Gemotions

The ceramic mug shattered against the kitchen tile, a spray of coffee staining the pristine white. Liam’s fist clenched, knuckles bone-white. He’d seen the number flash on Sarah’s phone again, a quick glance when she thought he wasn't looking. He’d asked about it, nonchalantly, and she’d brushed it off as work. He didn’t believe it. He remembered the hushed tones, the hurried exits to the garden, the way her smile seemed to dim when the phone rang.

The back door slammed. He needed air, the confines of the house suddenly suffocating. He stalked outside, kicking a stray soccer ball into the neighbor’s fence. The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth; he’d bitten the inside of his cheek without realizing it.