Gemotions

The ballroom lights were too bright, the air thick with the smell of perfume and forced camaraderie. Every forced conversation felt like walking through treacle for Ben. He leaned against a pillar, watching the happy couple from afar.

He saw Olivia, her red dress a vibrant splash of color against the neutral tones of the room. He felt a familiar hollowness in his chest, a heavy weight that seemed to pull him down. The memory of their last fight, sharp and stinging, flashed in his mind.

He picked at a loose thread on his jacket, a nervous habit he'd developed. He just wanted to go home. He closed his eyes, imagining the quiet of his apartment, the comforting darkness that waited for him.