Violet locked up her gallery late that night, exhausted but relieved that the day was finally over. The sky had been heavy with clouds for hours, and just as she stepped onto the sidewalk, the heavens opened up. A downpour drenched the streets within seconds.
She groaned, tugging her coat tighter around her as she pulled out her phone to book a ride. No cabs in sight, no available cars. Just her luck. The rain intensified, soaking through her clothes as she debated whether to make a run for the nearby bus stop.
A sleek black car pulled up beside her, the passenger window rolling down smoothly. "Need a ride?" Ethan's familiar voice cut through the rain.
Violet turned her head, already scowling. "No."
"You sure? Because unless you've developed an immunity to hypothermia, you'll be sneezing all over your precious gallery tomorrow," Ethan smirked, resting an arm on the steering wheel.
"I'll manage," she said stubbornly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as the rain continued to pour.
"Violet," Ethan sighed, amusement laced in his voice. "Just get in the car. Stop being so damn difficult."
She hesitated, teeth chattering slightly as she stood there drenched. He wasn't wrong... she was freezing. And she hated that he knew it.
With a frustrated huff, she yanked the car door open and slid into the passenger seat. "Drive. And don't talk."
"No promises," Ethan chuckled as he pulled away from the curb.
The ride was quiet, but charged. The sound of rain pattering against the windows filled the silence, along with the occasional hum of the engine. Violet kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead, refusing to acknowledge how much warmer it was inside the car, or how aware she was of Ethan's presence beside her.
At one red light, she caught him glancing at her. "What?" she snapped.
He smirked but didn't answer. Instead, he reached toward the dashboard and turned the heat up a notch. "Relax, Harrington. Just making sure you don't freeze to death before we get there."
She clenched her jaw, shifting her gaze back to the window. But her reflection betrayed her... flushed cheeks, lips slightly parted. And Ethan was still watching.
Damn him.
The next evening, Violet found herself sitting with Jade, Kathy, and Liam at their favorite café, their usual hangout spot. She had barely taken a sip of her coffee when Kathy grinned mischievously.
"So… we ran into Ethan earlier."
"What?" Violet nearly choked.
"Yeah, and guess what?" Jade leaned forward with an innocent smile. "We invited him."
Before she could protest, the café door swung open, and Ethan walked in... casual, confident, like he belonged there.
"I hate you all," Violet glared at her friends.
"You'll thank us later," Kathy just winked.
"Missed me already, Harrington?" Ethan slid into the seat beside Violet, smirking.
"Not even a little bit," she deadpanned, taking an exaggerated sip of her drink.
The conversation flowed easily, mostly between the others, but Ethan made sure to throw in teasing remarks every now and then, directing them solely at Violet. It was infuriating. And distracting.
Then, someone suggested a game.
"Truth or Dare!" Liam clapped his hands together. "Haven't played in ages."
"What are we? Twelve?" Violet groaned.
"Come on, just one round," Kathy insisted, wiggling her brows. "It'll be fun."
Violet wasn't convinced... especially not when Jade got that gleam in his eye. And sure enough, when it was her turn, he smirked wickedly before asking, "Violet, truth or dare?"
"Truth," she hesitated.
"Do you still have feelings for Ethan?"
Silence.
Violet stiffened, her grip tightening around her cup. Heat rushed to her face, and she could feel Ethan's eyes on her, waiting. Expecting.
"Pass," her jaw clenched.
"You can't pass!" Kathy objected, grinning. "Answer the question."
"Do you want me to strangle you? Because that's what's about to happen," Violet forced a smirk, leveling Jade with a look.
The group burst into laughter, but Ethan? He was just watching her. And for the first time in a long time, she couldn't read his expression.
Violet thought that was the end of their encounters for the day, but she was wrong.
Later that night, after closing the gallery, she went back to her office to grab her things, only to find Ethan there... again.
He was standing near the shelves, flipping through one of her sketchbooks as if he had every right to be there. The sight made her blood boil.
"What the hell are you doing in my office?" she snapped, storming toward him.
"Your assistant let me in," Ethan barely spared her a glance as he continued turning the pages.
"For what?" she clenched her jaw.
He finally closed the sketchbook, placing it back on the shelf before turning to face her fully. "To talk."
"You had your chance to talk. Years ago," she let out a bitter laugh.
"Violet... " Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"No," she cut him off sharply. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to show up here, act like nothing happened, and demand to talk."
"I'm not acting like nothing happened," he said quietly, his tone so sincere that it threw her off guard. "That's why I'm here."
"I don't care why you're here, Ethan. Just get out," she folded her arms, shaking her head.
"I'm not leaving until we talk, Violet."
"Then you'll be standing here all night," Violet scoffed.
"Violet, please," Ethan exhaled, stepping closer.
The desperation in his voice struck something deep within her, and she hated it. Hated that he still had the power to affect her after all these years.
She turned toward the door, ready to walk away but when she grabbed the handle and twisted, it didn't budge.
Her heart dropped.
"No, no, no," she muttered, jiggling the handle aggressively. The door refused to open.
"What's wrong?" Ethan asked.
"It's locked," she gritted out.
Ethan blinked, then tried the handle himself. When it didn't move, he sighed. "Well, that's unfortunate."
"This is a nightmare," she groaned, running a hand through her hair.
"I don't know. It's been a while since we've been in a room together without you trying to run away," Ethan tilted his head.
Her breath hitched. She didn't have a comeback for that. And judging by the knowing look in his eyes, he knew it too.
Damn him.