Gemotions

He felt his chest tighten, like a too-small cage around his heart. The air in the room seemed thin, hard to breathe. Mark sat hunched at his desk, staring blankly at the page in front of him. The essay on existentialism remained unfinished, the words swimming before his eyes. He’d poured his soul into that journal, secrets laid bare, fears given shape. Now, he imagined those secrets, laid bare, in the hands of his roommate, David.

David had been acting strange lately, subtly different. A knowing look in his eye. Little comments that hit too close to home. Now Mark knew why.

He pulled at the collar of his shirt, a sudden heat flushing his face. He needed space, desperately. He needed to disappear. He abruptly stood up, shoving his chair back and muttering something about a coffee run, needing to escape the suffocating closeness. He just had to get out, away from the evidence.