Gemotions

The air crackled with unspoken tension. Ben's journal lay open on the desk, the words of his intimate, vulnerable thoughts exposed to the harsh fluorescent light of the dorm room. Across the room, Leo was suddenly engrossed in his phone, his posture stiff, his neck a rigid line.

A cold sweat broke out on Ben's forehead. He felt a desperate urge to flee, to escape the suffocating closeness. He began to pace, his steps erratic and jerky, his hands clenching and unclenching.

"Did you… did you read it?" he finally choked out, his voice hoarse. Leo didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched, a painful eternity.