Gemotions

The ballroom seemed to shrink around Chloe as Liam, her former fiancé, approached. Her palms became slick with sweat. The memory of the wedding they had planned, the flowers, the vows, the future they'd sketched out together, slammed into her like a rogue wave. She fumbled with her clutch, her fingers clumsy and unresponsive.

She felt a tremor in her jaw, and it was hard to relax it enough to speak. She watched his movements, his effortless charm. He was even more handsome than she remembered. It made everything worse. The laughter around them felt brittle.

His eyes met hers, and a flicker of something she couldn't identify - regret? pity? - crossed his face. Chloe quickly averted her gaze, focusing on a smudge on her shoe. The floor seemed to wobble beneath her feet, and the beautiful, elegant reception transformed into an oppressive cage. She could barely breathe.