Gemotions

The tiny apartment felt like a pressure cooker. Clothes lay strewn across the floor, a testament to her hasty morning preparations. She’d been so excited for her date with Michael tonight. Now, the excitement had curdled into something else. She leaned against the cold wall, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. A notification. A message from James. The same. Exactly the same.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She felt pinned, stuck in place, as if her bones were turning to lead. The walls seemed to be closing in. She sank to the floor, the world tilting precariously.

She just wanted to disappear.