Chapter 86 REMEMBER.
\~~~SERENA.
“Call me if anything happens. I don’t care how little it is. Call me.”
I stared out the window as Damien's car slowed to a stop in front of Maya's apartment building. My bag sat heavy on my lap, packed with just enough clothes for the night and tomorrow. I needed this space from Damien, from the questions swirling in my head, and from the way everything felt like it was unraveling.
His voice was low, and insistent, like he was etching the words into my skin. I turned to him, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. “Oh, God. How many times will you say that today?” I groaned, grabbing my bag from the floor.
“I’ll keep reminding you till you hear me.”
“I’ve heard you,” I breathed out, my hand already on the door handle. The air inside the car felt thick, charged with his worry and my impatience. He had been like this the whole drive, reminding me to lock the doors, to watch my drink, and to text when I got inside. It was sweet, in a way, but it also made my skin crawl. After the drugging at the gala, I understood his protectiveness, but it felt like more than that. Like he was trying to keep me in a bubble he controlled.
The car had pulled to a stop, and Damien wouldn’t stop talking about how I needed to be careful and how protection was important. His hand rested on the gear shift, knuckles white, as if he was holding back from pulling me back into the seat.
“And again, if…”
“Please, get on your way!” I cut him off, and then pushed the door open. The cool evening air rushed in, carrying the scent of nearby food trucks and distant traffic. I stepped out quickly, slinging my bag over my shoulder, not wanting to drag this out.
“Moonlight.”
I paused for a second at the sound of that name, but I didn’t turn back.
“Get on your way, Damien,” I said, stepping out and waving my hand lightly at him.
I stood there for a moment, watching him. His brows were still furrowed, his eyes scanning me like he didn’t fully trust leaving me alone. I sighed softly.
“You will be the first I call if anything happens,” I assured him.
He held my gaze for a second longer, then finally nodded.
“Good.”
I shut the door and stepped away from the car. It didn’t move immediately, and I didn’t bother turning back. Only when I reached the gate did I hear the engine come alive.
I exhaled slowly.
Only God knows if something else happened aside from the drugs that I wasn’t aware of. The thought lingered as I turned toward the gate. It creaked open just as I approached, and Maya stepped out, her face lighting up with a grin that was all mischief.
“Ouu, if it is not Mrs. Serena Hale!”
“Oh, shut up,” I rolled my eyes, brushing past her inside. Her laughter followed me, light and teasing, the kind that always made me feel lighter.
“I was most shocked when you called for a sleepover. Like, really? It was as though I’d hit a jackpot!”
“And now you’re exaggerating,” I groaned as we climbed the stairs that led to her place.
“I am not. You have been married for God knows how long and you haven’t come to see me! Not even once! When you were unmarried, we used to spend every weekend together!”
“I will visit more often,” I giggled, pushing the door open. The apartment smelled like fresh laundry and takeout.
I dropped my bag by the couch and sank into it, the cushions swallowing me whole.
“Hell, as if you will.”
“You will be here for two days, yeah?” Maya asked, kicking off her shoes and heading to the kitchen. She pulled out two glasses and a bottle of wine from the fridge, her movements quick and efficient.
“Damien will show up here tomorrow to pick me back up whether I like it or not,” I groaned, settling deeper into the couch.
“I don’t like him anymore. I can’t believe I have to beg for your attention now,” She handed me a glass, clinking hers against it before sitting beside me. Her eyes sparkled with that playful skepticism she always had when it came to Damien.
“You’re too dramatic. I have something to tell you.”
“Let’s have that discussion over a TV show?” She winked, giggling, already reaching for the remote.
“Maya, now.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, and she froze, the remote hovering in her hand.
Maya's expression turned serious, and she sat down fully, crossing her legs. “Did something happen?”
“That’s why I am here. I remember.” I swallowed hard, the words sticking in my throat like glass.
“Remember? Remember what?” Her brows knit together, confusion etching her face.
“That night… that party after the first year examinations… I remember what happened.”
“N… no way!” Her hands flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened in horror. The glass trembled slightly in her grip, wine sloshing near the rim.
I nodded, the weight of it crashing over me again. It had started as fragments this morning, after the wild night with Damien and the drugs making everything hazy, but then clarity hit like a slap.
“I didn’t at first,” I continued. “Something happened last night,” I added. “At the ball.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her brows drawing together.
“I was drugged,” I said quietly.
Her eyes widened. “What?!”
“I didn’t know at first. I just thought I was losing control. Everything felt wrong and my body didn’t feel like mine.”
“Oh my God…”
“But when I woke up this morning,” I continued, my voice lowering, “something changed.”
She leaned closer, her eyes fixed on me.
“My memory came back.”
Maya froze.
“What… what do you mean your memory came back?” she asked carefully.
I met her eyes.
“That night wasn’t a blur anymore,” I said. “I remember it. I remember everything.”
Her face was drained of color. “No…”
“Yes.”
The word came out firm, even though my chest felt tight.
“I didn’t want him to know,” I said quickly. “I couldn’t tell Damien. Not yet.”
“Why?” she asked immediately.
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t even understand it myself yet. Everything is just coming back all at once… and it doesn’t feel right.”
Maya stared at me, her expression filled with worry. “You’re scaring me, Serena.”
“I am scared too,” I admitted softly.
Silence settled between us, heavy and uncomfortable.
“I had to pretend,” I added. “I told him I had plans with you because I needed to get away.”
My voice dropped even lower. “I needed space to think.”
Maya didn’t interrupt. She just listened.
“I didn’t think it would ever come back,” I whispered. “I thought it was gone for good.”
My throat tightened slightly. “But it’s not.”
Maya finally spoke again, her voice careful. “What… what exactly do you remember?”
I looked down at my hands. They were trembling slightly.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
“It’s all there now,” I said quietly. “And it’s worse than I thought.”
Maya’s breath hitched.
And I knew… Whatever I was about to say next was going to change everything.