The Road Back to You

Ethan stood by the window of his hotel room, the lights of the city blinking back at him like ghosts of memories he couldn't outrun. The glass in his hand was still full, untouched, much like the restless thoughts circling in his mind.

He should have never written that note.

He should have never left those flowers.

And yet, he had done it anyway.

Watching Violet from a distance had been both a blessing and a curse. He had seen the way she laughed with her friends, the way she moved through the exhibition with grace and confidence. He had watched as she stood in the light of her success, and for a moment, he had let himself believe that maybe... just maybe... she had finally found her happiness.

But then he had asked that question, knowing full well she would hear it. Knowing that some part of her would recognize it was meant for her.

And now? Now, he didn't know what to do.

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. He had spent years convincing himself that staying away was the right thing. That she was better off without him.

But last night had proven one thing... he wasn't ready to let go.

Not yet.

Ethan knew he couldn't keep watching from the shadows forever. He had told himself that attending the exhibition was enough... that seeing Violet shine, hearing her voice, feeling the ghost of her presence in the air would be enough.

But it wasn't.

She had felt him there. He knew it from the way she kept looking over her shoulder, from the way her breath hitched when she read his note. But it wasn't enough for her to know.

He needed to reach out and he knew exactly who to contact.

Jade Blackwood.

Ethan wasn't stupid, he knew Jade hated him, probably more than anyone else in Violet's life. But that's exactly why he was the right person. If Ethan wanted to make things right, he had to start with the people who had picked up Violet's pieces when he left.

So he sent the message. Short. Simple. Honest.

"We need to talk. I won't ask for Violet. Just you. One meeting. You know where to find me."

Then, he waited.

Jade didn't respond immediately. Ethan had expected that. What he hadn't expected was for Jade to show up that same night.

Ethan heard the heavy footsteps before the knock came, firm and unrelenting.

When he opened the door to his penthouse, Jade stood there, arms crossed, fury etched into every line of his face.

"Are you f***ing serious?" Jade's voice was low but sharp, carrying the weight of years of anger. "What the hell are you doing here? You really think I'd just come running the second you snapped your fingers?"

Ethan didn't react. He had anticipated the hostility. In fact, he welcomed it.

"No," he said calmly. "I expected you to tell me to go to hell."

"Oh, trust me, I'm still considering it." Jade scoffed.

He stepped inside, eyes scanning the place, before he turned back to Ethan with a glare. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to walk back in and act like—"

"I don't expect anything," Ethan interrupted. "I just needed to say something."

"Then say it and make it quick," Jade folded his arms. 

"I never stopped thinking about her," Ethan took a breath. 

"And what? You want credit for that? For lurking in the shadows like some pathetic ghost instead of facing her like a man?" the anger in Jade's eyes didn't fade, but something shifted. 

"No. I just need to know one thing," Ethan's jaw tightened, but he kept his voice level. 

Jade didn't respond, but his expression dared Ethan to continue.

"Is she happy?"

Jade stared at him for a long moment before exhaling harshly. "Well she's successful, but you know better the time when she was actually happy."

That one word, was, hit Ethan like a gut punch.

"I need to see her," Ethan admitted. "Just once."

"Do you even understand what you're asking? Do you know what you did to her? And no, you can't, because you lost that right," Jade exhaled sharply and shook his head.

Ethan expected that answer.

"Then let her decide that," he clenched his fists but forced himself to remain composed.

Jade hesitated. For the first time, there was doubt in his expression.

"Just tell her I'm here," Ethan said. "That's all I ask."

Jade studied him for a moment longer before turning to leave. At the door, he paused. "If you hurt her again…"

"I won't," Ethan promised.

Jade didn't say another word as he walked out.

The next morning, Violet found Jade staring at his phone, deep in thought.

"What's up with you?" she frowned. 

"Nothing," Jade looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head. 

But Violet knew him too well.

"Jade." She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "I know that look. What's wrong?"

Jade hesitated, his fingers tightening around his phone. It wasn't like him to hold back. He was always the first to tell her everything... especially when it came to things that involved her.

"Just work stuff," he said too casually, slipping his phone into his pocket.

She didn't believe him for a second.

Still, she let it go. For now.

But the uneasy feeling from last night lingered. Ever since the exhibition, something felt… off. The way the air seemed heavier, how she kept feeling like someone was watching her, how she caught glimpses of something familiar in the corner of her eye only for it to vanish when she turned.

It was happening again.

She shook the thoughts away and focused on her day. But the feeling didn't fade.

At the café later, as she stood in line, she swore she heard his voice. Deep, smooth, the kind that sent a shiver down her spine. Her head snapped up, scanning the room. But there was no one.

That night, as she unlocked her apartment, the scent of white musk, his scent, clung to the air for a fleeting moment before it disappeared.

She was losing her mind.

Or maybe she wasn't.

Meanwhile, Jade paced in his office, running a hand through his hair. He had never kept secrets from Violet before. But this? This wasn't something he could just blurt out.

Ethan had reached out. And not in the way Jade had expected. No grand gestures, no demands. Just a simple question.

Do you think she'd want to see me?

Jade had no idea how to answer that. He knew Violet had spent years convincing herself she was fine, that she had moved on, that Ethan was a closed chapter. But was he?

Jade had almost told her this morning. But when he saw the way she looked at him... curious, a little worried... he couldn't do it. Not yet. Not until he figured out if she was ready.

But Violet wasn't stupid. And she knew something was coming.

She just didn't know what.