Gemotions

He stared at the screen, the light reflecting in his wide eyes. His pulse hammered against his ribs. He felt like he had been caught doing something forbidden. He’d followed a hunch, a nagging feeling that had been growing for weeks, and now here it was: a different profile under a different name, a profile he had not been aware of.

His mouth was dry, and he swallowed hard. His wife’s name was listed as his sister, and he felt a cold shudder run through him, as if something vital had been yanked from his grasp. He read the posts, the jokes, the inside references. They were a world away from the polite, studious son he’d thought he had.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. He felt suddenly, intensely, exposed. His chest felt constricted; he thought he might be physically sick. He wanted to close the laptop and forget what he had seen, but he couldn’t.