XOXO, Violet by Ginger Li

18Wesley

Iran along the path, tracing the cliffs over the beach below. It was seven thirty in the morning, and unlike Asher, I wasn’t usually up at this awful hour during school break. But ever since telling Violet I liked her two days ago, I’d felt an itch to do something, anything, to take away the tension that arose whenever I thought about her and Chase.

I’d done the honorable thing in insisting that she still go out with him. Hadn’t I?

Ash thought I was an idiot. “What guy tells a girl that he likes her and then encourages her to go out with someone else?”

Me, apparently. That’s who. Even Ophelia, a diehard romantic who was meant to support me, disagreed with my decision.

“Didn’t our movie sessions teach you anything?” she’d said. “First loves are important, Wes. Chase has a hold over Violet that will be impossible to break. You should have told her to kick him to the curb. Forget trying to be a gentleman.”

I kept going, pushing myself even harder. Swimming didn’t calm the unease I felt deep inside. Hopefully, running would. Thoughts raced through my head as my feet pounded the ground.

Had I done the right thing?

On paper, Violet and Chase made sense. Ambitious and intelligent, they’d both go to similar universities, where students drooled over art movies, drank overpriced tea, and scrambled to find summer internships. I could see Chase and his plastic-rimmed glasses fitting right in there, with Violet by his side.

Meanwhile, I was set to attend a local state school and still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

Violet would go out with Chase and then realize how much she loved being with me… Right? Or had I basically handed her over to another guy?

With a grunt, I tried to outrace my worries.

The runner in front of me shot forward, and I followed suit, kicking up a spray of gravel. I’d followed her for the past half mile, matching my pace to hers.

Perhaps I wasn’t the only person trying to outrun themselves today.

Dressed in a tank top and leggings, she was clearly in great shape, and her form was good. I picked up my pace, and as I drew closer, I noticed she wore a cactus pattern scrunchie in her dark hair.

Could it be?

“Violet?” I called out, increasing my speed.

The runner moved aside, no doubt expecting me to pass. As she did so, she turned her head slightly.

“Wesley?” Violet removed one of her earbuds and slowed, allowing me to catch up.

Seeing her was like a sucker punch to the stomach. My heart pounded so hard that I thought it might explode from my chest. “What are you doing here?” My heated gaze ran over her shoulders, down her bare arms, and came to rest briefly on her toned midriff before rising again to meet her eyes.

They sparkled with amusement. Shoot, she’d caught me checking her out. “I’m running, Wes. Just like you. I live around the corner.”

Oh. That’s right. I rubbed the back of my neck, unsure how to respond. What was it about Violet that left me tongue-tied like some gawky freshman? I cleared my throat and tried again. “You run?”

Wow. Two whole words. I sure wasn’t winning any awards for best pickup lines today.

“I do when I get stressed out.” A cloud passed over her features. “Exercise helps reduce my anxiety.”

Understanding struck me. YouCon was less than a week away, which meant Violet was probably stressed out with all the preparations. I opened my mouth, wanting to reassure her that she’d do great, but I restrained myself because no one supposed to know her secret identity.

“Work stuff?” I asked, simultaneously trying not to pry but also desperately wanting to find out what was going on in that beautiful head of hers.

Violet’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, look, about what happened at my house on Saturday.”

I held up my hand. “Don’t worry. I meant what I said. No pressure. We can just be friends for now. I’ll take my chances after you and Chase go out.” As much as I wanted Violet to choose me over Chase, this wasn’t the time to discuss it. Not when she was already stressed about the convention.

Violet exhaled loudly and brushed back her bangs. “Thanks. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” She eyed one of the side streets, and it looked like she planned to head home.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?” I blurted out.

Her eyes darted back to mine. “No. I don’t like eating before I run. Why?”

“I haven’t eaten either. There’s this café a couple of streets down.”

“Best Dressed Café? I love that place. They have the yummiest baked French toast. But I don’t know….”

“I’ll race you there.”

As my challenge hung in the air between us, a range of emotions flitted across her face. It looked like Violet planned to accept my offer, but then she glanced down at her outfit. “I should go back. I’m gross and sweaty, and I definitely smell.”

No!I took a step closer, and her eyes widened. “You look beautiful, no matter what you’re wearing.”

Her face broke into a smile, and it was like the sun peering through rain clouds. The effect was dazzling.

Note to self—get Violet to smile like that every day.

“Wow. Someone’s laying it on thick.”

I grinned. “What can I say? I enjoy your company and I appreciate a good French toast. Come eat breakfast with me. If you’re really that worried about what you smell like, I can sniff you.” I made a move to wrap my arms around her waist. Violet let out a shriek and pulled from my grasp before darting away.

A shiver of pleasure danced down my sides. Oh. It was on. I sprinted to catch up. Violet quickened her steps, and side by side, we ran along the path and through a small section of trees. I matched my pace to hers, and when I peeked over at her every so often, she was rosy-cheeked and beaming.

We turned onto a busy street, and when a pink building with white lettering appeared up ahead, Violet raced forward, reaching the café first.

“I won!” She raised both arms in the air and did a little dance. Several patrons walking by smiled at her goofy moves.

The cafe wasn’t too crowded and we easily got an empty table by the window. When the waitress came over, I tensed when I recognized her as Mandy, one of the girls I dated freshman year. “Hi, Wes. What can I get you today?”

I stiffened at her overfamiliar tone.

Violet stared at the menu. “I’ll get a strawberry smoothie and the baked French toast, but no bacon, thanks.”

“I’ll have the same,” I said. “And I’ll take her side of bacon.”

Mandy leaned over and rested a hand on my arm. “Double bacon? You always did have a big appetite.”

I tugged my arm away and scowled slightly. “Thank you. That will be all.”

She blew me a kiss and then sauntered away.

I peered over at Violet, nervous that she’d misinterpreted that exchange. She held up the menu between us as a barrier.

Mandy means nothing, I wanted to explain. I’m here with you. “We used to date,” I mumbled, hating how my past was getting in the way of my future.

“That’s obvious,” Violet said from behind the menu.

I could only imagine what was going on in her head. But this was me. For better or worse, I had gone out with a lot of girls, but if we were going to have anything real, Violet had to trust that I wanted to be with her now. “How long have you been running for?” I asked, trying to draw her into conversation.

She lowered the menu. “Since junior high. It helps clear my mind.”

Good. At least she was looking at me now. “Same here. I usually swim, but today I ran to try to escape some thoughts.” About her. But she didn’t need to know that.

Another waitperson dropped off our food and drinks. I took a bite of the French toast and groaned. Violet wasn’t kidding; it was delicious.

Across the table, Violet gave me an “I told you so” look before taking a sip of her smoothie. “Is Ophelia looking forward to seeing Shy Plant Girl at YouCon?”

She threw the question out there as if not caring one way or the other what the answer was, but I could tell by the stiff manner she cut her bread that she was waiting on pins and needles for my response.

“Ophelia’s beyond excited. She’s already read SPG’s book from cover to cover and loved it.”

A smile bloomed on Violet’s face and something inside me tightened. Man, she was gorgeous. “Are you going to her talk?”

Violet’s smile dimmed fractionally. “Yes. I’ll be there.”

I waited for her to continue, but she lowered her gaze and became suddenly engrossed in cutting her French toast again.

“Why do you think SPG’s revealing her identity after all these years?” The question slipped out, but I was curious to know Violet’s answer. Her channel was booming, so clearly no one minded that she only showed her hands on camera.

Violet pushed the toast around her plate. “Maybe she’s tired of hiding who she is. Maybe she just wants everyone to see the real her.”

I thought back to all the videos I’d watched with Ophelia over the years. Although we didn’t know SPG’s identity, we still felt like we knew her. We’d heard the confident way she spoke about plants, witnessed her passion for teaching. We’d laughed at her quirky sense of humor and sensed her friendliness and warmth. Shy Plant Girl’s face might not be visible on her channel, but her presence was warm and authentic, and it wove together an entire community.

Sitting in front of Violet, I wished I could tell her that I saw all those traits in her, even if she didn’t always see them in herself.

When the check came, Violet pulled out her wallet first. “You can get the bill next time,” she murmured.

Next time. I liked that.

Now full of French toast and smoothies, we opted to walk back to her place. I didn’t mind the slower pace because it meant we got to spend more time together. A comfortable silence now rested between us, and every so often, my arm would brush against hers. Each time, Violet pulled away, but I found myself drawn toward her again and again. My fingers itched to hold hers, but my earlier words held me back. I’d wait until after her date with Chase to make my move.

When we reached her house, I walked her up the steps leading to her front porch.

Violet hesitated before going inside. “What if Shy Plant Girl isn’t as wonderful as everyone expects her to be?”

I shook my head. “That’s impossible. I already know she’ll be amazing.”

Violet shifted her weight and twisted the daisy ring on her finger. “How can you say that when you don’t even know her?”

That was easy. “Because I’ve watched her for years, and while I’ve never seen her face, I could always see her heart. And it’s beautiful.”

Violet’s eyes widened, and she gave me a smile that warmed my insides like sunshine. She reached up to brush her knuckles down the side of my cheek, sending sparks dancing across my skin. “You always know the right thing to say to cheer me up, don’t you?”

I relished the sensation of her skin on mine. “Why? Is it working?”

Before Violet could answer, the door opened, and Micah stepped outside. Violet’s hand dropped from my face.

“Hey, Wes. What are you doing here?”

“We bumped into each other out running,” I said.

Marcus stepped out onto the porch behind Micah. “Violet. Are you feeling better?” He eyed me and frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Violet stepped in front of me. “I bumped into Wes running. We were both hungry and ended up grabbing breakfast together.”

Marcus said nothing to me, but he sent some searing looks my way. “You should get inside, Violet. We’ve got to get back to work.”

She nodded before giving me a smile. “See you at YouCon, Wes.”

Marcus and Violet headed inside, but Micah stayed on the porch, his eyes not leaving my face the entire time.

“How long have you known?” he murmured, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

My stomach clenched. “Known about what?

“About Shy Plant Girl.”

I purposely made my face blank. “What about Shy Plant Girl?”

Micah tipped a hand to his head and saluted me. “You’re growing on me, Stirling. See you at YouCon.”