Gemotions

He was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, looking impossibly handsome in his tailored suit. I had pictured this scenario a thousand times, each time ending with me composed and indifferent. Instead, my carefully constructed façade crumbled the moment I saw him. A wave of nausea washed over me.

My stomach clenched. I wanted to turn and flee, disappear into the floral arrangements, anything to avoid the inevitable. The music, a slow, romantic ballad, felt like a deliberate taunt.

"Wow, you look... incredible," he said as he saw me. His voice, once a source of comfort, now grated on my nerves. I met his gaze, forcing myself to hold it, to project some semblance of strength.

“And you,” I replied, my voice betraying the tremor in my hands. The room began to spin.