Gemotions

The bustling marketplace, normally a source of comfort for him, now felt like an arena. He had found Emily, the girl who once filled his dreams. She had no idea who he was. "You must have me confused with someone else," she had said, her voice light, airy.

He walked past the vendors, the sounds of bartering and laughter doing nothing to penetrate the numbness that had taken hold. He felt his face flush, and he fought to keep the tears from spilling out. He wanted to confront her, to scream, to demand she remember the shared secrets, the whispered promises.

He quickened his pace, almost running now, shoving past the crowds. He needed to get away, to escape the suffocating weight of this new reality.