Gemotions

The air felt thin, a vacuum stealing his breath. John tugged at his tie, feeling a frantic itch that spread across his skin. He was going to have a breakdown. He knew it. He saw her, across the room. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the memory of her touch, everything felt so vividly painful.

He felt a sudden and urgent need to escape, to disappear. He clutched his phone, considering feigning a work call, anything to get out of this situation. He imagined her voice, the inflection, the way she used to laugh. It made the knot in his stomach tighten.

He saw her walk towards him, and the world seemed to tilt. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He was frozen, a deer caught in headlights.