Gemotions

The humid air of the reunion clung to Liam's skin, a mirror of the sudden tightness in his chest. He saw Sarah across the crowded room, her laughter bubbling over as she spoke to someone. He hadn't seen her in ten years, and the memory of their treehouse hideouts, the shared secrets whispered in the dark, thrummed in his mind. He moved towards her, a nervous energy making his palms sweat.

He finally reached her, a smile plastered on his face. "Sarah?" he asked, his voice sounding a little too loud. Her eyes, the same shade of hazel, flickered over him, a polite blankness in their depths.

"Yes?" she replied, her gaze drifting past him, as if searching for something else. He felt a jolt, a physical shock like ice water down his spine. She didn't recognize him. He felt his face flush. "It's…Liam," he managed, his throat suddenly dry.

A slow realization dawned in her eyes, but it was accompanied by a polite smile. "Oh, Liam. Nice to meet you." The warmth he'd anticipated dissolved, replaced by a deep, hollow ache. He cleared his throat, the blood rushing in his ears. He needed to get away, to find some air, to… something.