Gemotions

"This can't be happening," Marcus muttered, his voice barely a whisper. He stood frozen outside the bakery, staring through the window. Inside, Emily was laughing, helping a customer with a cake order. He'd seen her, across the counter. Approached her. "I'm sorry," she'd said. "I don't recognize you."

The scent of warm bread, usually so comforting, now felt cloying, suffocating. He pressed his palms against the cool glass of the window, as though trying to physically push himself into the scene, to force her memory to return.

The world seemed to blur around the edges. He hadn’t expected this. Not after all the time he'd thought of her. He felt a sudden, sharp ache in his chest, a sensation that made him want to double over.

He needed air, space. He turned and fled, the delicious aroma of cinnamon and sugar suddenly repulsive.