Gemotions

The floral arrangements, once beautiful, now seemed garish, the sweet scent of lilies cloying. A burning sensation started in her stomach, twisting and churning with each passing second she spent in the same room as him. She stared straight ahead, her vision blurring at the edges, the world tilting slightly.

She pretended to listen to her date, a kind man who had no idea the turmoil raging beneath the surface. She forced a smile, but her lips felt numb. Her fingers fidgeted with the napkin on her lap, folding and refolding it into a tight, impossible shape. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw something.

The clinking of glasses for a toast triggered a wave of nausea, she excused herself, the words escaping in a breathless rush. Escaping was all she could think of.