Gemotions

From the moment he'd woken up, David felt buoyant. He’d gone for a swim, he’d cooked a massive breakfast, and he couldn’t stop whistling. The thought of seeing Chloe tonight, of hearing her laugh, had him practically skipping down the street. He’d even bought her a single red rose.

A man, looking as though he might burst a blood vessel, stomped towards him, the single red rose in his hand clutched like a weapon. "She told you she was going to her cousin's wedding? Because she told me the same thing." The man's voice was dangerously low, his face contorted in anger. David's own high spirits plummeted.

David felt all the air leave his lungs. He looked at the rose, and suddenly it seemed like a burden.