Gemotions

The cafe buzzed with Friday night chatter. Elias gripped his lukewarm coffee so tightly the cardboard threatened to tear. A familiar piano intro began, and his heart hammered against his ribs. It was his song, "Whispers in the Wind," a tune he'd poured his soul into, the first one that had ever received any radio play.

He craned his neck, trying to see the stage. A young woman with a vibrant scarf around her neck was seated at the piano. Her voice, sweet and clear, drifted through the room. Elias's breath hitched. He wasn’t prepared for this.

He fumbled for his phone, his fingers slick with sweat. He needed to leave, to disappear. He thought about shoving the table and screaming, the only thing that felt right in the moment. He rose abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair. He had to escape.