Gemotions

The humid air of the gym clung to him as he finished his set, sweat beading on his forehead. He reached for his phone, thumbing open the messaging app. He needed to tell her he’d had a killer workout. His fingers fumbled, and the message popped up on a different thread. "Just finished destroying the weights. Gonna need a serious cool down." The recipient's name was "Mom." He stared at the screen, a heat spreading through his chest, a strange tension coiling in his gut.

He quickly deleted the message, a blush creeping up his neck. He hoped she hadn’t seen it. He wiped his hands on his gym shorts, the fabric suddenly feeling coarse against his skin. This was disastrous. He needed to get out of the gym, to cool off, to *think*. He grabbed his gym bag and power-walked towards the exit, focusing on the rhythmic thud of his trainers against the floor, hoping to shake off the embarrassment.