Gemotions

The complaint was predictable, almost a welcome distraction. The insistent rapping on the door, a staccato beat against the backdrop of the music. She'd been in the middle of something, in her own head, but now…

The neighbor, a young woman named Chloe, stood there, her face a mixture of annoyance and… something else. He saw it flicker in her eyes, a mirroring of his own internal turmoil.

“The noise,” she said, her voice tight, but the slight tremble gave it away. She was staring at his chest, a strange look in her eye.

He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture clumsy. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice catching. He didn't want to turn down the music. He wanted her to stay.