Evan stood on the pavement, heart pounding, breath unsteady, watching the car disappear into the distance. She was gone. Just like that. No explanations. No truth. Nothing.
The city didn't pause for his heartbreak.
He wandered the streets in a daze until he ended up in a small café tucked between two bookstores. The world around him buzzed with life, people sipping espresso, lovers whispering, laughter echoing. He sat there—still. A cup of black coffee warming his hands, his mind colder than ever.
"I don't even know anything about her," he thought.
He didn't know her real story. Not the scars beneath her skin. Not the names she never said. Not the life she never spoke of.
The coffee went cold. Evan stood up, grabbed his bag with sudden resolve. He knew exactly where to go—the only place that made sense now.
The train.
The very place where she first appeared like a glitch in his pattern. He rushed through the station, past faces and ticket counters, barely remembering to breathe. The platform smelled like metal and rain, and when he boarded the train, he looked at every window seat, each flicker of dark hair sending his heart racing.
But she wasn't there.
He found their seat. The one where she sat looking out the window, lost and unsure. He sat down, pressing his palm to the fabric like he could absorb the memory through touch. The train moved. He didn't notice. His mind was full of her.
When he reached Perpignan, the sun was already dipping, painting the town in soft golds and long shadows. He walked every street like it would whisper her name. But she was nowhere. No trace. Just echoes of the girl who vanished with a phone call.
Evening settled.
Tired, lost, and completely unraveling, he rang a doorbell.
The door opened.
"Holy shit, Evan?" Adam blinked at him. "You look like a train hit you."
Evan gave him a weak smile. "Hello Adam"
Evan lay sprawled on Adam's couch, his arm draped over his eyes as if that could block the mess in his head. His backpack sat dumped by the door. His shoes were still on. He hadn't even asked for water.
Adam leaned on the kitchen counter, watching him silently.
"So…" Adam finally said, breaking the quiet. "Are you dying?"
Evan didn't move.
Adam walked over and dropped down in the armchair across from him. "I've never seen you like this. Tell me what happened?"
Evan let his arm slide off his face, eyes staring up at the ceiling.
"She left."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Who's she? And where'd she go?"
Evan let out a hollow laugh. "I wish I knew."
Adam sat up straighter. "Wait—you saying you don't know where she went and you are talking about a SHE…" Adam said playfully "when did you started to care about a SHE…"
Evan turned his head toward him. "She just… disappeared. Got a call. Packed. Left. No explanation."
Adam exhaled. "That the girl from Barcelona?"
Evan nodded.
"The one who was with you at that wedding job?"
Evan nodded.
"You told me she was quiet. Guarded. You never really said much else."
"I didn't know much else," Evan admitted, eyes dull. "She never really told me anything. But I saw her. I mean, she was just different. Messed up maybe, but… beautiful in that way."
Adam leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "So what happened? You guys fought?"
Evan sat up, rubbed his face with both hands. "No. Well, yes. After that call. She got cold. Distant. I tried to stop her, to go with her even—but she said…" His voice dropped. "She said I was bothering her."
Adam winced.
Evan looked away. "She called it a mistake. Said she was drunk. Said none of it meant anything."
"But you don't believe that, do you?"
Evan shook his head slowly. "Not for a second. She held my hand like it meant something. She looked at me like she was afraid to feel too much."
"Then why'd she run?"
"I don't know." Evan's voice cracked. "I don't know. That's what's driving me crazy."
Adam was quiet for a moment, watching his friend.
"There must be something," he said
Evan sighed. "I should've asked more. I should've pushed her to tell me. But I thought maybe just being there was enough."
Adam leaned back.
Evan looked at him. "What do I do now?"
Adam shrugged. "That depends. Are you gonna forget her?"
Evan shook his head. "No."
"Why do you care so much about her?" Adam said
Evan pauses for a moment and then he leaned back "I don't know. I just want answers"
"Stay here. Rest. And when you're ready, we'll figure it out."
Evan nodded slowly. Then, finally, he leaned back into the couch, exhaustion settling over him like a wave—but so did something else.
Hope.