Gemotions

The cafe air, thick with the aroma of coffee and shared whispers, felt suddenly oppressive. Liam watched, a bitter taste rising in his throat, as the woman across the small, round table – Sarah – kept glancing at her phone. She was waiting for someone. Liam knew, with a certainty that settled like a stone in his gut, who that someone was. He’d seen the same expectant glow in her eyes on their dates, the same rapid-fire texting. A coldness crept into his limbs.

“So, that new exhibition…?” he began, his voice flat. He barely registered Sarah’s response, his attention fixated on the entrance. He fiddled with the sugar packet, tearing it to shreds. The sound of the door chime sliced through the air, and his breath hitched.

A man, tall and with a familiar smile, walked in. Sarah’s face lit up. She stood, and he could hear the sound of her chair scraping against the floor. Liam felt a pressure building in his chest. He watched them embrace, the casual familiarity of their hug a punch to the stomach. His knuckles were white as he gripped the table's edge.