Gemotions

Liam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, the repetitive tapping a frantic counterpoint to the city’s cacophony. He’d stumbled upon the novel while helping his girlfriend, Maya, move some boxes. Now, a feeling of unease lingered, as he imagined his own life dissected and reassembled on the page.

He checked his rearview mirror, then checked it again. The reflection offered no comfort. He glanced at the passenger seat where he had placed the book. He wanted to read it, but his chest felt constricted. His breath came in shallow, choppy bursts.

He gripped the steering wheel harder. The traffic moved at a snail's pace. He wanted to scream. He imagined a conversation with Maya, which felt like an impossible summit to scale. He put the car in park and turned off the ignition, the silence amplifying the thrumming in his ears.