CHAPTER 21

ERIK POV

When I returned to my apartment, the silence only intensified my feelings of sadness and loneliness. Trying to distract myself from thoughts of Crystal leaving me behind, I decided to take a shower and get ready for bed. However, no matter how hard I tried to forget about her departure that night, it seemed impossible.

Just when I thought all hope was lost and the loneliness had become unbearable, an unexpected knock came at my door. When I opened it up expecting nobody there, I found Violet standing in front of me with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Violet?" I said in disbelief as she smiled brightly at me. "What are you doing here?"

She shook her head before saying softly. "I will go straight to the point, Erik," she said softly and invited herself into my apartment. Looking around, she continued, "I've heard that Crystal went abroad. She already has left you, Erik."

I frowned, not anticipating what she was about to say next. "It's only for educational purposes. She'll return soon."

"You aren't sure about that," Violet sighed, grabbing my hands. "Your girl has abandoned you, Erik. But I'm the one here. We can start all over. I still love you."

I looked at her with a mix of sadness and confusion. I understood her feelings, but I knew that my heart still belonged to Crystal.

"Violet, thank you for your offer," I said gently, letting go of her hands. "But I can't accept it despite how we feel about each other. My heart—it belongs to Crystal."

Violet's face darkened, and she took a step closer to me. "It's a shame," she said, her voice low and menacing. "I was hoping you would see reason, Erik. But since you won't, I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

I took a step back, feeling the hairs on my arms stand on end. Violet's expression had turned almost feral, and her eyes seemed to be glowing with an inner fire.

"Violet, what are you talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"You should have chosen me, Erik," she hissed. "Now, you'll regret it."

With that, she moved forward and grabbed my face in her hands. Before I could react, she kissed me passionately, filled with power and intensity that could not be denied.

The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity. When Violet finally pulled away, I remained stunned in place, my head spinning and heart racing. The look in her eyes was so different; it was as if the old Violet had been replaced by someone else entirely... Someone dark and mysterious.

I had no idea what to make of the situation, so I simply stood there as Violet smiled sadly at me before turning around and walking away into the night.

With Violet gone, I felt my heart ache, wondering if I had made a mistake. I wanted to call Crystal and tell her what had happened, but as it turns out, she was already out of reach. I tried calling and texting multiple times, but the response was always the same: no answer.

My worry only increased with each passing day. Finally, after two days of silence from Crystal, I decided to ask his father, Mr. Wayne.

He looked at me with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on mine. "I'm sorry, Erik," he said slowly. "But I'm afraid Crystal will no longer see you for good. I advise her to break up with you so she can focus."

I felt my heart shatter into pieces at his words. "What? Why?" I asked, feeling a sense of betrayal from both Crystal and Mr. Wayne.

Mr. Wayne hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Crystal found out about your kiss with Violet," he said finally. "She was devastated, and I couldn't bear to see her like that. So I advised her to end things with you."

I felt anger and frustration boiling inside me. How could Crystal break up with me over a kiss that I didn't even initiate? "Mr. Wayne, you don't understand," I said pleadingly. "Violet kissed me. I tried to stop her!"

Mr. Wayne's expression softened slightly. "I believe you, Erik," he said. "But unfortunately, Crystal doesn't. She's been hurt too many times before, and she doesn't want to take any more chances."

I felt a sense of defeat wash over me. I had lost Crystal, the love of my life, all because of a kiss that I didn't even want. And now, I was left with nothing but regret and a sense of longing for what could have been.

As I walked away from Mr. Wayne's house, I couldn't help but think about Violet and the strange power she had over me. Part of me wondered if she had somehow orchestrated the whole thing, knowing that it would lead to the end of my relationship with Crystal.

But deep down, I knew that it was all my fault. I should have been stronger, and more resolute in my feelings for Crystal.

Depressed and feeling utterly alone, I decided to get drunk that night. I stopped at the nearest liquor store and bought a bottle of whiskey.

I downed the whiskey in one gulp and felt my senses numb as warmth filled me up. I just wanted to forget about Violet, Crystal... everything. But try as I might, it was all in vain. The more I drank, the clearer the memories became.

Just when I was about to give up on forgetting for good, Violet suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She looked different; her eyes were bright and full of hope now instead of the darkness that had been there before.

"Erik," she said gently as she sat down next to me. "It's not your fault."

I looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Crystal's decision to break up with you isn't your fault," she said softly. "It was mine."

At first, I didn't want to believe it. But as Violet explained everything that had happened that night: she captured our kissing scene and emailed it to Crystal. I got mad, but things could never return to the right place any longer.

At the end of our conversation, we both decided to go to my apartment and drink the rest of the whiskey together. We drank until we were both so drunk that all our inhibitions melted away and we ended up in bed together.

I awoke the next morning with a splitting headache and a hazy recollection of the night before. I was still lying in bed with Violet, my clothes in disarray. As I looked around my room, I felt an overwhelming sense of shame wash over me.

What had I done? How could I have been so careless and selfish as to betray Crystal like this?

Violet stirred beside me, her eyes slowly opening as she looked around in confusion. "Erik... What happened last night?" she asked softly.

I sighed heavily and got out of bed. "I don't know," I said truthfully. "I guess we drank too much."

Violet seemed to understand what had happened, but she didn't say anything further, instead choosing to remain silent as we both got dressed and left my apartment together. We walked in silence for what seemed like an eternity until we arrived at a small cafe nearby.

We ordered coffee and sat down at a table outside, both of us avoiding eye contact with each other. Finally, Violet broke the silence by asking me the question that had weighed heavily on my mind since last night: did I regret what had happened between us?

"No," I replied without hesitation. "But that doesn't make it right either."

Violet nodded in agreement before telling me that she was sorry for her part in ruining things between me and Crystal.

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to believe that we could still be friends, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was impossible. It was like a weight on my shoulders, an invisible force preventing me from moving on.

So the next night, I decided to go to a nightclub nearby.

I needed to clear my head and forget about everything that had happened. As I walked through the crowds of people, I felt a sense of numbness wash over me. I didn't care about anything or anyone. All I wanted was to lose myself in the music and the strobe lights.

But as I sat at the bar, sipping on my drink, I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for what I had lost. Crystal was gone.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned to see Violet in a sexy dress.

"Hi," she said, smiling at me. "Can I buy you another drink?"

I hesitated for a moment before nodding and accepting her offer. As we talked and laughed together, I felt a sense of hopefulness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed. Maybe I could start over and find happiness once again.

As the night wore on and we danced together, I felt a new sense of freedom wash over me. Maybe I had made mistakes in the past, but that didn't mean that I couldn't learn from them and move on. And as I kissed Violet under the strobe lights, I knew that I was ready to leave my past behind and start anew.

I whispered in her ears. "Let's go private."

Violet's eyes widened, surprised by my sudden boldness. But a mischievous glint shone in her eyes as she grabbed my hand and led me towards the door. We stumbled out into the fresh night air, laughing and teasing each other like old friends.

We made our way to a nearby hotel, the anticipation building with every step we took. As we entered the hotel room, our eyes met, and we knew that there was no turning back. We were both consumed by the heat of the moment, unable to resist the primal urge that was driving us toward each other.

The night was a blur of passion and desire, each touch and kiss igniting a fire within us that we had never known before. As we lay together, sweaty and breathless, guilt hit me like a huge wall.

I couldn't shake the feeling that what we had done was wrong, that I was betraying Crystal's memory by being with someone else so soon after her passing.

Violet seemed to sense my unease and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer. "It's okay," she whispered. "We all have our own ways of grieving. This doesn't mean you loved Crystal any less."

Her words calmed my soul, and I realized that I had to let go of the guilt and pain. I had to make peace with the past, so that I could move on and hopefully find love again.

So with a heavy heart, I told Violet that we couldn't do this anymore. We both knew it was for the best, but it still hurt deeply as we said our goodbyes for the last time.

As I walked away from her, tears streaming down my face, I knew that this was what I had needed all along – closure.