Gemotions

The silence in the car was deafening. After months of her trying to learn his difficult Icelandic, Mark had started speaking it back to her, with an unfamiliar lilt and confidence. They were driving home from his sister's, the countryside blurring past, a mocking reminder of their shared future that now seemed to crumble.

He’d claimed to be studying it, for her. A gesture of love. A lie, meticulously crafted. She stared straight ahead, the scenery a meaningless blur. Her chest felt heavy, as if a great weight had been placed upon it.

She focused on her breath, each inhale and exhale a painful reminder of the betrayal. She was not the chosen one.