The Road Back to You

Violet woke up to an eerie silence.

The space beside her was cold again. A gnawing sense of unease curled in her stomach.

"Ethan?"

No answer.

She pushed the covers off and hurried through the house, checking the kitchen, the living room, even the porch. He was nowhere.

Her eyes landed on the table. A single letter lay there, her name scrawled in Ethan's handwriting.

Her fingers trembled as she picked it up, unfolding it with bated breath. As her eyes scanned the words, her heart shattered piece by piece.

"Violet,

I don't know how to do this, so I'll just say it.

I love you. But I'm terrified.

You're light, Violet. Pure and unfiltered. And I know myself, I destroy things I love. I can't do that to you.

I can't be the reason your laughter fades. I can't be the one who turns you into something you're not.

You deserve someone who isn't afraid to stay. And as much as I want to be that man, I don't trust myself to be.

I'm sorry.

Don't look for me.

Ethan."

Her breath hitched, and the letter slipped from her grasp.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered, her vision blurring.

This wasn't happening.

Her chest ached as she stumbled back, shaking her head. Then, before she could even process the pain slicing through her, her feet moved.

She had to find him.

Jade. He would know.

She grabbed her phone and dialed with trembling hands. Jade didn't pick up her call, making her panic even more as she rushed to the office.

Violet stormed into the office like a whirlwind, her heart pounding in her chest as she frantically searched for Ethan. Her wild eyes scanned every corner, but he wasn't there. Panic rose inside her like a tidal wave.

She turned sharply and spotted Jade. Without hesitation, she ran to him, her breaths uneven, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Where is he?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "Jade, tell me he didn't... tell me he didn't leave! He can't do this!"

Jade hesitated, his usual smirk nowhere to be found. Instead, there was something solemn in his gaze as he watched her fall apart in front of him.

"Violet..." he started, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. But before he could say anything else, Violet's composure shattered. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she grabbed onto Jade's arm, her body shaking with desperation.

"Please, Jade. Where is he? I need to see him! He can't just leave like this! He promised... he promised he wouldn't hurt me!" she sobbed, collapsing into his embrace.

Jade let out a heavy sigh, wrapping his arms around her as she cried into his chest. He hated seeing her like this. He knew. He had always known how much she loved Ethan.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice laced with guilt.

"Ethan talked to me yesterday. He asked me to book his flight for London. He's leaving... tomorrow."

Violet gasped, pulling away just enough to look at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Tomorrow?" she whispered, barely able to breathe.

"He told me to take care of you. He loves you, Vi. With all his heart. That's why he's doing this," Jade nodded slowly. 

"No! If he loves me, then why is he leaving? Why is he running away?!" Violet shook her head furiously. "Jade, please... tell me where he is! I need to see him before it's too late," her voice broke with agony. 

Jade clenched his jaw, torn between betraying his best friend and helping the woman in front of him, the one who looked like she had just lost everything.

But for now, he couldn't answer her. Not yet.

Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the half-packed suitcase in front of him. His hands clenched into fists before relaxing again, the tension in his body refusing to leave. The room felt suffocating, every corner echoing memories of her, of Violet. He ran a hand down his face, exhaling shakily before getting up and continuing his task.

Clothes were folded neatly, placed methodically into his suitcase. It should've been simple, just another flight, another city. But this time, it felt different. It felt like he was leaving a part of himself behind, one he wasn't sure he'd ever get back. His fingers hovered over the edge of the suitcase before he reached for the small drawer beside his bed.

He pulled it open, and there it was, her sketches. The ones she had made absentmindedly, the ones she had drawn of him when she thought he wasn't looking. He traced a finger over one of them, a soft chuckle escaping him despite the dull ache in his chest. She had always captured him so effortlessly, every detail, every shadow, as if she saw him in a way no one else did.

His gaze shifted to the chair in the corner of the room, where a familiar scarf rested. It still smelled like her. He picked it up, running his fingers over the fabric, closing his eyes for a moment, letting himself drown in the scent that had become so familiar, so intoxicating. He shouldn't take it, he knew that. But before he could stop himself, he folded it gently and placed it inside his suitcase.

He sat back down, rubbing his temples as the weight of his decision bore down on him. Leaving Violet wasn't just a choice, it was a necessity. He had seen what love could do, how it could tear people apart, and he couldn't do that to her. Not her. She was too pure, too full of life. If he stayed, he would ruin her, and that was a risk he couldn't take.

But why did it hurt so damn much?

He picked up his phone, his thumb hovering over her name. He wanted to call her, to hear her voice just one last time. To tell her he loved her, even if he had never said it out loud before. But he couldn't. He had made his decision, and there was no turning back.