Gemotions

The air crackled with a suffocating tension. The smile on his face wavered, then vanished. He stared at her, Bethany, the woman who was once his world, and saw nothing but polite curiosity in her eyes. It was like they had never met.

"The lake," he said, his voice raspy. "Remember the lake? We used to spend every summer there." Her brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion.

He felt a deep, wrenching sensation in his chest, a feeling of betrayal that he had trouble keeping down. The restaurant's soft lighting and gentle music now seemed to mock him, and his appetite had completely vanished. The other couples sitting around the tables were smiling, and he wanted them all to disappear.

He threw the napkin on the table and stood up. He left her sitting alone.