Gemotions

The air in the pub was thick with the smell of stale beer and fried food. Liam sat at the bar, the small screen of his phone reflecting the neon lights. He’d tried to distract himself, to act normal, but the knot in his stomach refused to loosen.

He ordered another pint, the bitter taste doing little to soothe his rising agitation. He kept re-reading the test results, each word a punch to the gut. The laughter and chatter of the other patrons felt distant, muffled, like a sound from another world.

He slammed his fist on the bar, the sound sharp and sudden. The bartender looked up, his eyebrows raised in question. Liam just shook his head and took a large gulp of his beer, the liquid doing nothing to quench his internal fire.