Gemotions

The phone slipped from Amelia’s grasp and clattered onto the pristine granite countertop. Her jaw tightened as she saw the message: “Meet me at the usual spot? XOXO.” It was addressed to her *mother*. Her mother! As if. She snatched up the device, her fingers trembling. The recipient? *Chad*. Chad, her *brother’s* aggressively dull friend. A vein throbbed in her temple.

She shoved the phone back in her purse, the leather feeling suddenly rough and unpleasant against her palm. An uncharacteristic warmth flared in her cheeks. The audacity! She slammed the front door a little harder than necessary as she left the apartment. The clatter of her keys echoed back to her as if mocking her.