Gemotions

He stared out the window, the city lights blurring through the rain-streaked glass. The apartment felt suffocating, a gilded cage. He hated feeling chained. He’d been like this for weeks, ever since Alex, his boyfriend, began going on 'business trips' with increasing frequency. He needed to be free, to escape. He'd been snapping at everyone, finding fault in everything.

The cafe was warm, the smell of coffee filling the air. He found himself chatting with a friendly, attractive guy named Ben. They talked easily, and as they did, Ben mentioned his plans with Alex for a romantic getaway. It hit him like a physical blow. The same getaway Alex had described to him. The carefully constructed lies, the secrecy, suddenly crystallized, forming a bitter understanding.

"He told me about the plans, the hotel, the whole shebang," Michael said, his voice flat. Ben's face went white. The cafe's cozy atmosphere seemed to evaporate, replaced by a chilling realization that they had both been used.