Gemotions

The phone vibrated on the table, a tiny earthquake in the otherwise still kitchen. Claire’s hands froze mid-slice, the knife hovering over the tomato. It was Brandon Hayes. She hadn't thought about him in years.

She set down the knife with a clatter, the sound jarring in the silence. Her pulse quickened, a rapid staccato against her ribs. She went to the window, staring out at the rain-swept street. Everything felt…wrong.

She tried to rationalize it. It was just a friend request. But the old, familiar sting of humiliation rose in her throat. She closed her eyes, the image of his sneering face burned behind her eyelids. The tomato remained uncut.