Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in Eleanor’s head. She stared at the chipped mug, the tea long cold, and felt the familiar ache in her chest. Liam, her roommate, bounced into the kitchen, humming. "Guess what! I'm getting a cat! A fluffy Persian, just like that one we saw at the shelter. You'll love him, El!" Her throat constricted.

She couldn’t meet his enthusiastic gaze. "Liam, we talked about this." Her voice sounded thin, reedy. He’d promised to wait, to consider her feelings. The silence between them felt thick, suffocating, like a heavy blanket she couldn't shrug off. He didn’t understand the space in her heart, the place where only a certain someone lived.

“He'll be good company for you!" Liam chirped. Eleanor flinched, as though physically struck. Company. As if companionship could fill the echoing emptiness. The thought twisted a knife inside.