When forever finds you.

RYAN

I should’ve been in class. That was the plan, at least. But somewhere between grabbing my backpack and heading toward the lecture hall, my plans derailed entirely.

Instead of walking into art science, I found myself at the airport, booking the next flight to Berkeley.

What was the professor saying this morning? Something about priorities and discipline? Yeah, well, my priority was currently three thousand miles away, probably drowning in a sea of freshmen introductions and oversized campus maps. Violet.

The flight had been a blur—too much turbulence, not enough time to overthink what I was doing. By the time the cab pulled up outside her dorm, I’d rehearsed about a dozen different reasons for why I was here, none of which sounded even remotely convincing.

Was this impulsive? Absolutely. But since when did I ever play by the rules?

“Ryan!” Violet screamed, crashing into me with enough force to knock the air out of my lungs. 

I held her tightly, burying my face in her shoulder. That familiar scent of lavender hit me, and for the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe.

“Why are you here?” Violet finally asked, pulling back just enough to look up at me. Her blue eyes were wide, a mix of surprise and disbelief. “You’re supposed to be at Yale. You know, in class?”

I smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe like I hadn’t just flown three thousand miles on a whim. “Well, I was in class. Then I remembered this incredibly important thing I had to do.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Which was?”

“Inspect Berkeley’s ivy leaves,” I said with a straight face. “You know, compare them to Yale’s. It’s for science.”

“Ryan,” she groaned, laughing despite herself. “That’s the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“Hey, it’s valid,” I teased, leaning closer. “But if you need a better one… I missed you, Mouse. Couldn’t do it. A week without you and I was losing my mind. I needed to see you.”

Her expression softened.  “I missed you too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise of the hallway.

I cupped her face, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “Good, because I’m stealing you for the day. Go grab your jacket.”

She blinked up at me. “What? Where are we going?”

“Somewhere that’s not this dorm,” I said, glancing over her shoulder toward the half-open door where her roommate was undoubtedly eavesdropping. “Let’s call it a spontaneous adventure.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet, here you are, still hugging me,” I said, grinning as she reluctantly let go.

“Fine, give me a second,” she muttered, stepping back into the room.

I waited in the hallway, ignoring the amused glances from passing students. A minute later, Violet reappeared, slipping on her jacket and tucking her hair into a fluffy ponytail.

“All set?”

She nodded, locking the door behind her. “You better not have flown all this way just to get us lost.”

“Oh, I’m definitely getting us lost,” I said, slinging an arm around her shoulders as we headed down the hall. “That’s half the fun.”

Violet tucked her hands into her jacket pockets, her steps quick to keep pace with mine. The campus was alive with activity—students rushing to classes, others lounging on the green, laughter and conversations filling the air.

“So,” Violet began, peering up at me with a curious smile, “where are we going, exactly?”

“Somewhere quiet,” I said, steering us toward the edge of campus. “I figured you could use a break from all the ‘freshman experience’ chaos.”

Her lips quirked into a small smile. “You mean the chaos of getting lost, awkward introductions, and being asked five times if I’m from out of state?”

“Exactly. It’s exhausting being the new kid.”

We strolled in companionable silence for a while, eventually finding ourselves at a small park just off campus. It wasn’t crowded—just a few people jogging or walking their dogs. We found a bench tucked under a massive oak tree, and I gestured for her to sit.

She settled in, and I sat beside her, watching as the late afternoon sun cast golden streaks across her hair.

“So, how’s it really been?” I asked, my voice softer now. “Starting fresh and all.”

Violet hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. “It’s… overwhelming. I mean, I know it’s normal to feel that way, but everything’s so new. New city, new people, new everything. I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up.”

I reached over, covering her hand with mine. “You don’t have to have it all figured out right away. No one expects you to.”

She looked down at our hands, then back up at me, her eyes softening. “And what about you? How’s Yale treating you?”

I smirked. “Yale’s fine. Classes are tough, professors are tougher, but it’s manageable.” I paused, meeting her gaze. “Not seeing you..That’s the hard part.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away, a small smile tugging at her lips. 

“Hey,” I tilted my head toward her, “remember the first time we both sat in a park?”

Her head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Oh no. Oh no,” she groaned. “Don’t make me cringe out, Ryan.”

I grinned, unable to resist. “You were crying,” I began dramatically, dragging out the words.

She groaned again, louder this time, and buried her face in her hands. “I wasn’t crying that much!”

“You were a wreck,” I teased, leaning toward her. “Like, full-on sobbing because you fought with your mom. You were sitting there, all red-faced and sniffling—”

“Ryan!” she interrupted, her cheeks flushing as she tried to wave me off.

“—and you kept saying,” I continued, pitching my voice higher to imitate her, “‘She just doesn’t understand me! Why is she so mean?’”

Her hand shot out, shoving my shoulder as she glared at me, though her lips were twitching in amusement. “I did not sound like that!”

I burst out laughing, holding my hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, maybe not exactly like that. But close enough.”

She crossed her arms, turning her head away from me, her pout exaggerated. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re adorable,” I countered, pulling out my phone before she could protest.

Her eyes widened when she saw it, and she quickly uncrossed her arms. “Ryan, don’t you dare—”

Too late. I snapped the picture, capturing her mid-pout with the sunlight catching the golden streaks in her hair.

I lowered the phone and grinned at her. “You look so adorable like this. Definitely saving this one.”

Violet huffed, feigning annoyance as she shook her head. “You’re the worst.”

“Violet tilted her head, the faintest hint of curiosity softening her expression as she turned to me. “Okay, fine,” she said, her voice lighter now. “Enough teasing me. Let’s turn the tables for a second.”

“Oh?” I raised a brow, leaning back against the bench with a smug grin. “You want to interrogate me now?”

“Maybe,” she replied, her lips quirking into a small smile. She paused for a moment, her fingers tracing the edge of her jacket before finally meeting my gaze. “When did you realize you loved me?”

The question caught me off guard, even though it probably shouldn’t have. 
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I thought back. “You really want to know?”

She nodded, her eyes searching mine.

“Well,” I began, exhaling a small laugh. “I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you,” 

Violet’s lips parted slightly, surprise flashing in her eyes as she looked at me, really looked at me.

“There’s something about you that seems different from every other girl I’ve met,” I continued, leaning forward to close the space between us. “At first, I shrugged it off, thinking it was just some stupid infatuation that would wear off. But it didn’t. The feeling never left.”

She was quiet, her gaze unwavering, and I took a steadying breath.

“I tried to steer clear of you. To not drag you into my messed-up world. I thought if I stayed away, I could protect you—from me, from everything. But the more I pulled away, the more I fell. It was like fighting a losing battle with myself.”
I paused again. “And then, Our first kiss ruined everything. Every wall I’d built, every excuse I’d made—it all came crashing down. You were all I could think about after that. You still are.”

She blinked, her breath catching, and I saw the faintest tremor in her lips.

“You... never said anything,” she whispered.

“I was scared,” I admitted, my gaze locking onto hers. “Scared of screwing it up, scared of not being enough for you, scared of what you’d see in me if you really looked.”

Violet shook her head, a soft, disbelieving laugh escaping her. “Ryan... you’re so dumb sometimes.”

“Excuse me?”

“You thought you weren’t enough for me?” she said. “You’re everything, Ryan.”

Slowly, I leaned closer, my hand still cradling her face, and for a moment, time seemed to hold its breath. Her eyes flicked to my lips, and she inhaled softly, her breath mingling with mine.

“Mouse,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper, “if I kiss you right now, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Then don’t stop.”

That was all it took. My lips captured hers in a kiss that felt like everything I’d been holding back finally breaking free. She kissed me back, her hands reaching up to grip my jacket, pulling me closer.

The world around us disappeared. There was no park, no noise, no Berkeley or Yale—just the feel of her lips against mine, soft and warm and perfect. It was gentle at first, a careful exploration, but then it deepened, my fingers tangling in her hair as I poured everything I felt into that kiss.

When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing hard, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly swollen. 

“See?” she teased, her voice breathless. “You can’t stop now, can you?”

I laughed softly, resting my forehead against hers. “Not a chance.”