Gemotions

"This place is fantastic," Ben heard Chloe say, her voice bright and bubbly. He stood a few feet back, by the entrance to the gallery, feeling the air thicken around him. It seemed to him that Chloe had forgotten every inside joke, every shared adventure they had once lived.

The man beside her – a man whose name Ben hadn’t yet caught – chuckled at something Chloe said, and she smiled, that easy, open smile that had once been reserved just for Ben. He swallowed hard.

He’d spent weeks agonizing over the perfect outfit for this evening, hoping to impress her. Now, he found himself wanting to disappear. He abruptly turned and walked back into the crowd, the din of conversation a suffocating blanket.