Gemotions

He had been arguing with his brother, and his fingers fumbled on the screen. He meant to send a terse reply about their argument, but the text went to his girlfriend, Maya. It contained a friendly, joking response to a date idea she had mentioned. He felt a sudden, hot flush.

He deleted the message instantly, but the damage was done. He pictured Maya reading it, responding to someone else's offer of fun and relaxation. He slammed his fist on the table.

He started cleaning the house, scrubbing furiously at surfaces that didn’t need it. The physical exertion didn't dispel the disquiet. He was trapped in a whirlwind of imagined scenarios, each more upsetting than the last.