FINALE
(FINALE)
FOUR YEARS LATER
RYAN
“That is Orion” Violet pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”
I followed her gaze, my eyes tracing the endless canvas of stars. The constellation she was pointing to looked no different from the rest of them—just a cluster of glowing dots.
“Mmmhmm. Looks great,” I said, my voice lazy, giving her a casual shrug.
She turned her head, narrowing her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you just pretending?”
I shifted, catching her teasing gaze. “I see stars. Lots of them.”
Violet huffed, a half-groan, half-laugh escaping her lips. “You’re hopeless.”
I smirked, unable to hide my amusement. “I told you, I’m no astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view…and the company.” I kissed the top of her head, my lips lingering there a moment longer than I intended.
We were lying on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort—The glamping resort we were at was one of the best stargazing spots in New York. It felt like the perfect way to reset after everything that had just happened. Graduation. The end of university. Four years spent studying, pushing through the stress of exams and sleepless nights. Now, here we were, back in New York, surrounded by the familiarity of home, and I could finally have Violet to myself again.
Not that I didn’t see her every two weeks, but being together 24/7 felt like a luxury I hadn’t had in a long time.
“True,” she said, still grinning. “I guess you can stick to looking handsome. We all have our talents—”
Her words were cut off by a squeal as I rolled her over, pinning her beneath me.
“Watch your mouth,” I growled, my lips brushing against her neck, feeling the soft curve of her skin. “Or I’ll punish you right here, where anyone can see.”
The stars seemed to dance in her eyes, their glow reflected in the mischief that flickered there. “Is that a warning…or a promise?” she teased, her voice low and full of challenge.
My groan escaped, thick with desire. “You’re a fucking tease.”
“You’re the one who started it,” she shot back, her arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Jenkins.”
I skimmed my lips along the delicate line of her jaw, each movement slow, deliberate. “When have I ever?” I whispered, my voice thickening with every breath. “But before we put on an X-rated show for the other guests… I have a confession”
I drew in a deep breath, shifting my weight as I reached into my pocket. This was it. The moment I’d been planning for a month, and yet, my heart was racing like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to leap without a parachute.
Violet, sensing the shift in the air, sat up, her curiosity piqued. “So…this confession. Is it good or bad? Should I be preparing myself for something?”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “It’s good. I hope.”
I could feel her eyes on me, waiting, her expression a mixture of anticipation and confusion.
I pulled out a small box, my hands trembling just slightly.
Violet’s eyes widened as she stared at the box. “Ryan…”
Her breath caught in her throat, her voice barely a whisper. The weight of the moment hung between us.
“Violet…” I started, my voice cracking ever so slightly. “Before you, I’ve always known darkness. Not in some romanticized, tragic way, but as a part of me, something I grew up with. Chaos, noise, and survival. That’s how I lived. I thrived in the unpredictability, in the pain, in the fights, in the storms."
I said,my blood drumming in my ears
“I didn’t know life could be anything more than just...getting by. I never expected to find peace, or calm, or something that felt like...home." I swallowed hard.. "But then I found you."
I paused, my heart racing as the weight of the moment settled in.
Violet released a sharp, audible exhale. Emotion sketched a vivid picture across her features, painting it with a thousand shades of shock, delight, and everything in between.
"You brought light into my world, Violet,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “You made me see that there's something better out there—something worth fighting for. Your warmth, your kindness, your patience. You’ve made me want to be a better man, someone who can offer you everything you deserve."
I could feel the lump forming in my throat, but I pushed through. I had to get this right.
“Every day with you is better than the last. And I don’t want to spend another moment without you by my side. Not just because I love you—but because you’re the best part of me. You’re the reason I keep going, the reason I believe in something good.”
The words hung in the air, and I could see her heart beating in her eyes, the way her lips quivered slightly, as if she too were feeling the weight of this moment.
With a shaky breath, I snapped open the small box, revealing a breathtaking blue stone set in gold. Violet’s breath caught in her throat, and before I knew it, her eyes were brimming with tears, her body trembling as emotion overwhelmed her. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a sob, and I felt every inch of that pain, that joy, that longing radiating from her.
I swallowed hard. “I picked this color because it reminds me of you. Your eyes... blue. You are beautiful, rare, and difficult as hell to find—but worth every minute it took to get here. I know we just graduated, and I still want to continue my master’s degree. I know you’re still finding your footing in your career, but...”
My pulse thundered in my ears. I could feel the nerves scraping at my insides, but the most important question of my life tumbled from my lips. “Violet Blake, will you marry me?”
The air around us seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. Violet’s eyes were swimming with tears—tears of joy, of disbelief, of a love that had grown deeper than I ever imagined. A single drop fell down her cheek as she stared at me, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
And with that, all the tension that had built up over the years, all the uncertainty and doubts, melted away. Laughter bubbled up between us, mixed with sobs, tears, and a sense of cool, aching relief that we had found our way here. I slid the ring onto her finger, my hands shaking with the magnitude of the moment.
I pulled her into my arms, kissing her with a passion that felt like the entire universe had led us to this point.
Fiercely, deeply, and wholeheartedly.
Sometimes, words weren’t enough to express what we felt.
Other times, they were everything.
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