Gemotions

She woke to the sound of music. Something she didn’t recognize, but his voice was singing along. The music was coming from his phone, which he was using as an alarm. She sat up, the sheets tangled around her legs, and stared at him.

He turned off the alarm, smiling at her, and then spoke. Not the English she was used to hearing. Her breath caught in her throat, a physical sensation, as though a vise had tightened around her chest. The room seemed too small, the air thick and hard to breathe.

She scrambled out of bed, a sudden urgency pulling her. The familiar space felt alien, the everyday objects suddenly unfamiliar. She had to get away, to escape the echo of his voice. She needed to breathe, to understand.