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It was around 4pm now, the winter sun low and gold as it stretched across the sparkling Italian waterfront. Callum had taken her to an elegant outdoor shopping mall nestled beside the bay. The sea glinted in soft ripples, catching the dying light. A light chill hung in the air, made gentler by the stone walkways warmed from earlier sun. The trees lining the paths were thin and bare, their silhouettes delicate against the slate-colored sky, and the scent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine drifted through the breeze from open-air cafés.
Designer boutiques stood like polished gems along the promenade subtle, tasteful, their displays glowing behind clean glass. Cafés and restaurants spilled onto heated terraces where people sat under wool blankets, sipping from glasses of red or espresso cups, murmuring in Italian.
Evara caught her breath for half a second just long enough to feel it. But she caught herself quickly. No wide eyes. No dropped jaw.
"This is... nice," she said, steady.
She glanced around like she was looking for something familiar, as if she'd seen places like this before—even though she hadn't.
She didn't look at Callum right away. Didn't want him studying her face too closely. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing this kind of place made her feel small and dazzled.
She turned slightly over her shoulder. "You come here often, or are you just pulling out the good stuff today?"
"I figured you'd like it," he said quietly. "You don't seem moved by it at all."
Her head turned a little at that. She caught the way his eyes dropped for a second, how a soft frown tugged at his mouth—not guilt-tripping, just unsure. Maybe even a little hurt.
That stung more than she thought it would.
She reached for his hand. "I do like it," she said. "I'm just not the type to lose my mind over pretty views and expensive cafés."
It was half a lie. She had lost her mind internally. The charm of the place, the winter softness, the foreign magic of it all—it hit her deep. But she couldn't show it. Not when it all made her feel like she'd stepped into someone else's life. Someone who belonged.
She stepped a bit closer, her voice dipping low. "But you didn't miss. I see what you're doing."
Callum met her eyes, his frown loosening. "Good," he said. "Because I meant it to feel like something you deserve."
She looked down briefly, brushing her hands together to keep them warm.
"I appreciate it, but..." she tilted her head, "I don't think my wallet is wide enough to handle everything here." She tried to joke, even though she was painfully aware of the $200 balance sitting in her account.
