Gemotions

"Accept?" The word flashed on his screen. It was Andrew. Thomas felt a wave of nausea, a dizzying sensation of being tossed back into a time he'd worked so hard to escape. He'd thought he was safe. His fingers felt numb.

He recoiled from the screen, almost physically. He needed to be away from the device. He rose from his desk and walked around the room. He felt his face flush.

He thought of all the times Andrew had humiliated him, the constant put-downs. He took a bottle of water and poured himself a glass. He drank it slowly, watching the ice melt, and trying to dissolve the memory of Andrew.