Gemotions

He kept glancing at the parking lot, his breath shallow and quick. This was supposed to be a low-key concert at a dive bar – a casual meeting with an online friend. It had taken a turn. He didn't want this. He didn't know what to do. His mouth felt dry, and he kept replaying the last few messages, as if some clue could tell him how to back out.

He felt the sweat beading on his forehead as he took another gulp of his beer, the taste metallic and unpleasant. The music from the stage was amplified, a loud, distorted drone, and he winced. The vibrations from the bass drum thrummed through him. He saw a flash of red hair bobbing through the crowd. He froze.

The way she'd described her life… the confidences she’d shared, the secrets she'd told. He wanted to run. It was all too much. Too fast. The beer bottle slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor.