn’t leave it that way for long.

“You’re not what I expected,” he said, his voice casual but curious.

I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He leaned back in his chair and shrugged. “I’ve spent my whole life hearing about your family. I thought you’d be... colder. Meaner. Less...” He hesitated, then waved his hand vaguely.

“Less what?” I pressed, narrowing my eyes.

“Less real,” he said after a moment. “But you’re not like that.”

I blinked, unsure what to say. Was that a compliment? “Sorry to disappoint,” I muttered, focusing on my plate.

“You don’t disappoint,” he said, his voice softening. “You just... surprise me.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I kept eating, using the food as an excuse to avoid looking at him.

Then he ruined it. “So, about that night...”

My fork clanged against the plate as I froze. “Don’t,” I snapped, glaring at him.

He laughed, clearly amused. “Come on, you’re not even a little curious?”

“No,” I lied.

“And even if I was, I wouldn’t trust your version of events,” I added, crossing my arms.

“Ouch,” he said, placing a hand on his chest like I’d hurt him. “For the record, nothing happened. You were drunk, I was drunk, and you fell asleep. I gave you the bed and took the couch. Very gentlemanly of me.”

“Liar. I was… naked, and you’re sleeping beside me, damn you, Collins,” I said infuriated at him, and he laughed.

“I thought you didn’t know,” he smirked again.

“That’s all I know, I don’t remember exactly what happened, why I ended up like that in your damn bed,” I said angrily and let out a frustrated sigh, stabbing my fork into my food harder than necessary.

David chuckled. “It become an interesting morning, isn’t?”

“No, it wasn’t. It was a disaster,” I rolled my eyes.

“But why did you come back? Is the bracelet so important to you?” he asked.

“YES. IT IS. SO, CAN YOU PLEASE JUST GIVE IT BACK TO ME?” I said sternly.

David chuckled, setting down his fork. “You’re funny, Lee. After dinner, your bracelet will be back on your wrist.”

“Good.” I breathed out a small sigh of relief. “Because this whole situation isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”

We finished eating our dinner, and thank goodness he finally gave me my bracelet and I immediately went out of his apartment without looking back. I left him alone with a smirk on his face, this guy is unbelievably annoying.

-

The next few days became normal. Working in the company, and spending time with my friends as often as I could until Kim the daughter of one of our partners invited me to a house party. I usually don’t party, especially at the bar. But I never experience a house party, so I thought I could give this a try. Maybe tonight will turn out good. I hope so.

The night of the party came. As I sipped my drink, doing my best to blend into the background, my eyes scanned the crowded room. That’s when I saw him—the bane of my existence. David Collins. And not just David—his two brothers were with him. Great.

David, of course, looked effortlessly cool. He was casually leaning against a wall, a drink in hand, flashing his usual smirk. His eyes found me almost immediately, and his expression lit up.

I immediately turned the other way, hoping he’d take the hint and leave me alone.

But, of course, David wasn’t one to be ignored easily. He pushed off the wall and started weaving through the sea of people, heading straight for me.

“Lee,” he said smoothly, sliding into the space next to me. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I gave him a slight side glance, trying to act like he wasn’t there.

David chuckled, brushing a hand through his hair. “Avoiding me, I see.”

I sighed, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “You could say that.”

David followed my every move, keeping that infuriating smirk in place. “You’re fast, but I’m faster.”

“Lucky you,” I muttered, taking another sip of my drink.

“Why so serious, Lee?” he asked.

“Because I don’t want to spend my evening listening to your nonsense.”

David grinned wider, leaning a bit closer. “But isn’t that half the fun?”

I gave him a pointed look. “No.”

He shrugged; the smirk still glued to his face. “You could at least pretend to enjoy my company.”

“Pretending isn’t really my thing,” I said, stepping back a little, hoping to put more distance between us.

“Fair enough,” David said, laughing softly. “But you’re just making it harder for yourself.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” I said, forcing a smile.

David leaned in a bit more, lowering his voice just slightly. “You can run, but you can’t hide forever, Lee.”

“Oh, I think I’ll manage.”

The music blared in the background, and for a moment, I tried to lose myself in it. But I could still feel David’s presence, the way his eyes followed my every movement, as if he was a shadow.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked, leaning in just enough for me to feel his breath against my ear.

I took a step back, avoiding his gaze. “Positive.”

David chuckled softly. “You know, this is more fun when you actually talk to me.”

“Good for you,” I said, finally stepping away and heading toward my friends. “Find someone else to bother.”