Gemotions

"Oh, hey!" he said, approaching me with a smile. My mouth felt dry. I managed a weak, "Hi." His eyes swept over me, and I felt a pang of… something. Was it worry? Panic? I didn't know. My fingers twisted the strap of my purse.

The easy familiarity in his voice was a stab of pain. How long had it been? Too long, clearly. He asked how I was, and I mumbled a reply, my voice barely audible. My brain felt scrambled, unable to process the simplest of questions.

He mentioned something about our mutual friend, the one getting married, and I found myself nodding along, struggling to keep up. I wanted to turn and run, to disappear into the crowd. I felt the sweat beading on my forehead. I took another gulp of my drink, the alcohol doing little to soothe my nerves.