Gemotions

The chipped mug slammed onto the counter, splashing lukewarm coffee across the already stained surface. Sarah wouldn’t meet Mark’s eyes. He sat opposite her, his usual easy grin gone, replaced by a nervous fidgeting with the salt shaker. “Across the country? You’re leaving *me*?” she finally spat out, her voice tight. The words felt like shards of glass in her throat.

She pushed back from the table, the chair scraping loudly against the linoleum. The small kitchen suddenly felt too small, the air thick and suffocating. A headache was forming behind her eyes, a dull pressure that throbbed in time with her racing pulse. She needed to get out, needed to be away from him, away from this… betrayal.

Her fingers fumbled with the keys in her pocket, dropping them twice before she managed to unlock the front door. The cool autumn air hit her face like a welcome slap. She started walking, not knowing where she was going, just needing to put distance between herself and the news.