Gemotions

The salt-tinged breeze off the beach did nothing to soothe the tightness in Sarah’s chest. Across from her, Emily was building a sandcastle, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Em," Sarah said, her voice strained, "this is important. He told me, and you were *right there*."

Emily looked up, her expression genuinely confused. "I don't get what the big deal is. We were kids. It was just a game."

Sarah’s nails dug into her palms. The sound of the waves, usually calming, felt like a constant drumbeat in her ears. A knot formed in her stomach. “It wasn’t just a game! He said *you* did it, and now you’re trying to say it never happened?”

"Maybe you just misremember," Emily said gently, returning to her sandcastle. The simple act felt like a personal betrayal. Sarah wanted to scream, to lash out, to make Emily *understand*. The sea air seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe.