Gemotions

The email arrived at 3:17 AM. Liam, jolted awake by the shrill ping, squinted at the screen. A subject line that shrieked from the inky blackness: "I owe you an explanation." He felt a cold sweat prickle across his scalp. It was from Sarah, his ex-best friend, who had vanished from his life fifteen years prior without so much as a goodbye. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight.

He clicked the link, his mouse cursor trembling. The email was long, rambling, filled with apologies and justifications for the events that had severed their bond. His hands began to shake as he scrolled. He felt his face flush, a heat radiating from his core that felt entirely foreign. He needed to get out of bed. He needed air. He needed to…what? He couldn’t even name it.