Gemotions

The old bookshop offered a comforting silence, but even the scent of aged paper couldn't calm me. I ran my fingers over the spines of the books, searching for distraction. But my mind was a broken record, replaying the discovery. The identical social media posts, the same shared inside jokes, the same fake promises.

My throat felt tight, and my chest ached. I’d thought he was the one. The realization that I was just another number sent a jolt of pain through me. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes. I felt it so strongly that I struggled to breathe.

I leaned against a bookshelf, feeling the rough texture of the wood against my back. The world seemed to tilt. I felt a sudden urge to flee, to escape this place, this feeling. I needed to be alone. I left the bookshop, walking as if in a daze.