Gemotions

The blood drained from his face as he read. The story, "The Architect's Secret," was about them. About *him*. His own failings, his vulnerabilities, his petty jealousies – all laid bare. The protagonist, "Marcus," was a twisted mirror image, every flaw amplified, every insecurity dissected with surgical precision.

He felt a physical ache, a tightness in his chest that made it hard to breathe. He couldn't meet her gaze when she returned home. He felt a need to disappear, to vanish into the shadows. He started to pace the living room, a caged animal.

He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn't realized he still possessed. This was wrong, deeply, fundamentally wrong.