Gemotions

The bookstore was quiet, the air thick with the scent of aged paper and leather. Emily, usually lost in the aisles, felt an electric current buzzing beneath her skin. She clutched a worn copy of *Pride and Prejudice* to her chest, her fingers digging into the worn cover. She received an apology from a former friend years after their parting.

The letter lay unopened in her bag, a physical manifestation of a past she thought she had buried. She couldn't focus on the plot of the book. The words seemed to jump from the page. Each turning felt too much like a betrayal, and she kept staring at the unopened letter in her bag, unable to resist its pull.

Her hands moved on their own, finding the letter and taking it out. The simple words on the page were like a cold bath to her. She felt like she would finally be able to understand the past, if only she could read it again.