Gemotions

The radio blared from the car stereo. Liam, driving aimlessly, was about to switch stations, when *that* song began. The opening piano riff, instantly recognizable. His song. The one that had defined him.

He slammed on the brakes, the car skidding slightly on the wet road. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles bone-white. He felt the familiar pull, the urge to curl into a ball, to disappear.

The singer's voice was different, more polished, more…successful. Liam, in his faded jeans and five-year-old car, hadn’t had a hit in years. Each rejection, each closed door, had chipped away at his self-worth.

The song was a lifeline, a legacy. Now, it was being used, played, heard without him. He felt his chest tighten, a physical ache spreading from his heart. The music swelled, a stark reminder of everything he had lost, everything he felt unable to recapture.