Gemotions

The flickering neon sign of the bar across the street seemed to pulse in time with Amelia's racing pulse. She gripped her phone tighter, the cold metal a small comfort against the heat rising in her chest. She’d walked in on Liam… not at the accounting firm he’d always claimed to work for, but in a dusty costume shop, painstakingly arranging rubber masks. A costume shop! The lie was so blatant, so utterly ridiculous, it almost made her laugh. Almost.

Her breath hitched as she watched him through the shop window, catching the bright fluorescent light. He was haggling with a customer, gesturing wildly, his usual charm seemingly amplified. This wasn’t the Liam she knew, the one who meticulously balanced spreadsheets and spoke of quarterly earnings. This was someone entirely different, and the change startled her.

She had to know what was going on. With a decisive push, she straightened her shoulders and strode across the street, her boots clicking sharply on the pavement. The bell above the door of the costume shop jingled as she entered.