Gemotions

The car radio blasted the radio station. Liam adjusted the volume, hoping the news would drown out the pounding in his chest. Then, the opening bars—the opening bars of *his* song. "Lost at Sea." Not his ragged, whiskey-soaked voice, but a polished, studio-produced version.

He jammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. His breath hitched. He felt a sudden, suffocating pressure in his chest, as if a weight had been placed upon it. The singer had a smooth baritone, the arrangement was slick and perfect.

He snapped the radio off, hands trembling. The silence felt worse, amplifying the frantic rhythm of his own pulse. He slammed his fist against the dashboard and then slumped back against the headrest, closing his eyes, trying to think of how to even proceed.