Chapter 45

~Eliana~

Sam had invited me over to his place, so, we could both have dinner to celebrate his admission into college. Ten years ago, he had gotten into University of California, Berkeley, and thrilled by his story, the school authorities had honoured his admission, reasoning that it was not his fault that he had fallen into a coma and wasn’t able to attend school, and they also felt it was inspiring that he decided to go back to school after so long.

He had wanted to start applying to get into universities, but his father had visited the University of California, Berkeley, himself, and after explaining the situation to the authorities, they enrolled him with the present 2022 set. In this life, you either had to have money or connections in order for you to succeed, as well as to have a life that was easy, and not filled with difficulties.

When I asked why he didn’t throw a party, he said he was still going to do that, but for now, he wanted to celebrate with his best friend. Sam didn’t even have friends, and all my life, he had shared my friends with me, and I didn’t even mind that at all. I was open to sharing and not possessive of my friends. It was clear as to why we weren’t meeting up in the public. We both did not want to give the media the impression that we were in a relationship and fuel the rumours even more, so, it had been a mutual agreement that we met in his place.

Davies pulled over at the Evans' mansion, and I yawned tiredly, picking up my small black purse, and adjusted my dress, preparing to step out of the car, when Davies spoke to me.

“Miss, I know I shouldn’t be intruding, but why are you going to your friend’s house by this time? Aren’t things good with Mr Duke? He seems like a good person,” Davies said.

He hardly said anything, and so, I understood that he wasn’t trying to get information; he was just talking from a place of concern.

I chuckled. “Things are good with Mr Duke, Davies. Sam is my best friend, and he just got admitted into the university. Don’t you think I should celebrate with him?” I asked.

“You should, but it doesn’t have to be at his home. If Mr Duke knows about this...”

“And who is going to tell him? You?” I asked, wearing a smirk.

“Definitely not, Miss. I’m sorry once again, if I’m intruding,” He said.

I gave him a small smile. “I understand that you are just concerned about me, and that’s why you’re acting like an overprotective elder brother. However, Davies, I can take care of myself. I’ve known Sam since I was a child. Besides, his family members are going to be present. It’s a small family dinner, and as you can see, he considers me family. I came here because if I go to the public, pictures of us will be taken, and that will cause a rift between Alistair and I. I hope you can understand,” I said.

He nodded his head, in the affirmative. “I understand, Miss. I’m sorry,” He said.

“It’s okay. How is your mother? Is she still at the hospital?” I asked.

“No. She was discharged two days ago. She has gotten better, and has resumed cleaning people’s houses against my will,” He said, with a chuckle.

“She just does not want to be idle. Say me hi to her,” I said, then opened the door.

Before I got out, I felt a little bit dizzy and rubbed my eyes tiredly.

“Are you fine, Miss?” Davies asked.

“Yeah. I’ve just been getting dizzy spells lately. I’ve set an appointment with my doctor for next week Friday. She’s out of town now on a leave, but she’ll be back by then, and would explain to me what it is that is wrong with me. I certainly will not go to any other doctor apart from her. I trust that woman with my life,” I said, and with a smile, I left the car, closing the door gently behind me.

I was putting on a midi long-sleeved black dress, which was skin-tight, and my bluish golden heels made walking even more stressful. This dress was tight, but I had been eating like a horse lately, and now, the dress had become tighter than usual.

I played with my purse, as I took slow strides into Sam’s house. I was really happy for him, and soon, when he was gone, Alistair could finally have peace of mind. He didn’t show it anymore that he was annoyed about my friendship with Sam, but I knew all too well that things do not die that easily. He was just being calm because he did not want to get on my nerves again, and I appreciated his actions which were on my behalf.

After today, I’d see Sam again at the big party his family was going to throw for him, and that was going to be the end. For now, all Alistair needed to do was remain calm. All this was going to be over soon, and he’ll be sure that he has me all to himself once again. Everything was soon going to take a different turn, and it was going to be perfect.

I rang the doorbell, and stood calmly, waiting for the door to be opened.

For a family dinner, the house was awfully quiet, and I began to have some doubts in my mind, but I immediately brushed the doubts aside, knowing fully well that no harm could come to me in Sam Evans' house.

The door was opened, and Sam was standing right behind the door, wearing a white singlet and black trousers, with slippers meant for the bathroom, and an AirPod in his left ear, grinning from ear to ear.

“You look really beautiful,” He said, opening the door wider, in order for me to come in.

“Thank you. What the hell are you putting on?” I asked, stepping into his house.

He suppressed a chuckle. “I’m going to grab a shirt now,” He said.

“Grab a shirt? I thought you’d be dressed by now. Wasn’t it supposed to be a family dinner? How come no one is present?” I asked, slightly raising my voice, as I looked around and saw no trace of a human being.

“Eliana, calm down,” He said, shutting the door behind me.

“Calm down? Who am I supposed to have dinner with? The table and chairs?” I questioned.

“Just try to not raise your voice, and I’ll definitely explain everything to you, how does that sound?” He asked.

“Why shouldn’t I raise my voice? Why did you ask me to come here?” I asked.

He heaved a sigh. “First of all, you should not raise your voice because my grandmother is upstairs and will get worried and suspicious if you continue screaming for no reason like you are doing now. Also, there is no family dinner,” Sam said.

“Yeah. I already figured that last part out,” I said, taking a seat on a couch, as I kicked off my shoes.

He sat on the sofa beside me, and wore a smile. “I am not going to throw any big party before going off to college. I just wanted to see my only friend today, catch up on old times, and share some things with because I don’t know when next I’d get to do all of that,” He explained.

I rolled my eyes. “And why couldn’t you tell me the truth instead of lying about it?” I inquired.

“I thought you might not agree,” He said.

“And what makes you think I can’t leave here right now?” I retorted.

He heaved a deep sigh. “I’m sorry, Eliana. I shouldn’t have lied to you,” He said.

“Exactly. You shouldn’t have lied. If you had explained this to me on the phone, I would have still come. You’d have saved me the stress of putting on this tight dress that I can hardly breathe in and wearing heels. I could have just thrown on a top and jeans instead of dressing all too sophisticated,” I said.

“You can always remove your clothes. I mean, what haven’t I seen in you before?” He asked, chuckling.

I threw him a cold gaze, and he immediately kept quiet.

“I meant that as a joke,” He said.

“Well, your joke isn’t funny,” I retorted.

“I’m sorry. You don’t mind having Spaghetti Bolognese, do you? The cook is still preparing it, but I’ll get you a glass of red wine before it gets ready, how does that sound?” He asked, getting up from his chair.

I shook my head, in declination. “I feel like vomiting just by thinking of Spaghetti Bolognese,” I said.

“Why? You love it. It used to be your favourite meal back then,” He said.

“Well, right now, I sure as hell don’t want it, neither do I want red wine. I’ll just settle for orange juice and we can talk all night. On my way home, I’ll get some ice cream and pizza. That’s what I’m in the mood to eat. I hope you don’t mind,” I said.

He shrugged. “I don’t mind as long as that is exactly what you want. My folks are going to take the Spaghetti Bolognese when they get home later,” He said.

“Sounds like a plan,” I told him, with a half-smile.

“Yeah. I’ll go get a pack of orange juice. Give me a minute,” He said.

“Sure,” I said, resting my back on the couch, as I rubbed my eyes tiredly.

A few minutes later, my phone started ringing, and the caller ID showed it was Alistair who was calling. I was skeptical about answering the call. If he found out that I was with Sam, it was likely to do more harm than good. I put my phone on the silent mode, and decided not to answer the call.

After tonight, Alistair was going to have me all to himself. I just wanted to spend time with my best friend for the very last time, and I sincerely hoped Alistair could see things from my point of view. Tomorrow, I was going to tell him I had been with Sam and he was off to college, but for tonight, it was best if he was kept in the dark about this. Not only was he going to get upset, he was going to have several doubts lingering in his mind.

Sam brought a pack of orange juice and a glass for me, which he held in one hand, and in the other hand, he held a bottle of wine, and a wine glass for himself.

“Here, help yourself,” He said, as he placed the pack of orange juice and the glass in front of me.

“Thank you,” I said, pouring some of the juice inside my glass.

“You’re welcome,” He said, looking at me intently, as he poured wine into his wine glass, and sipped it, gently.

“This is exactly what I needed,” I said, feeling satisfied at the refreshing taste of the very chilled orange juice, which was exactly what I had been craving for.

“I’m glad you feel good about it. Do you ever think of what would have happened had an accident not occurred ten years ago?” Sam suddenly asked.

I shrugged. “Sometimes. I used to do that all the time after the accident, but years later, I had to just accept that you guys were gone and it was entirely my fault,” I said.

“But you know it wasn’t your fault, right? It was that monster who had caused it,” He said.

I nodded my head, agreeing with his statement. “I’m well aware of that, but no one believed me when I said it was a beast who caused the accident. They thought that I was trying to make up for my own mistake, since I was the one driving the car. They found alcohol in my blood, but thankfully, the police said something in the car was leaking and it caused the car to catch fire, and that was not my fault even if I was drunk driving. My parents paid a small amount as fine because I drove while drunk, and that was the end. Still, I wasn’t able to just forget about it all and imagine what would have happened if I had tried harder to get Candice and Nick out of the car,” I said.

Sam shook his head. “No, don’t say that. We asked them to run, but instead, they chose to remain behind, and who can really blame them? They were 18 and they were in love, and there is no guarantee that the beast wouldn’t have killed them if they had successfully gotten out of the car alive. Therefore, Eliana, it’s not your fault. None of what happened that day was your fault,” Sam said, giving me a reassuring look.

I gave a small smile. “Thank you, Sam. I wonder what I’d do without you. Sam, what do you think would have happened to us had that unfortunate incident not befallen us that day?” I asked.

“Well, we’d have all drifted apart, because that’s how life is after high school. However, we’d have gotten back to this city after college. Candice and Nick would have gotten married, with probably a child. I would have been one of the directors in my father’s company, same as you, and we’d have gotten married, not just because we loved each other, but for the interest of our different companies. Our marriage would have strengthened our family’s bond, and solidified our companies interests,” Sam responded.

I nodded my head. “You know, you’re not far from the truth. If nothing had gone wrong, I’d have never even met Alistair in the first place at the cemetery, because I wouldn’t have gone to visit anyone. We’d have gotten married,” I said.

“Do you regret it?” Sam asked.

I smiled warmly, and slowly shook my head, in negativity. “I do not regret it at all. The only thing I’ve never regretted in the last ten years is meeting Alistair, and if we were actually meant to be, perhaps, I might have come across him somewhere else, and I would have still fallen in love with him,” I said.

Sam seemed a little disappointed by my answer, as he fiddled with his fingers and his eyes rested on the floor.

I wanted to ask him what the matter was, when suddenly, I started feeling really dizzy and the whole place became hazy. Damn! I should never have made an appointment with my doctor for next week Friday, and I should have just seen a doctor who was available.

I swayed back and forth, and I noticed Sam’s presence behind me. There wasn’t anything I could do to stop myself from feeling the way I felt. I wish I possessed a sort of control, and was able to just blink away the dizziness, but slowly, all I could see was darkness as my eyes gave way to unconsciousness.

About three hours later, I woke up with a throbbing headache, feeling weak and nauseous. There was a strong smell of cologne in the place I was, and the bed wasn’t as soft as the one I was used to sleeping in. The blur in the environment soon cleared, and as I blinked rapidly, I was soon able to see clearly.

I was in someone’s bedroom, and it felt really familiar. There were several paintings on the wall, and it made me try to remember where I had seen such before.

The door opened and Sam walked in, holding two cups of what smelled like coffee. Of course, I was in Sam’s bedroom and I had been unable to remember for a moment, because the last time I was in his bed had been ten years ago.

“Figured you’d be awake by now,” He said, sitting on the chair beside me.

I tried to sit up, and yawned out loud, when I was finally able to do so. “What happened?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

“You slumped all of a sudden, don’t you remember?” He asked.

I was taken down memory lane by my head and I suddenly remembered all that had happened. I had been talking to Sam one minute, and I felt dizzy the next, and just collapsed.

“I remember,” I said, collecting one of the cups of coffee from him.

“I was so worried about you. Haven’t you been getting enough sleep?” He asked.

“I have. In fact, I sleep most of the day, but I still am always dizzy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I even set an appointment with my doctor because of it. I’m sorry for making you so worried about me,” I said.

He seemed really relieved. “It’s okay, Eliana. You didn’t intend for that to happen,” He said.

“Yeah,” I told him, handing him the cup of coffee and getting out of the bed.

“Where are you going to? You didn’t even drink the coffee,” He said, standing up.

“I can’t drink anything right now. My parents will be worried about me, and I need to start going home. Thanks for taking good care of me. I’m very much grateful. I’d send you an admission gift tomorrow, okay? Take good care of yourself,” I said, hurrying out of the room.

“I will. Let me drop these cups in the kitchen, so, I can see you off to your car, at least,” Sam said.

“Oh no!” I exclaimed, suddenly seeing my reflection in the mirror.

“What happened?” He asked, with a concerned expression written on his face.

I touched my neck, shivering like a wet leaf. “My necklace. It’s gone,” I said.

“I don’t... I do not recall you putting on a necklace,” Sam stuttered.

“Sam, I was definitely wearing a necklace. It belonged to Alistair’s mother. If it gets missing, I’m done for. He’ll never forgive me. It’s...it’s a family heirloom,” I explained, all in one breath.

“Calm down, Eliana. Maybe you didn’t put it on today...”

“No, I’m very sure I did. I just can’t find it,” I said, trembling at the mere thought of how Alistair was going to react when he finds out that the necklace he had given me not too long ago was nowhere to be found.

“Relax, Eliana, and try to breathe. It must have slipped when I carried you to my bedroom or you may have not put it on today. Either way, I’d search my entire house and the compound for it, and you’d check your house for it as well. Who knows? Perhaps it fell off in your car. It has to be somewhere, and we won’t give up until we find it, okay?”

I sighed. “Okay.”

“Just promise me you’ll be calm about all this, instead of panicking,” He said.

I nodded my head. “I’ll be calm, I promise,” I told him.

If I even wanted to calm down my nerves, it wasn’t possible. There was something I really feared, and that was the fear of letting Alistair down. He had thought me worthy enough to be in possession of his mother’s necklace, and if I couldn’t keep it, he’d never trust me with anything again.

I promised myself there and then that I’d never put it on again if I did find it. I’d keep it somewhere safe, because it was only now that it was gone that I had begun to cherish it.