Gemotions

The cafe air, usually warm and welcoming, now felt thin, almost suffocating. Sarah clutched her coffee cup so hard her knuckles were white. Across the small, round table, Liam, her Liam, stared at her with a polite, vacant expression. He was smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes. "So, you say you knew me when you were, what, eight?" he asked, tilting his head.

Her throat constricted. Her voice felt stuck. She managed a weak, "Yeah, we built a treehouse in your backyard. Remember?" The memory, sharp and vibrant in her mind, seemed to bounce off his blank gaze. A coldness crept up her spine, prickling her skin. The buzzing of the espresso machine intensified, an unwelcome symphony of noise. She wanted to run, to disappear.