Gemotions

The party music throbbed, a relentless beat that echoed in her chest. She had come tonight because she had heard he would be there. Now, watching him from across the crowded room, laughing and joking with someone else, she wished she hadn’t bothered. The punch tasted like disappointment.

Her cheeks burned. Every interaction, every small detail, had been carefully plotted and anticipated. Yet, he hadn't even given her a second glance. Just a passing smile and a quick shuffle past.

She drained her glass. The alcohol offered no solace, only a growing sense of hollowness. She elbowed her way through the throng of people, searching for the exit.