Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside him. The rhythmic drumming did nothing to soothe the tension knotting his shoulders. It was the same every night: a secretive phone call, the door to the office closed tight, and Sarah's subsequent disappearance for what seemed like an eternity.

He checked his phone obsessively, as if expecting some message he didn’t know he needed. The silence in the house felt thick, suffocating. He paced the kitchen, his bare feet cold on the tiled floor.

He heard the click of the lock on the office door. He forced himself to appear calm, leaning against the counter as she walked in. "Long day?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual. Her smile seemed forced, unnatural. It wasn’t the one he loved.