Gemotions

She walked into the living room and found Liam on the couch, headphones on, eyes glued to a laptop screen. The soft glow illuminated his face. He was learning Mandarin, or so she assumed, given the subtitles scrolling across the screen. He hadn’t mentioned it.

A flush crept up her neck, a heat she couldn't explain. She hadn't bothered to learn the language. It seemed like a lot of work. But now, seeing Liam, she did wish she had, but mostly to do it before he had.

"What are you watching?" she asked, her tone flat.

He pulled off the headphones, a sheepish look on his face. "Just a movie."

"In Chinese?" she clarified, her voice barely a whisper. She suddenly felt a pressing need to run out, to go be alone.