Am I wrong for feeling hurt that my girlfriend was unreachable overnight and I had no idea where she was?

My girlfriend recently made plans with a mixed group of friends, including both girls and guys, to hang out at one of their flats. Initially, the plan was apparently to play cards, but later it spontaneously turned into drinking and an overnight stay.

However, the important part is that I did not know any of this at the time.

During the night, I had no idea where she was, what she was doing, who exactly she was with, whether she was drinking, or whether she was planning to stay somewhere overnight.

At one point, I specifically asked her where she was. Her exact response was just two words:
“With friends.”

That was literally the only information I got. No other context.

After that, there was basically complete radio silence for the rest of the night.
I called her twice during the night, with around a 30-minute gap between the calls. Both calls were only 2–3 rings and then I hung up. I wasn’t spam-calling her or demanding that she answer. I just wanted to check whether she was okay and hopefully get some idea of what was going on.

I ended up staying awake and repeatedly checking my phone for a reply until around 8 AM. I had no idea whether she was safe, where she was, or what she was doing.

I only found out the next afternoon that the group had been drinking and that she had stayed overnight at the flat.

To be completely clear, I have no reason to believe anything sexual or inappropriate happened. The group included both girls and guys, and this isn’t about accusing her of cheating.

I’m also usually okay with her going clubbing, partying, drinking, or having night outs with her friends. I don’t expect her to ask for my permission before going anywhere, and I don’t want to control her movements or constantly track her.

My issue is simply that I feel that if you’re going to be unreachable for the entire night, especially when your plans change from what was initially planned, it would be reasonable to give your partner at least some basic information.
Something as simple as:
“I’m with friends, I’m safe, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
would have prevented me from worrying the entire night.

When I told her that I felt she should have informed me more clearly, her response was essentially:
“Why should I inform you? I can do whatever I want.”
She also says that she already told me “with friends,” so she doesn’t understand what more information I expected. She also seems to think I was wrong for calling her twice to check on her.
I want to be clear: I’m not asking whether she needed my permission to go there. She absolutely doesn’t.
I’m asking whether I’m being controlling or unreasonable for feeling hurt and worried because my girlfriend was unreachable overnight and I had no idea where she was, what she was doing, or whether she was safe. Is expecting some basic communication in a relationship unreasonable?

I genuinely want honest opinions, including if you think I’m in the wrong and what should i do

Posted Sep 11, 2026, 3:26 PM UTC

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