Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside her. Her apartment felt like a prison cell, the walls closing in. The phone was her only connection to the outside world, her only hope of reprieve. She stared at the screen, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. The words swam before her eyes. She needed reassurance, a beacon of light in her overwhelming darkness.

She meant to send the message to her best friend, knowing she would be a safe harbor. But in the haste, her thumb slipped, sending the message to her ex-boyfriend, Mark. The breath hitched in her throat.

A wave of nausea washed over her. Mark. He would use her vulnerability against her. He would criticize her, making her feel even smaller. The anticipation of his response, negative or positive, was enough to make her want to disappear.