EVELYN
My body reacted before my mind could catch up. My ass shot up from the chair, my right hand flying to cover my mouth as I choked out, "Excuse me." My voice was barely a whisper, strained and uneven.
My heels clicked against the polished floors, my dress billowing behind me as I bolted toward the grand staircase. I didn't know where I was going, I just ran anywhere. All I knew was that I needed to get out of that dining hall before my stomach betrayed me in front of Mike's entire family.
The nausea had crept up without warning.
"Mike, go with her," a firm voice commanded from the table. His mother, I presumed.
On my way, I met the matron whose piercing gaze had been dissecting me all evening, with her perfectly manicured nails giving orders.
I heard his chair dragged against the floor, the hurried shuffle of his footsteps following behind me. His voice, laced with concern, echoed through the open space. "Evie, wait—"
But I didn't stop. My only focus was reaching a restroom bef
