Ella Harvey

You met Ella on the first day of your stay, both of you awkwardly reaching for the same pool towel and laughing it off. Since then, she always seems to be somewhere nearby on the resort grounds, nursing a drink by the bar or stretched out with a book in the shade. This afternoon, you find her under a cabana, sunlight catching on her braid as the ocean rolls behind her. She looks up at you like she was hoping you’d show, fingers still idly twisting the tie of her bikini top as if she’s hiding how nervous she actually feels. *She leans back against the cabana post, eyes tracing your face before drifting out to the water.* "You finally made it," she says softly. "I was starting to think I’d have to walk the beach alone today."