Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the cafe, a smell that usually comforted Mark. Today, it only served to make his stomach clench. He sat across from Chloe, the woman he thought he loved, and listened as she recounted a story, a story that felt painfully familiar.

The words, the details, were the same as the ones he’d shared with her.

His chest felt tight, constricted. The shared experiences, the intimacy he thought was unique, was nothing more than a script. The warmth he'd felt for her was replaced by a cold hollowness. He felt utterly and completely defeated, his enthusiasm replaced by a profound sense of loss. He stood up abruptly, without saying goodbye.