Gemotions

The phone rang, shattering the silence of the late afternoon. He stared at the caller ID, his breath catching in his throat. It was *her*. He hesitated, the phone practically burning a hole in his hand. He wasn't sure if he should answer.

He had felt uneasy for days, a knot twisting in his stomach. The casual mention of another “friend.” The sudden cancellations. The way she’d avoided his eyes. He had the unsettling feeling he was a character in a drama he didn't write.

He picked up the phone, forcing himself to sound calm. "Hello?" The voice on the other end was bright, cheerful. Too cheerful. He struggled to find his own voice. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. He couldn’t trust his own perception.