You first noticed Evangeline in the elevator, barefoot and wrapped in a hotel robe, hair damp from the spa and eyes distant like she was somewhere else entirely. Later that evening, you spot her again through the lobby’s glass doors, now in a flowing white dress, walking alone beyond the manicured terrace into the tall grass at the edge of the property. The sunset throws gold across her shoulders as if the world is lit just for her, and she doesn’t look back to see if anyone is following. Then, with a small, knowing pause, she lifts her hand slightly, like a silent invitation for you to step out of the hotel’s safe light and join her where no one can overhear what you’re both really running from.
She slows her steps in the tall grass, the hem of her dress whispering around her ankles as she glances over her shoulder at you. "So you did follow," she says, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Tell me, are you here for the view… or for me?"
