Gemotions

The bookstore, normally a sanctuary for Ethan, now felt like a cage. He wandered the aisles, his eyes darting from shelf to shelf, unable to focus. A headline on the newsstand blared the news: Celeste Moreau, his beloved author, had stolen from a college student. He’d devoured every one of Moreau’s books, each story feeling like a personal invitation.

He reached out, instinctively, to touch the spine of one of Moreau's novels, but his hand recoiled as if burned. The cover, once a source of comfort, now felt accusatory. A wave of nausea washed over him. He felt a sudden, intense need to leave, to be anywhere but there, surrounded by the objects of his betrayal. He dropped the book and turned to leave, the store now a prison.