The Road Back to You

Violet woke up to an unfamiliar silence. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she glanced around the hotel room, only to find it empty. Ethan was gone.

Frowning, she sat up, trying to recall the events of the previous night. Her cheeks heated when fragments of blurry memories surfaced; the drinks, her rambling, almost confessing something she shouldn't have. Groaning, she buried her face in her hands.

Pushing herself off the bed, she freshened up and changed into a simple sundress. She figured Ethan had gone out somewhere, so she decided to go find him.

Stepping out onto the balcony, she caught sight of the hotel's luxurious pool. And there, effortlessly cutting through the water with strong, practiced strokes, was Ethan.

Violet's breath hitched.

The sun glistened against his wet skin as he pulled himself out of the pool, droplets of water trailing down his toned chest. He ran a hand through his damp hair, his back muscles flexing as he turned slightly. Violet quickly looked away, her face heating up.

She tried to compose herself, but when he spotted her and began walking toward her, her heart betrayed her with its erratic beats.

"Morning," Ethan said, his voice still slightly husky from the swim.

"Uh… morning," she cleared her throat, trying not to focus on how ridiculously good he looked.

"Pass me a towel?" Ethan ran a hand through his wet hair again. 

"Oh! Right," Violet grabbed a towel from the lounge chair nearby and stepped closer to him. Just as she was about to hand it over, Ethan's phone rang from the poolside table.

"It's in my pocket," Ethan muttered, his hands dripping wet. "Can you—"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Violet quickly reached into his blazer that he had left on the chair and pulled out his phone.

"It's Mr. Holden," she informed him, answering the call and holding the phone up to his ear. Ethan leaned in slightly, listening to the other end.

While he was distracted, Violet's gaze wandered around the poolside. A group of young women nearby were openly gawking at Ethan. Their hushed whispers and lingering stares made Violet frown.

Something in her twisted.

Before she could stop herself, she stepped forward and without a word, wrapped the towel snugly around Ethan's bare torso.

Ethan blinked in surprise, one hand automatically catching the towel. "What—?"

Violet ignored his confusion, glaring subtly in the direction of the women before focusing back on him.

"You'll catch a cold," she said, her voice firm.

"You're… acting weird," Ethan narrowed his eyes, studying her for a moment. 

"I am not," she crossed her arms. "Just being considerate."

Ethan huffed a small chuckle, shaking his head. But before he could say anything else, the call ended. He pulled the phone away from his ear, giving her another curious glance before checking the time.

After the call ended, Ethan smirked at her. "What was that?"

"What?" she feigned innocence.

"You just wrapped me up like a burrito."

"I was just being helpful," she huffed. 

"Uh-huh," Ethan let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as he walked past her toward the hotel. "Come on, we have a meeting to get to."

The two of them arrived at the client's office, a modern, high-rise building with a sleek interior. The meeting room was spacious, lined with glass walls that overlooked the city.

Their client, Mr. Bennett, was an established businessman in the luxury industry. He greeted them with a firm handshake before they settled down for the discussion.

Ethan was, as always, composed and professional. He spoke with precision, explaining their project details smoothly. Violet admired how effortlessly he commanded attention in a room.

"Miss Harrington, you're relatively new to the team, correct?" Mr. Bennett asked, turning his gaze to her.

"Yes, but I've been working closely on the project," Violet straightened. 

"She's a valuable part of the team," Ethan added without hesitation, his tone firm.

Violet blinked at him, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. He rarely gave out compliments, let alone in front of others.

"I see. The way you two interact, I almost assumed you were a couple," Mr. Bennett chuckled. 

"We're not," Ethan, unbothered, took a sip of his coffee. 

Violet, on the other hand, choked on her water, coughing violently. She waved her hand dismissively as Ethan handed her a napkin, clearly amused.

"Noted," Mr. Bennett smirked. "Let's continue."

Mr. Bennett invited them to lunch at an exclusive restaurant nearby. The place was luxurious, and the food was exquisitely prepared. Violet tried to focus on eating, but Ethan, sitting across from her, was impossible to ignore.

At one point, she struggled to cut a particularly stubborn piece of steak. Ethan, without a word, reached over, took her knife, and cut it for her with ease before placing it back on her plate.

"Uh—thanks?" Violet stared at him. 

"You were fighting with it," he simply continued eating. 

"I must say, Mr. Sinclair, it's rare to see you this attentive to someone. She must be special," Mr. Bennett watched the interaction with amusement. 

"She's… different," Ethan's jaw tensed slightly. 

Violet swallowed, unsure what to make of that answer. Different. What did that mean?

After a long day, they finally returned to the hotel. Ethan poured himself a drink and sat on the couch, while Violet removed her heels with a sigh and collapsed beside him.

"That was exhausting," she groaned.

"You did well," Ethan said, surprising her.

"You think so?" Violet turned to him. 

"You handled yourself professionally," he nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey. 

"Coming from you, that almost sounds like a compliment," a small smile tugged at her lips. 

"Take it however you want," Ethan smirked. 

Silence stretched between them, comfortable yet charged. The sound of thunder rumbled in the distance, making Violet perk up. "Oh! It's raining!"

"It's beautiful," she rushed to the balcony, watching the heavy droplets fall. 

Ethan, however, remained seated. She glanced back at him and noticed his shoulders tense. That's when she remembered, he hated thunderstorms.

"You're not alone," she slowly walked back and sat beside him, placing her hand over his. 

Ethan's fingers twitched under hers, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he turned to look at her, something unreadable in his gaze. Violet felt her heart hammer, but she didn't move either.

For a moment, there was only silence, the kind that spoke volumes. Then, Violet yawned, breaking the moment.

"You should sleep," Ethan murmured.

Violet nodded sleepily and leaned back against the couch, eyes fluttering shut. Ethan watched her for a long time before eventually carrying her to the bed. He pulled the covers over her and, without thinking, brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

Before leaving, he murmured under his breath, "What are you doing to me, Violet?"

Then, with a sigh, he turned off the lights and settled on the couch, not realizing he'd be awake for the rest of the night... thinking only of her.