Gemotions

A tremor ran through Amelia’s hand as she scrolled. *Chadwick_The_Chad* stared back at her from the screen, a grinning photo of the man she’d spent half her childhood actively avoiding. Her jaw clenched. She slammed the phone onto the coffee table, the abrupt noise a punctuation mark to her mounting agitation.

She stood abruptly, pacing the length of her small living room. The cheap laminate flooring creaked under her hurried steps. Every memory of Chadwick, all the playground taunts and cruel jokes, resurfaced with a vengeance. Her palms were slick with sweat.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered, her voice tight. She grabbed a water bottle and took a long, forceful gulp, the cold liquid doing little to soothe the heat that was now emanating from her chest. Her fingers itched to block the request.