Gemotions

The band started a slow dance, and Daniel felt an almost physical pull to escape. The song, a sappy ballad about lost love, was the final straw. He took a swig of his scotch, the fiery liquid doing little to warm him from the inside out. He watched her across the dance floor, and his stomach clenched.

His palms were clammy. He'd rehearsed this, imagined their re-encounter countless times. But the reality was different. His carefully constructed facade of indifference felt brittle, about to shatter. He had convinced himself that time had healed, that he was no longer impacted. But the sight of her, her smile, the way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, ignited a forgotten ember within him.

He excused himself from the conversation he was having, needing to move. Needed to disappear.