Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the storm inside Leo. He clutched the phone, the voicemail a looping torture. His girlfriend, Maya, had been different lately. Distant. Secretive. He found her phone, unlocked, and the calls. A woman’s voice, low and murmuring, filled his head, the words themselves unimportant, the implication devastating. He paced his apartment, the tiny space suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

He punched the wall, a sharp crack echoing in the quiet. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Every casual touch, every kind word from Maya now seemed laced with an insidious, hidden meaning. He replayed the message again and again, each time feeling a fresh wave of nausea rising within him.

The next time he saw her, he would have to look her in the eyes and ask. He just didn't know how he was going to force himself to.