Sam’s POV

I just felt disappointed, I couldn’t even describe why… Maybe I had too many hopes? Maybe I let myself be blinded?
Yet again? After everything I had been through before, I chose wrong again?
I fell for a guy who wasn’t really interested in me?
Was it really just because he was stuck with me that he was staying by my side or would he be gone as soon as possible when the curse was over?

Would he then show his real face? Then tell me that everything we have been through was just because of the circumstances?
And why did it hurt so much to even think about that?!

“Sam?” Brian asked beside me when we walked back to my car. I knew I ruined the planned evening and I wished I could just go back to where we were before. To just enjoy and let me feel like I was the only one… but I couldn’t and it felt wrong.
“Hmhm..” I answered not looking up from my path ahead of me.
“That woman… that waitress you saw earlier. You were right, she did know me… but if you think that-” I held my hand up to interrupt him.
“It’s okay, Brian.” I didn’t want to hear it. So she knew him and he took the time to get to know her, huh?!

Fine, maybe I wasn’t fair to him right now, but I just felt stupid, stupid that I had my hopes up and that they came crashing down all on their own now.

“Babe, I told her to go. I wanted to spend the evening with you and no one else. I planned everything for us, you and me.” He tried again and I nodded, I knew he had, but he didn’t have another choice either, he couldn’t just go to another woman and coax her to him, I was all he had, and I hadn’t realized it before, but now I did… and it hurt.

“I know, I’m sorry. I just can’t deal with this right now… I have a lot of thoughts in my head and need to search through them. I need a little time, please.” I asked and knew he wouldn’t be happy with that and I heard him mutter something like ‘I wish I had time’ but I wasn’t too sure.

When we reached my car and we both sat there I was about to turn the key, but Brian stopped me with his hand.
“Don’t shut me out now, please. You are all I have, I need you” He whispered and leaned forward his lips brushing over mine just feather light and I had to swallow thickly, why was I suddenly so confused.

I knew I had feelings for him, and he wouldn’t do something like this if he didn’t have any feelings for me, but why was the view with him and that woman so unnerving for me?!
Was something else behind all that?!

“I promise… I-I will try not to.” I told him with a sad smile and he nodded “That’s all I am asking… maybe we will sleep about everything and do something else tomorrow?” He asked hopeful and I knew why he had to pressure this, only three days left then and we still didn’t know how to keep him, he needed to remember more, but how?
How could I help him with that… and why were so many dark thought weighing me down now, that wasn’t me…
I wasn’t like this… normally I just wasn’t.

We arrived back in the hotel and I rested on the bed while Brian went to the bathroom, I didn’t bother to get undressed because I planned to get up again, maybe take a bath just to clear my still confusing thoughts, something was not right with me this evening, but I didn’t know why or what…

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in and out and the next thing I remembered was blackness again.

“Not easy to see his real self, right?” The voice taunted and I sucked in air, not this again. Not another weird dream…
“What are you talking about?” I demanded and heard a chuckle in reply.

“Sam.. Sammy, don’t play dumb with me. I have been with you all evening, saw how happy Brian could make you and how sad it all ended… you know… I told you Brian wasn’t banned into the book for no reason… today you got a small hint on his past self.” The voice said and it felt like she was making small circles around me, the voice drifted to me from different directions.

“Because of the woman? The waitress?” I asked and heard a sigh “Yes, she was just one of many. Believe me, Sam. You don’t wanna know the old Brian, he wouldn’t be something for you. You were in that situation before, with a manwhore of a guy, right? He fooled you and betrayed you… Brian.. well he is a womanizer, I mean we all know, his looks tells, he is a rockstar, the woman had been lying at his feet and he loved it, every second of it… until he was done. Then he couldn’t throw out those women fast enough… will you end the same, Sammy? Will he break the curse and throw you away… leave you broken again? Would you survive? Could you mend the pieces back together yet again?” The woman asked and I stood there shocked, how did she knows all this… about me… and was she telling the truth?
Was Brian really what she just described, because with me he never acted this way?
“You are still in doubt, right?” She asked when I didn’t reply.
“I don’t know what to think…” I answered honestly. “I got to know a whole different Brian, he was kind and loving, he cared for his friends, he tried to help me, didn’t want to cause me trouble… how could he be the same man you describe?”

“Oh Sam, you defend him even now… even while I placed those little thoughts into your head earlier… I am impressed… you are stronger than I thought and you love him more than I imagined, too.” She said musing and I stopped breathing right there, she placed doubts in my head?!
She was the one making me question everything?!

“This will make things a little harder… but we all have to pay our prices right?” She said suddenly and seemed to come to an conclusion.
“Listen now Sam, I will tell you now a way out of the book for Brian… It’s the only way and it’s depending on you if he will make it or not… if not he will have to return to the book, lesson not learned, if you will help and succeed he will be free…” She said and I nodded eagerly, the answer right before me, she just had to spill it.

“Tell me, we will succeed. I promise… tell me.” I was so eager that I couldn’t wait any longer, I could help him and all those dark thoughts from earlier hadn’t all been mine… I wasn’t freaking out completely… it had been this woman.. this witch? Whatever she is… but now there really was a solution and a way out.
“Then answer me this, Sam. Are you willing to do whatever I tell you now to free Brian? To whatever cost? And in return he will be freed, he will remember everything but hopefully then he will also remember his lesson… but that’s not up to us anymore…” She said and I didn’t really know what she meant but I nodded, I was willing to help him. I wasn’t joking when I told Brian I would help him… I would… and now I just had to find out what I had to do.

“So you are? I take that as a yes?” She asked again and I rolled my eyes, she could whisper into my mind, but couldn’t see a nod? Really?
“I was just making sure” She snapped and I suppressed chuckle, trying not to show it.

“Your laughing will pass real quick, Sam. The only thing you have to do is, when Brian will tell you his real feelings and wants to know what you think about it, you will not reply. No matter how you really feel, and I know believe me, you won’t tell him that. You will have to let him go… to set him free, Sammy.” She finished and I couldn’t believe it.
“What? When he tells me his feelings, when he tells me how much he cares, I need to lie to him?” I asked shocked and heard a chuckle.

“Yes, you have to break his heart Sam. He needs to learn the lesson fully, or he never will… Break his heart and set him free… that is what is takes.”

I quickly sat up and gulped air into my lungs, the room was dark and I was about to panic, another dream… just a dream…
“No dream, Sam. Be sure of that” The voice said again inside my head and I held my hands over my ears, oh god-

No dream… Was this real? What should I do? Could I set him free and let him go… not only his heart would be broken, but mine as well…

Notes

Ohhooo... you didnt expect did you?!

All those questions? Coming from Riley!?!

What should she do now?! What will happen?!