The Road Back to You

The night continued, the soft murmur of conversations blending with the clinking of glasses and distant laughter. Violet had found herself standing near the bar, pretending to listen to Liam's ridiculous story about some office mishap, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Ethan.

The way his hands had held her. The way his voice had dropped to that low, intimate tone. The way he had looked at her as if she was the only thing in the world that made sense.

"Earth to Violet," Liam waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

"Sorry, what?" she blinked and turned to him, forcing a smile. 

"I was saying, you seem... distracted," Liam narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then smirked. 

Kathy, who had suddenly appeared beside them, leaned in conspiratorially. "More like completely lost in a certain someone's eyes."

"You guys are impossible," Violet scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

"Oh, come on, Violet. The way Sinclair looked at you while dancing? I'm surprised the floor didn't catch fire," Jade, who had joined the group, grinned. 

"It was just a dance," Violet waved them off, feeling the heat creep up her neck. 

"And now she's in denial," Liam let out a dramatic sigh. 

Before Violet could retaliate, a voice interrupted them. "Mind if I steal her for a moment?"

She turned, and there he was. Ethan.

The teasing remarks from her friends faded into the background as Ethan extended his hand toward her. "Come with me."

There was no question in his voice. No room for argument.

Violet hesitated for a second, then placed her hand in his. His grip was warm, steady. He led her away from the crowd, past the glittering lights and into the dimly lit garden where the sounds of the party faded into the distance.

They stopped near a secluded spot beneath an old oak tree, the night air crisp and filled with the scent of roses. Ethan released her hand but didn't step back. He was close. Too close.

"Are we sneaking away from the party now?" Violet crossed her arms, tilting her head at him. 

"I needed to talk to you," Ethan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"About?" she raised an eyebrow. 

"I told you that I would tell you everything when you were sober," his gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. 

Violet's breath hitched, memories of that night rushing back. The way he had held her, whispered things she couldn't quite remember.

"And?" she swallowed.

"And I meant it," Ethan took a deep breath. 

"Then tell me," she could feel her pulse quicken, her chest tightening. 

"Violet, I—" he hesitated for just a second before stepping closer, his voice lower now. 

He stopped himself, jaw clenching, as if the words were too heavy to say aloud. But the way he looked at her, the way his fingers twitched at his sides, as if resisting the urge to touch her, she knew.

"Ethan..." Violet held his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"I don't know how to say this the right way, but... it's you. It's always been you," he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. 

Her heart skipped a beat.

"I've been fighting this for so long, convincing myself that it's better to stay away. But every time I look at you, every time I try to walk away, I just—" Ethan looked at her, his expression raw, vulnerable. 

"I can't," he let out a frustrated chuckle, shaking his head. 

"Then don't," Violet swallowed hard, her own emotions threatening to spill over. 

He stared at her for a moment, something shifting in his eyes. And then, before she could say anything else, his fingers grazed her cheek, his touch lingering as if testing whether she was real. He had rehearsed this moment in his head countless times, yet now that he was standing here, with her eyes locked onto his, words felt inadequate.

He dropped his hand, stuffing both into his pockets as if trying to contain himself.

"I have feelings for you, Violet."

"What?" she blinked, slightly taken aback. 

"I tried to fight it. I told myself it was nothing. But it's not. It's never been nothing," Ethan let out a breath, shaking his head.

"And it terrifies me," his jaw tightened, and he looked away briefly, as if struggling to control his emotions.

"Why?" Violet watched him, her heart pounding against her ribs. 

"Because love demands too much. It takes everything. And I-I don't know if I can give you everything. But I do know I can't hurt you," Ethan's eyes met hers again, piercing and raw. "I can't break you, Violet. I won't," his voice was almost desperate now. 

"Then don't," her breath hitched, emotions colliding within her. 

"I want to keep you safe. I want to be near you, but I don't know how to do it without ruining everything," he stepped closer, his presence intoxicating, his voice lower now. 

"Ethan, you're not ruining anything. You just have to stop being afraid," Violet swallowed, trying to ignore the way her body reacted to every word he spoke.

"You make it sound so easy," a slow, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. 

"Maybe it is," she took a step closer, closing the gap between them. 

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of everything they'd been avoiding pressed down on them, threatening to either break them apart or pull them together once and for all.

"You don't understand how much I want this. How much I want you," Ethan's fingers twitched at his sides. 

"Then have me, Ethan," Violet reached out, taking his hand in hers. 

Ethan looked at their intertwined fingers for a long moment before exhaling deeply. His grip tightened around hers, and just like that, something unspoken settled between them.

A promise. A beginning.