Chapter 28
Violet tilted her head, a sly smile forming on her lips. “I saw the way your eyes followed him when he left with Ryan. Your gaze practically bored a hole into
his back.”
I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself against the ache that was starting to spread through my chest. “Okay, fine,” I sighed, the words slipping out before 1 could stop them. “I haven’t moved on. I’m trying to, but seeing him again… it makes me question everything I thought I’d gotten over. I thought I had moved on. I want to move on, but it’s harder than I thought.”
Violet’s expression softened. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad, Ash,” she said gently. “But I get it. It’s not easy, seeing someone you’re trying to forget every day. You deserve better than that, you know?”
I looked down, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “I don’t need your pity, Violet. I’m fine.”
She reached over and placed a hand on mine, her touch warm and comforting. “It’s not a pity, Ash. But I feel like this is all my fault. You weren’t supposed to stay in New York this long. If I hadn’t kept you here longer than you planned, maybe none of this would’ve happened. You could’ve moved on in peace.”
1 shook my head quickly, not willing to let her take the blame. “No, stop. You’re my best friend. Who else would I be here with? You needed me.”
Violet’s eyes softened, and she gave me a small, almost sad smile. “I get it, but sometimes I feel like I’ve dragged you into my mess. I didn’t want things to turn out like this, you know? I didn’t want to hurt you.” She sighed, her thumb gently brushing the back of my hand.
My chest tightened at her words. “Violet, don’t blame yourself,” I said quietly, shaking my head. “I made the choice to stay. I chose this. You didn’t force me to be here.” I swallowed hard. “I’ve been running away from this for so long, trying to ignore everything that happened, but when I saw him again, it’s like all the walls I’d built came crashing down.”
Violet bit her lip, watching me with those eyes that knew me so well. “I don’t want to see you hurt. And I know you don’t need me to fix everything for you, but I wish there was something more I could do to make it easier.” She leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. “I hate seeing you like this.
I let out a sigh to steady my breath. I could feel the pressure building in my chest “I don’t know how to get out of it, Violet,” I admitted. “I really don’t. It’s like… I keep telling myself I’m okay, but every time I see him, it just… hits me all over again. I wish I could just forget, move on, but it’s not that easy.”
Violet’s hand tightened on mine. “I know. I know it’s not. But you will get through this, Ash. You always do. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ve been through worse, right?”
I gave a small laugh, trying to push the lump in my throat away. “I’ve survived. But I don’t feel strong. Not right now, at least.”
Violet sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “You don’t have to feel strong all the time. You don’t have to have everything figured out. You’re allowed to be vulnerable, Ash. I just… I just want you to know I’m here for you. Always. No matter what.”
I nodded, my throat tightening with emotion. “I know. And I don’t say it enough, but I’m grateful for you. You’ve been there for me when no one else was. I don’t know how I’d get through this without you and I’ll be leaving for Germany next week, remember? I needed to make sure you were okay before I went. But now that you are… I’ll be leaving soon. I’ll just keep an eye on you this week, okay?”
Violet’s smile faded, her expression grew a little more serious. “Yeah, sure. But this time, you won’t leave forever. And I’m pretty sure Nina’s going to want to see her aunt. So if
you won’t come to us, we’ll come to you.”
2
“Sure…” I said softly, my heart warming at the thought of her and Nina. “I’ll come visit.”
Just then, Ryan walked up to us, and I felt a strange flutter in my chest.
I glanced up to see he was, alone, no sign of Kyle. Thank God.
1
He glanced between us, then spoke, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation. “One of my business associates has a new ski resort in Vermont, and we bought tickets for the grand opening to support him. Well, two tickets for Violet and me, but he sent four by mistake. Since we’re associates, it’d be rude not to acknowledge his gratitude. Kyle’s already agreed to come, but I’m not sure…”
2
I could feel my pulse quicken, my stomach tightening. I knew what was coming next. I didn’t want to hear it, but there was no stopping it.
Ryan’s gaze met mine, his expression unreadable. “Will you follow us to the resort too?”
