Gone Girl 3

Chapter 31

I wake up with a shattering headache. I look around for a few minutes trying to remember where I am.

Panic sets when I don't recognize the bed. I notice I'm still in the same clothes, the duvet on my body. My heels neatly put near the bed.

God, I drank so much last night.

I search for my phone. Nowhere to be seen.

Then I notice my purse on the chair and I hurriedly grab it. The time on the phone shows 1 pm.

"Fuck! No!" I yell, seeing all the messages and calls on my phone. Mostly from Nicole. So many emails from the professors.

I missed the most important exam, with no way of retaking it. There's on more exam and I'd have to get the best score to have the necessary credits for next year. That's impossible.

I'm an idiot. How could I do that?!

I push my feet toward the door, needing to know where I am. Dread in my heart and hoping it's not a man's house.

My phone shows calls from Derek too, even though I told him to not contact me.

A message from Cyprian:

Are you okay?? You missed the most important exam

I roll my eyes. Somehow my 'brother' texting me is more annoying than Derek.

I slowly take the stairs, confused as fuck. Who lives here? Who took me here?

An embarrassing reminder that Shanice and I kissed crosses my mind. I don't remember much past that, just drinking more alcohol to forget.

I spot a few people in the living room and they cheer as they see me.

Melissa and Ed from last night, the ones who offered me drugs, and Shanice. They cheer and clap when they see me, but not Shanice. She definitely remembers what happened last night—her expression somber.

"Good morning, princess," the man says, the mocking obvious in his tone.

"Took you long," Melissa adds.

"What happened?"

Everyone ignores my question.

Shanice stands up and comes close to me, but not too close. I sense her embarrassment and guilt too. After all, she's Derek best friend. He took a bullet for her.

Regret washes over me. I know I'm not with him anymore but my heart still feels like it's his, and that's all it will ever be.

"We need to talk."

I nod, knowing we will talk about the kiss. Maybe it wasn't that serious, although it's hard to believe that considering she ran away after it happened. And it felt very serious.

We walk to the messy bedroom, and I sit on the corner of the bed trying to not touch the blanket too much as it definitely looks like someone had sex here.

A lot of sex.

"Regarding last night—" I start but she interrupts me.

"You missed your exam."

"Oh, not you too. I know. I know! I don't need reminding."

She looks down. Her guilt obvious.

"It's fine, whatever, I'll study a lot for the next one. It's not your fault I wanted to drink."

"No, Veronica. You didn't just drink," she almost whispers.

I think she's referring about the kiss.

"It was a lapse of judgment, the kiss won't happen again!"