Gemotions

The manuscript arrived in the mail, a proof copy. He’d dedicated it to her, with a saccharine inscription about inspiration and love. She threw it across the room. It landed with a soft thud against the wall.

Later, she found herself staring at the open window, the chill autumn air blowing in. She felt a sudden, intense need to be away from the apartment, away from the evidence of his intimate scrutiny. The thought of his eyes, his pen, shaping her life in a fictional narrative, left her breathless.

She grabbed her coat and keys, the urge to escape overwhelming. She felt like she couldn’t breathe.