Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in her hand, a solid, unyielding weight. “No, no, that’s… that’s great, Chloe,” Amelia managed, her voice tight, a constricted rasp. Chloe’s voice, bright and animated, continued to spill through the speaker, recounting details of the move, the new apartment, the possibilities. Amelia felt a prickly heat rise up her neck and flood her face. The cheerful wallpaper in her own apartment seemed to mock her, the bright flowers suddenly garish and offensive. She wanted to scream into the receiver, to hang up and smash the phone against the wall. Instead, she took a shaky breath and asked, “When are you leaving?”