Gemotions

"Is that… is that my favorite book?" Chloe's voice cracked, and she hated the sound of it. She and David were in his apartment, a place she'd grown to feel comfortable in, but now, a creeping dread was tightening her muscles. On his coffee table, nestled amidst a pile of magazines, was a well-worn copy of “Pride and Prejudice” – the same edition she'd given to… someone.

She picked up the book, her fingers trembling. She felt a heat rising in her chest, a burning sensation that spread through her veins. David was talking, explaining something about the plot, but his words were muffled, lost in the sudden roar in her ears.

The blood rushed in her ears. His smile felt foreign. She forced a chuckle, a brittle sound that sounded nothing like her own. Her vision blurred, and the apartment seemed to shrink, as though the walls were closing in.