Gemotions

The silence in the bookstore was deafening. Finn stood before the "New Releases" shelf, his manuscript, his heart, nowhere to be found. A wave of nausea churned in his stomach. He’d imagined this moment countless times: the thrill of seeing his book, his words, on display. Now, the glossy covers of other authors seemed to glare at him, their success a stark contrast to his own perceived failure. He ran a hand over the spine of a book, the smoothness of the cover a painful reminder of his own unfulfilled ambition. He needed to get out, to breathe.