Gemotions

The drive home was quiet, each mile punctuated by the hum of the tires on the asphalt. Ethan gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white. The beach bonfire. The argument around the dying embers. He glanced at the passenger seat, now empty, but the weight of the moment still occupied the air.

He focused on the road, the headlights cutting through the darkness. He felt a coldness spread through him, a feeling of alienation. He knew they were both struggling with something, but his own version of events… it felt like speaking a language that only he understood. He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump forming in his throat.

He pulled into his driveway, the car’s engine sputtering to a stop. He sat there, still, the silence amplifying the discord that had erupted between them.