Eloping

VIOLET

Eloping with my stepbrother might be the most reckless decision I’ve ever made, but here I am, perched on the edge of my bed, my heart racing as I glance at the clock on the wall. The hands crawl toward 10 PM, each tick echoing like a drumbeat in my chest.

It’s been a week since Ryan told me about his meeting with Evelyn. My initial reaction had been a furious rejection—how could he involve her, of all people? But after he explained how her connections were our best shot at slipping away unnoticed, I reluctantly agreed. Secrecy was vital, and as much as I despised Evelyn, I couldn’t deny the necessity of her help.

At first, I resisted the idea of running away altogether. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that staying here in Boston meant living under constant scrutiny and control. This was our only way to be together without interference—and my only way out of Boston. Maybe someday, our parents would come to terms with it, but for now, we had no other choice.

“Finally,” I whispered, as the clock struck 10.

Ryan was already waiting, parked a few blocks away in his car. That was the plan: sneak out, meet him, and head straight to the airport. If everything went smoothly, we’d be gone before anyone even noticed.

I slipped on my sneakers, the quiet sound of the rubber soles against the floor barely audible in the silence of the house. Aunt Rosa and the girls had gone to bed early, as they always did. By 9 PM, the house was quiet, offering me the perfect opportunity. Still, my nerves were on edge.

I tiptoed to the door, pausing to listen for any sounds of movement. Nothing. Slowly, I turned the doorknob, careful not to let it creak. The hallway was dark, the faint glow of a streetlamp filtering through the window at the end.

Each step felt like an eternity as I made my way toward the stairs. My breath hitched when a loose floorboard groaned beneath my weight. I froze, my heart pounding, straining to hear any signs of stirring from the bedrooms.

Silence.

I exhaled slowly and continued, my focus entirely on avoiding the creaky spots I’d memorized over the past week. Just as I reached the bottom step, a voice startled me.

“Violet?”

I spun around, my stomach lurching. Claire stood at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

My mind raced for an excuse, my pulse roaring in my ears. “I… uh… couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d get some fresh air,” I stammered, my voice barely steady.

Going out for a fresh hair at 10pm, Well,that was not a convincing lie.

Claire frowned, tilting her head. “At this time? Aunt Rosa says it’s dangerous at night.”

“I’ll just be in the backyard,” I lied quickly. “Don’t worry, go back to bed.”

She hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and the door. “Promise?”

“Promise,” I said with a tight smile, hoping she wouldn’t notice the bag slung over my shoulder.

For a moment, I thought she’d call for Aunt Rosa, but then her sleepy mind accepted my excuse.
Satisfied, she yawned and turned back toward her room. I didn’t wait for her to change her mind. As soon as her door clicked shut, I slipped out the front door, closing it as quietly as I could.

The cool night air hit my face as I stepped onto the street. My pulse didn’t settle until I saw Ryan’s car parked under a streetlamp. He was leaning against the hood, his dark jacket blending into the shadows.

As soon as I approached the car, Ryan’s eyes locked onto mine. The tension in his shoulders melted away, replaced by something raw and unguarded. Before I could say a word, he pulled me into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around me like a lifeline.

“I missed you,” he murmured into my hair, his voice rough with emotion.

I didn’t realize how much I needed this until I felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek. For a moment, all the fear and doubt that had been swirling inside me dissipated.

“I missed you too,” I whispered back, my voice trembling.

We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other, the world outside forgotten. But the sharp bite of the night air reminded me that we didn’t have time to linger.

“We should go,” I said reluctantly, pulling back just enough to look at him.

Ryan nodded, his jaw tightening as he opened the passenger door. “Let’s get out of here.”

I climbed in, clutching my bag tightly as he slid into the driver’s seat. The car hummed to life, and we were off, the quiet streets of Boston stretching out ahead of us.

The silence between us was heavy but not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that spoke volumes, filled with everything we wanted to say but couldn’t. Finally, Ryan broke it.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

I turned to look at him, his profile illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” I said firmly. “I know what this means, Ryan. And I know it’s not going to be easy, but staying isn’t an option anymore.”

He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “I just… I hate that it’s come to this. That we have to run like fugitives just to be together.”

“It’s not fair,” I admitted. “But what other choice do we have? We’ve tried everything else, Ryan. They’re never going to accept us.”

His jaw clenched, and he looked away, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the wheel harder. “I’ll fix this, Violet. I promise you, I’ll fix everything. We’ll go to Italy, and I’ll make sure no one can touch us.”

I reached over, placing my hand on his. “You don’t have to fix everything, Ryan. Just being with you is enough.”

He didn’t reply, but his hand turned under mine, his fingers intertwining with mine.

“What if Evelyn double-crosses us?” I asked quietly, the thought suddenly occurring to me.

Ryan exhaled sharply, his eyes darkening. “She won’t. She knows what I’m capable of.”

“But she hates me,” I reminded him.

He shook his head. “Evelyn’s not stupid. She knows better than to try anything now. She’s got her own reasons for helping us.”

I frowned, unconvinced. “And you trust her?”

“Not even a little,” he admitted. “But she has the connections we need. Once we’re on that plane, she’s out of our lives for good.”

The thought was reassuring, but a small part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking into a trap. Still, I pushed the doubt aside. We didn’t have a choice.

I took a deep breath, I didn't know what the world holds from us and I'd hate myself if I end up getting separated from Ryan without telling him how I truly felt. So I took another breath, the words bubbling to the surface before I could second-guess myself

. “And, Ryan… about that night…” I paused, my voice trembling.

His intense green eyes flicked to mine, sharp yet tender, like he was dissecting every layer of my soul. The look alone unraveled me, pulling at every tightly held thread.

“I love you,” I whispered, the words falling from my lips in a rush, as if saying them too slowly would make them less real. “I really, really do. More than I ever thought I could love anyone.”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his gaze searching, as though he was trying to imprint this moment in his memory. Then his lips curved into the smallest smile, one that softened the sharp lines of his face.

“Violet,” he said, his voice low and hoarse, “I’ve been in love with you since the moment you crashed into my world. Even when I didn’t deserve you. Even when I didn’t think I could have you.”

A wave of emotion surged through me, and I blinked back tears, my chest tightening at the depth in his voice, the raw honesty that left me breathless.

He lifted our joined hands to his lips, brushing a featherlight kiss against my knuckles. “But the thing is, Violet…” His eyes gleamed with that familiar intensity that always made my pulse race. “I love you more. More than anything, more than myself, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. And that scares the hell out of me.”

My breath caught, my lips parting slightly as the weight of his words sank in. “Ryan…”

“You know,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “if we weren’t eloping right now, I’d park this car right here and fuck you until you couldn’t think straight.”

Heat flushed my cheeks, and I couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped me. “You’re impossible,” I said, shaking my head, but I couldn’t hide the way my heart raced at his words.

His grin widened, a flash of mischief in his expression. “No, I’m serious. Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands off you right now?”

I bit my lip, my face still warm as I glanced out the window. “Well, maybe if you behaved, I’d consider rewarding you later,” I teased.

He chuckled. “You’re dangerous, Violet Blake. You know that?”

The banter eased the tension, leaving us in a comfortable silence as the car sped toward the airport. But beneath it all, I could still feel the lingering heat of his confession, the way his words seemed to carve themselves into my heart.

As we pulled up to the airport parking lot, I glanced over at him. “Ryan…” I said softly, catching his attention.

“Yeah?” he replied

“I’m really glad it’s you. Through all of this, I’m just… glad it’s you.”

He didn’t say anything, just leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead, the touch lingering for a heartbeat longer than usual. “Always, Violet. It’ll always be me.

This was it. We were really doing this. Together.

As we stepped out of the car, I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder, half-expecting someone to burst in and stop us. But no one did.

This was it. We were really doing this. Together.