Gemotions

The air was thick with the scent of barbecue smoke and forced cheer. Across the crowded garden, he saw Liam laughing, surrounded by friends, basking in the glow of the party. Mark felt a surge of pure disgust.

He took a long, slow drag from his cigarette, the nicotine offering a fleeting moment of calm. The cigarette wasn't enough. He stomped it out on the patio stone, grinding the butt into the surface, as if trying to extinguish something inside.

His gaze flicked around the party, judging each person, scrutinizing every smile. He wanted to say something, do something, to disrupt the joy, to make them all understand how he felt.