Gemotions

The champagne flute felt slick in Amelia's clammy hand. Across the crowded reception hall, she spotted him. Liam. Standing near the open bar, laughing with a group of their old college friends. The sound of his merriment was a sharp, unwelcome stab. Her stomach twisted, a cold knot tightening. She took a large gulp of the champagne, the bubbles doing nothing to soothe the sudden dryness in her throat.

She turned away, pretending a sudden, urgent interest in the floral arrangements. The pastel peonies and hydrangeas blurred before her eyes. It was a beautiful wedding, she kept telling herself. Sarah deserved this. But the celebratory atmosphere felt suffocating.

"Everything alright, Ames?" Her friend, Chloe, touched her arm gently. Amelia forced a smile, a brittle, fragile thing. "Perfect. Just... thirsty, I think." She needed air, needed to be anywhere but here, where the ghost of Liam seemed to permeate everything.