Gemotions

The cafe smelled of burnt coffee and false smiles. Liam spotted her across the room, the woman who'd been Lila, the girl who'd sworn forever. Now, she was some stranger in a designer scarf, laughing with a man who wasn't him. He felt the familiar knot tighten in his stomach, a persistent pressure that had been his companion since the encounter started.

He purposefully bumped into her on his way to the door. "Oh, excuse me," he said, his voice dripping with insincerity. Lila barely glanced up, a polite apology escaping her lips before she returned to her conversation.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, nails digging into his palms. The air felt thick, suffocating. He wanted to shout, to scream about the shared treehouse, the secrets whispered under the summer moon, but all that escaped was a dismissive grunt as he pushed through the door.