Gemotions

He picked up the phone, the screen reflecting his grimace. "Yeah, heard the news," he said into the receiver. "That's…great." The word tasted like ash. Across the miles, he could practically feel the smugness radiating from Kevin, who was busy outlining his exciting new life.

A vein throbbed in his temple. All the inside jokes, the shared memories, the years of friendship...all of it threatened to be diminished by distance. He felt a sudden, fierce protectiveness of the life he was familiar with.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the throbbing headache that was starting. "Look," he said finally, his voice flat, "I gotta go."