Gemotions

The wallpaper peeled back with unexpected ease, revealing a dark rectangle in the wall. Amelia's fingers trembled as she pulled the final strip away, exposing the outline of a door. Her pulse hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm that matched the erratic thrum of anticipation that had seized her all afternoon. This house, the one she’d shared with him for only a month, was already weaving its secrets.

She ran her hand along the cold metal of the hidden door, her skin tingling. The air around the opening felt different, stale and heavy. She pushed the door inward and stepped inside, a thrill shooting down her spine. A musty scent hit her immediately, and the single bulb hanging from the ceiling cast a dim, dancing light. It was his scent too.

Inside was a small room, filled with stacks of leather-bound books and a worn armchair. A half-finished sketch lay on a small table. She reached out, her fingers hovering over the paper, hesitant. A smile played on her lips as she noticed the subject of the drawing: a woman with impossibly dark hair and the same crooked smile that always seemed to leave her breathless.