Gemotions

It had been a week of pointed silences and icy glares. He’d told her no. He'd ruined the dream. A simmering frustration, a slow burn of resentment, coiled inside of her. She found herself picking at the skin around her nails, unable to focus.

The apartment smelled of fresh lavender, a fragrance he detested, emanating from the new essential oil diffuser she'd purchased. The air seemed to buzz with a strange, high-pitched frequency.

That evening, as he prepared his perfectly balanced protein shake, she casually mentioned how much she loved the sound of chirping crickets. The pet shop was just a block away.