Gemotions

The steam from the coffee cup blurred Amelia's vision as she stared across the kitchen table. Across from her, Mark hummed along to the radio, completely oblivious. A flash of memory, a fleeting image of his hand reaching for the phone in the dead of night, jolted through her. He claimed it was a work call, but now, the way he was avoiding her gaze felt like a punch to the gut. Her hand trembled, and coffee sloshed over the rim, staining the white tablecloth.

She had to know. The silence felt suffocating. "Who was that, last night?" The words scraped out, sounding brittle even to her own ears. Mark froze, his smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. He opened his mouth, but no sound came. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously.

The clatter of the silverware as she slammed it down on the table echoed in the sudden quiet of the morning. His face paled, and she watched a new wave of information flood his features. Betrayal, maybe? Or something worse? She felt a chill crawl up her spine, even though the kitchen was warm.