Gemotions

He’d said it so casually, like mentioning the weather. “Oh, yeah, I’m moving to Seattle.” Mark felt a prickle of revulsion at the careless way Ben delivered the news. He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, suddenly acutely aware of every imperfection.

He could feel his skin crawl as Ben launched into a monologue about the job, the apartment, the new opportunities. The chipped mug in his hand seemed suddenly dirty, he set it down on the table with a clatter.

“That’s…fantastic,” Mark mumbled, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. He abruptly stood up, needing to escape the infectious positivity.