Gemotions

"Are you alright, Clara?" David asked, his brow furrowed with concern. He noticed the way Clara’s fingers constantly fidgeted, drumming a nervous rhythm on the tabletop. Her jaw was tight, her eyes darting around the crowded cafe as though expecting an attack.

"Fine," she snapped, a little too quickly. The book lay open in front of her, the telltale cover of "A Life Unveiled" staring back at her. The author, a woman she’d only met once, had seemingly managed to unearth every secret, every embarrassing moment.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She pushed the book away as if it were a venomous snake, yet her eyes continued to flit back to it. The weight of the published words pressed upon her, smothering her. Her heart thudded in her chest like a trapped bird.

"You haven't touched your pastry," David pointed out. Clara picked at it, then shoved it away. She needed to escape. To flee. To be… free.