Gemotions

The neon lights of the casino reflected in Ethan’s watery eyes. He'd just watched his friend, Ryan, clean up at the poker table. Ryan, who had always said he was unemployed. Ryan was now surrounded by admiring onlookers, raking in a fortune. He looked triumphant and self-assured.

Ethan slumped against the bar, his drink untouched. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. All those late nights, the times they had both bemoaned their lack of prospects... a mockery. He felt a deep sense of betrayal, the kind that left a person feeling exposed and vulnerable. He focused on the ice cubes in his glass, anything to distract himself from the awful feeling churning in his stomach.