Gemotions

The letter lay on the table, a stark white rectangle in the muted morning light. It was addressed to him, from someone he hadn't thought about in years, a woman he had wronged in his youth. "Why now?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. He glanced around the room, expecting to see her, or feel her presence. A knot formed in his gut as he read her words. He felt his face flush. He took a deep, shuddering breath, the air not quite filling his lungs. He felt exposed, naked somehow, as if all his secrets were suddenly visible.