Gemotions

The cafe smelled of burnt coffee and false cheer. Liam watched Maya across the small, scratched table. She was laughing, head thrown back, at something her date – a bland-looking man in a too-tight blazer – had said. He felt a twitch in his jaw, a muscle he hadn't known he possessed until now. He'd rehearsed this meeting for weeks. Planned the casual run-in, the nostalgic reminiscing. He'd even practiced the perfect "Oh my god, Maya! Is that really you?" He swallowed, the words suddenly feeling thick and cloying in his throat. He hated the way her perfectly highlighted hair bounced as she turned back to her date.

He cleared his throat. "Maya?" The word sounded flat, almost accusing, even to his own ears. Her smile faltered.

Her brow furrowed, a delicate crease between them. She looked at him, her gaze traveling over him with an assessment that made his stomach churn. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" Liam’s grip tightened around his lukewarm latte, the foam collapsing into a sad, brown puddle. He met her gaze, his expression carefully blank. This was a goddamn joke.