Gem was so shocked by John's sudden appearance that she didn't know what to say or think.

It was clear that he wanted their previous encounter to stay a secret, and Gem understood that. She thought that he probably didn't want his friends to know that he almost committed suicide.

Since Gem wasn't familiar with the way to behave around suicidal people, she was wondering if she was supposed to tell someone, but it felt like a breach of trust.

Instead of doing anything like that, she decided to play along and pretend that they had never met, although she couldn't help worrying if he was truly okay or if his happy expression was just an act practiced to perfection.

She wanted to talk with him once more, to truly talk, but she knew it was impossible with all those people around them.

They both had to play the roles that were expected of them, and breaking the role was not recommended in the sort of company they were in, in the company of shallow people, who would laugh at any perceived depth.

Of course, Gem didn't think that her friends were like that, but most of the other people at the party were.

To say that John was shocked would be a gross understatement.

Since the moment Gem left that fateful day, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't stop pondering about her kindness and genuine interest in his life. She didn't judge him or laugh at him, she respected his thoughts and beliefs which rarely happened. In his case, it had never happened before.

While she was walking away that day, he wanted to stop her, but he didn't think it was something she would have appreciated.

"Who would want a suicidal guy for a friend? Why did I let her believe I was about to kill myself? But then again, I wasn't exactly lying, I was slowly killing my soul, by trying to be what my friends and family wanted me to be.

She did save me, but not in the way she thought.

Her whole personality gave me hope that there were nice people out there, people who could understand me and accept me the way I am. That made me feel better than I have ever felt before." He thought to himself in those weeks following their encounter.

To see her again was something that he wished for from the moment she disappeared that day.

But when he found himself face to face with her, shock made him behave strangely. He acted as they had never met like she wasn't the girl he told his deepest secrets to.

For some reason, he thought it wouldn't be good for either of them to show they knew each other. So he decided to wait for an opportunity for the two of them to speak in private, to ask her for her contact information.

It was awkward for both of them to just sit there and pretend to be interested in the party when in reality all they wanted to do was talk with each other.

They were sure their friends would never understand that feeling, and that was why they started actively looking for an opportunity to separate themselves from the group.

Surprisingly enough, that wasn't an easy thing to do since they seemed to always be surrounded by people. They were both getting frustrated but tried not to show it.

They shared a few covert glances, and they knew that they were on the same page. They wanted some privacy to talk, instead of just drinking, dancing, and listening to inappropriate jokes.

The others seemed to be content with doing just that, but Gem and John wanted something more.

That one glance that they got of the other one's true personality was enough for them to want more. More than a never-ending party filled with drunk people who kept groping and being inappropriate.

The only sober people at that party were Gem and John, and it wasn't an easy thing for them.

Being surrounded by drunk people was much worse since they weren't drunk. It gave them a unique opportunity to realize how ridiculous it all was.

The only thing they would get in the morning was a hangover.

Finally, everyone got up to dance to some song that neither Gem nor John knew or liked, and they were left alone.

"So... how are you feeling these days?" Gem was the first one to speak, having been worried about him since the moment she left him.

It was obvious to John, from her hesitation, that she was still wondering if he was suicidal or not.

"There is something I have to tell you. I didn't...I mean I wasn't about to..." He tried to explain, but she interrupted him before he could make a coherent sentence.

"You don't need to explain anything. I was just wondering if you were feeling better these days." She said, figuring he wanted to deny being suicidal.

For her, it felt like he would be lying to her, and she didn't want the first thing she heard from him after weeks she spent in contemplation to be a lie.

In her mind, he was ashamed of his actions, and that was the reason he wanted to deny what his true intentions were.

He sighed deeply, but decided to let it go, she would understand with time that he wasn't the kind of person who would take his own life.

"I feel much better, thank you. Since the day I met you, I feel more hopeful. I believe there is a possibility of happiness for me now, and I didn't have that before.

It feels like I had a set of prejudices about what my life would be, and you dispelled them by just being who you are."He said quietly, slightly embarrassed that he was yet again telling her the raw truth.

"Well, I am very glad to hear that." She said, smiling warmly at the guy who had plagued her thoughts for the past week, and who was the main protagonist of many of the stories she was writing.

In the silence that accompanied their words, Gem started thinking how odd it was that she had spent a lot of time writing about the reunions of lost lovers, and at that moment she didn't know what to do or say.

Of course, they weren't lovers, but there was something, there was some similarity between the two situations. It was incredible to her, how she could think of long dialogues for the characters in her novels but faced with the real-life version of John, she was speechless.

If she was being honest with herself, every romantic couple she had written about in the previous weeks were slightly altered versions of her and John, and what she wanted to happen.

But when he was standing there, she had no witty comments nor deep topics they could discuss.

Two people who didn't think they would meet again, always met in her stories and their love started blossoming.

The problem was that she, as the writer of those stories, always knew that the main protagonists shared the same feelings, they just needed a push in the right direction.

Unfortunately, real-life was nothing like that, she had no idea what John thought or wanted, but she started becoming more and more certain that she was developing feelings for him. Maybe it was too early, and maybe it was strange, but everything about their meeting and interactions was different from the norm.

Finally, John decided to break the silence.

"I am really glad to see you. It seemed impossible that I would meet you again, but I thank my lucky stars that I did.

You seem to be the only person I can truly talk with. And I know the way we met is beyond strange, and I will completely understand if you don't want to see me ever again, but is there any chance for you to give me your phone number?" He blurted out before he had a chance to chicken out.

Although she was shocked by his sudden outburst, she knew what she wanted to answer immediately. Nevertheless, she decided to be a bit more cautious.

After all, life wasn't a movie where you meet someone and immediately know he is a good guy, that you would be completely safe with him.

She felt like she knew him better than anyone else, but caution was deeply ingrained in her education, so she decided to settle for middle ground.

Instead of giving him her phone number, she decided to give him her email address, the one she had under a funny name, and that she rarely used.

"Okay, I'll be honest with you, since you have been extremely honest with me. I don't feel comfortable giving you my phone number. It's just not who I am." She said.

Upon seeing his crestfallen expression, she quickly continued.

"What I can give you, is my email address. That way, we can still stay in touch, and I will feel much more comfortable. Is that okay for now?" She asked, hesitation obvious in her voice.

However, she didn't have to worry about it for long because soon enough there was a bright smile on John's face that made her smile in response.

"That sounds perfect." He said.