Gemotions

Michael slammed the car door with unnecessary force. The screech of the tires on the gravel driveway felt satisfying. He could see Emily waving from the porch of her new house, already surrounded by cardboard boxes and the chaotic energy of moving day. The audacity! He'd only just parked, and she was already gesticulating, as if everything was perfectly normal.

He stomped towards her, his fists balled. “You’re leaving? Just like that?” The words exploded out of him, raw and unguarded. The bright blue of her new front door mocked him. He wanted to kick it.

Emily’s smile faltered. "Michael, hey! Yeah, it's happening. I told you, I got the job." Her tone was light, almost breezy. He could feel his face burning. The job. The dream. All the things she’d always talked about, and never once considered how it would affect *him*.

He turned away, unable to meet her eyes. The familiar ache in his chest was now a sharp, stinging pain. He felt like he’d been punched.