Gemotions

He slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The apartment, once a sanctuary, now felt like a cage. He hadn't meant to buy a book, just needed something to do to keep his mind from circling the same dark thoughts. That’s when it fell out. A folded note, pressed between the pages of a forgotten novel.

He unfolded the paper, his hands trembling slightly. The letter, penned in elegant cursive, detailed a farewell, a final goodbye. His chest tightened. It was addressed to "My Beloved," and spoke of a future now irrevocably lost.

He crushed the note in his fist. The pain, a raw and visceral thing, made it difficult to breathe. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He tossed the book across the room, the flimsy pages splaying open, and sank into the corner of the couch, wishing he could disappear.